Women‘s Major Champions Episodes

World Golf Hall of Fame member Susie Maxwell Berning begins her story as a young girl raising horses in Oklahoma City. When her young colt Joker got loose and ran through the neighboring golf course, her life changed forever. Smitten by golf after seeing a Patty Berg clinic at Lincoln Park Golf Course, she sold her horses and bought a car so she could drive to the golf course. Susie played on the men's golf team at Oklahoma City University "chaperoned" by the legendary basketball coach Abe Lemon...

Major champion Kathy Cornelius relives her later LPGA Tour victories including her last, the 1973 Sealy-Faberge Classic at the Desert Inn where she won in a playoff with Judy Rankin and took home the first prize of $25,000 and a new automobile, the richest prize ever on tour to that point. Kathy talks about life on the road with two kids traveling from town to town with many of her tour friends. She remembers her decision to retire from competition and looks back on her life post-golf. Kathy Cor...

Kathy Cornelius recalls turning professional in 1953 with encouragement from her golf professional husband Bill, joining the LPGA Tour in 1956, just after its formation in 1950. Kathy recounts her early wins including her first in the 1956 St. Petersburg Open where she bested the LPGA's previous 72-hole scoring record by 6 shots! Her most significant victory however came at the 1956 Women's U.S. Open on a Donald Ross course in MN where she bested the young amateur, Barbara McIntire, in an 18-hol...

Winner of the 1956 Women's U.S. Open, Kathy Cornelius takes us back to her childhood days where she had her first golf lesson at age 13. She recalls traveling by auto, with her mother, from FL to NY to compete in the 1950 U.S. Girls Junior Championship won by Marlene Bauer Hagge. Thirty-one years later it was her daughter Kay who would prevail in this event making them the only mother-daughter pair to win USGA championships. Listen in as she reflects on her friendship with Babe Didrikson Zaha...

What do you get when you put a golf champion in the hot seat? Only an intoxicating conversation filled with shared laughter, cherished memories, and an inside look at the world of professional golf. Welcoming 31-time LPGA winner Juli Inkster to our show, we traverse the fairways of her stunning career, from her very first swing to her monumental victories. In our final segment, Juli recounts the thrill of her Hall of Fame-qualifying triumph at the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship, the exhilaratio...

Imagine stepping onto the green with the hopes and dreams of a rookie golfer, only to find yourself winning two majors in your inaugural season. That's the exhilarating journey Juli Inkster, our esteemed guest and 7-time major championship winner, lets us accompany her on, as we stroll down memory lane to the golden years of golf. We delve into the ups and downs, the victories, and the impactful moments of the 1983 and 1984 LPGA Tour. We touch upon the important role of corporate sponsors like C...

Step onto the green with us as we traverse the golfing career of World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster. Growing up in the picturesque Santa Cruz, CA, she was a part of a sports-loving family that sparked her own passion for golf. A concession stand job at Pasatiempo GC at the ripe age of 15 took her down a path that would eventually lead to a stellar career in the sport. Join us as we follow her journey from her high school golf team to qualifying for the U.S. Open and becoming a 3-time Al...

In the concluding episode of our two-part interview with golf professional Betty Burfeindt, the journey takes us through a poignant exploration of life both on and off the course. Burfeindt opens up about her remarkable 1976 win at the LPGA Championship, offering unique insights and reflections that only a true champion could share. The conversation delves into her post-tour life, uncovering the transition from being a pro golfer to her entrepreneurial venture in “Petography” and her admirable ...

In this episode we sit down with LPGA Championship winner Betty Burfeindt, reminiscing about her golfing experiences during her early days as she shares vivid memories of thrilling playoffs, her first win, and the evolution of her golfing equipment. The conversation begins with insights into how sponsors protected players during games and the significance of rapport with fellow players. Bruce and Betty also discuss the amusing antics of celebrities like Bill Murray and Dean Martin during events...

Hollis Stacy, winner of 18 LPGA titles, four majors and a World Golf Hall of Fame member, recounts her final two major championship wins, the 1983 Peter Jackson Classic (now the du Maurier) and her third Women's U.S. Open in 1984 at Salem CC. Hollis looks back on her last few Tour wins and making the decision to retire from the competitive game. She shares her thoughts on what changes in the game have been most significant since turning pro in 1974 and distinctly remembers her "Call to the Hall"...

4-time major championship winner Hollis Stacy looks back an her early LPGA Tour years and her love of golf in Japan. After picking up her first Tour win in 1977 in her home state of Georgia, Hollis quickly validated that initial success with a victory at the 1977 Women's U.S. Open at Hazeltine C.C. in a battle with newcomer Nancy Lopez. She went back-to-back by winning the 1978 Women's U.S. Open at the Country Club of Indianapolis over JoAnne Carner and Sally Little. Hollis then went on to win h...

World Golf Hall of Fame member Hollis Stacy recounts growing up in Savannah, Georgia as the fourth of ten children. With sports-minded parents and the competitive instincts developed with nine siblings, Hollis took a liking to golf at age 10 and never looked back. She was able to travel to Augusta to watch the Masters and the Titleholders championships and recalls the effortless swing of Julius Boros. With The Blue Danube waltz ingrained as her tempo guide, she enjoyed tremendous competitive suc...

The winner of 29 LPGA Tour events, Amy Alcott looks back on the later part of her Hall of Fame career, including the last two of her five major championship wins. Amy took the inaugural plunge into "Poppie's" Pond with her caddie Bill Kurre after winning the 1988 Nabisco Dinah Shore. She won the 1991 Nabisco Dinah Shore for her Mom who had recently passed and took the post-victory plunge with the tournament host after prevailing by 8 strokes. Amy talks about being in the "Zone", getting stuck in...

Winner of five major championships, Amy Alcott continues with stories of playing with Mickey Wright, JoAnne Carner and many other greats of their time. Amy takes us back to her first three major wins and regales us with her impersonations of Ed Sullivan and Howard Cosell before breaking out in song (something you don't want to miss). She wraps up this episode by looking back on the fun she had working at the Butterfly Bakery and recalls her craziest career win. One of our favorite guests ever, A...

World Golf Hall of Fame member, Amy Alcott, begins her life story growing up in Brentwood, California and playing "Yard Golf" with makeshift holes and a chopped off 8-iron. Alcott Golf & CC they called it, and there she played until introduced to Walter Keller, America's self-proclaimed first golf discounter, where she took lessons and learned the game. Amy had much success as a junior, winning 100+ tournaments including her State Am at Pebble Beach and the 1973 U.S. Girl's Junior. She almost we...

Major Champion Helen Alfredsson wraps up her life story by painfully recalling several close calls in the U.S. Women's Open with real chances to prevail in 1993, 1994 and 2008. Helen was a participant in the inaugural Solheim Cup at Lake Nona in 1990 and participated as a player 8 times and as Captain once, in 2007. Interestingly, Helen qualified to play for the European side in 2009 after serving as Captain. She joined the Legends Tour in 2012 and won the Senior Slam in 2019 with victories in t...

The winner of four tournaments before they were considered LPGA major championships, Helen Alfredsson continues her life story recounting her individual accomplishments in the world of women's golf from 1994 forward. Coming off her major win at the Diana Shore the previous year, Helen began 1994 with the first of her three career wins at the Evian Masters, destined to be considered a major beginning in 2013. We also discuss the LPGA Founders and others who came before to create the opportunities...

Helen Alfredsson, winner of 29 professional events including 7 on the LPGA Tour, takes us back to her early days starting out on the Ladies European Tour where she began as its Rookie of the Year in 1989. A bit ahead of her time, Helen won four events that were destined to become majors including her first pro win, the 1990 Women's British Open. Seven more wins would come in rapid succession in 1991 and 1992 before Helen broke through with her first LPGA triumph, the 1993 Dinah Shore, becoming t...

Helen Alfredsson, winner of the 1993 Dinah Shore, joins Bruce and Mike and begins her story as a child in Gothenburg, Sweden. A multi-sport athlete in her youth, Helen was introduced to golf by her father, himself an accomplished athlete, at age 11. She showed a natural ability that earned her a spot on Sweden's National Junior and Amateur teams, the youngest ever at age 14. Helen won several national championships before representing Sweden in the 1986 and 1988 Espirito Santo competitions. Foll...

Join us for the captivating conclusion of our four-part interview with World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley on "FORE the Good of the Game." In this episode, we delve deep into Pat's illustrious career, exploring her journey beyond the pinnacle of success to her profound impact on women's golf. Pat Bradley reflects on the evolution of her career, particularly the transition period as a new generation of golfers emerged. She shares heartfelt insights into the challenges of keeping pace with...

In this enthralling third episode of our four-part series with World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley, we focus on her remarkable 1986 season, a year that cemented her legacy in the annals of golf history. This segment offers a deep dive into the highs and lows of a year that was nearly unparalleled in the sport. Pat shares her experiences from the 1986 Women’s U.S. Open, where she narrowly missed joining a playoff, finishing T-5. This moment of near triumph sets the stage for an exploratio...

In this second installment of our four-part series with World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley, "FORE the Good of the Game" delves deeper into the remarkable career and personal insights of one of golf's greatest legends. Hosted by Mike Gonzalez and Bruce Devlin, this episode is a treasure trove of stories, laughter, and wisdom from a true icon of the sport. Pat Bradley, with her hallmark candor and charm, recounts her journey through some of the most defining moments of her career, star...

In this first installment of a four-part series on "FORE the Good of the Game," hosts Mike Gonzalez and Bruce Devlin engage in a delightful conversation with World Golf Hall of Fame member, Pat Bradley. This episode, rich in detail and personal anecdotes, offers an intimate glimpse into Bradley’s inspiring journey in golf. Opening with reflections on Bradley's hallmark of consistency, Mike and Bruce set the stage for an exploration of her illustrious career, marked by 36 wins and six major c...

Patty Sheehan recounts the last few of her 41 professional wins which included the 1992 British Open, the 1993 LPGA Championship, the 1994 U.S. Open (with some encouraging words from 3-time winner Hollis Stacy) and the 1996 Nabisco Dinah Shore. Patty fondly recalls playing for Captain Kathy Whitworth in the inaugural Solheim Cup at Lake Nona and being named Captain of the U.S. side twice. She amassed a trophy case full of awards and honors, including the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame, over a...