Women‘s Major Champions Episodes

The winner of the 1995 du Maurier Classic, Jenny Lidback, begins her story recounting life as the daughter of an Italian mother and a Swedish father growing up in Lima, Peru. Born into a golfing family, Jenny's grandfather was one of the founders of Lima Country Club and access to the game and great instruction enabled her to develop her game quickly. After a move to Baton Rouge, Jenny began taking lessons from Gardner Dickinson in Palm Beach, Florida and she performed well in Junior events arou...

Newly-minted World Golf Hall of Fame member, Sandra Palmer concludes her look back at a remarkable career by reflecting on her final wins on the LPGA Tour and remembering the great players she had the privilege of competing with. Sandra delves into the evolution of golf equipment and what it's done for the game. Witness the triumphs, the heartbreaks, the shots that could've been, and the shots that were - including Sandra's close calls in several other majors. This episode is about gratitude - ...

Two-time major winner, Sandra Palmer continues her recollection of women's golf on the LPGA Tour in the 70's as she takes us on a captivating ride through his victories at Green Gables Country Club in Colorado, the Cameron Park Country Club, and Kendall Lake's Golf Club in Florida. Be inspired as Sandra dives deep into her formula for staying fit, her quest for consistency in her game, and her fascinating story of having her mentor, Max Weinstein, present at one of her crucial wins.&nbs...

The winner of 19 events on the LPGA Tour, Sandra Palmer takes us back to her first few years as a professional where everything was new and winning was difficult. Sandra recounts her first professional win at the 1970 Tokay Classic in Japan where first prize paid 10% of the men’s prize. She remembers playing with Joe Namath in a pro-am event at the Desert Inn where she holed a green-side bunker shot for eagle to beat Donna Caponi for her first LPGA title. Sandra’s first major came in the last ed...

Our inspiring conversation with Sandra Palmer, a 2024 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, traces her journey from her humble beginnings in Fort Worth and Maine to her crowning as an iconic figure in the world of golf. A testament to her grit and determination, Sandra shared how she discovered her passion for golf at age 13 and how the sport served as a sanctuary during her turbulent childhood. Not your ordinary caddy, her knack for never losing a ball made her a favorite among gamblers, p...

Dottie Pepper continues her story by reflecting on her final major championship win at the 1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore where she set a record for most strokes under par in a major at -19. Dottie finished 2nd at the "Dinah" three times to go along with her two wins there. She remembers her other close calls in the majors and fondly recalls her six appearances as a player in the Solheim Cup where she amassed an impressive 13-5-2 record including a 4-0-0 performance in the 1998 edition at Muirfield Vi...

2-time major winner and popular golf broadcaster, Dottie Pepper, takes us back to learning the game under the watchful eye of her father Don and early mentor George J. Pulver, Sr. who Dottie honored with her recent book A Letter to a Future Champion - My Time with Mr. Pulver. She had early successes, some while playing on her high school boys golf team; winning the NY Women's State Amateur as a 15-year-old, winning the 1981 and 1983 Girl's NY Junior Amateurs and finishing as low amateur at the W...

We conclude our 3-part interview with 5-time LPGA victor and 2000 Heather Farr Player Award winner Brandie Burton as she recounts the toll the game took on her body and her decision to wind down her competitive career in 2009. We look back on her play in the major championships and the joy she found in team competition as a 5-time participant in the Solheim Cup. She was privileged to play for Captain Kathy Whitworth in the second-ever Solheim Cup and enjoyed her pairings with Dottie Pepper in te...

We begin this second installment of our interview with Brandie Burton with her recounting life on the road as an LPGA newbie. Brandie earned Rookie of the Year honors in 1991 and was the youngest player ever to surpass $1M in career earnings. It didn't take her long to secure her first win at the 1992 PING/Welch's Championship and her first major win came the next year as a 21-year-old at the 1993 du Maurier Classic in a playoff with Betsy King. She won her second major in 1998, again at the du ...

We begin our three-part interview with 2-time major champion Brandie Burton with a look back at the days of her youth, growing up in a working-class family in Southern California. With supportive parents and two older brothers to compete with, Brandie became a competitive swimmer before burning out at age 13. On her 9th birthday, her gift of choice was a day with her Dad learning to play golf which sparked a lifelong love for the game. Beginning with lessons from a driving range pro, Brandie qui...

Winner of three Women's British Opens, Sherri Steinhauer, reflects back on the one that counted as a major, in 2006 at Royal Lytham. She fondly remembers her teacher, the late Manuel de la Torre, long-time professional at Milwaukee CC and recounts her other Tour wins and the physical and mental challenges that present themselves when playing golf at the highest level. Sherri was a 4-time member of the Solheim Cup teams and is proud of her undefeated record in foursomes and singles play and sh...

Two-time major championship winner Sherri Steinhauer begins her story learning golf with her parents and four older brothers at Nakoma Golf Club in Wisconsin. After winning the WI State Junior Championship 3-straight years, Sherri was off to play for Coach Pat Weis and the Texas Longhorns. She was low amateur at the 1983 Women's U.S. Open, had five college wins and was All-American in 1985 but she knew long before then, at age 12, what she wanted to do for a living. Sherri joined the LPGA Tour i...

In the second part of our engaging conversation with Nanci Bowen, we delve deeper into her life and career beyond the greens. This episode offers an intimate look at Bowen's multifaceted journey post-professional golf and her contributions that extend far beyond her championship titles. We begin with her recollections of her major championship win at the 1995 Dinah Shore as she shares a funny anecdote about JoAnne Carner's advice for playing the tee shot on the 18th at Mission Hills. As we con...

Join us in this engaging first episode of a two-part series where we delve into the inspiring journey of Nanci Bowen, a professional golfer who has carved a remarkable path in the world of golf. Nanci, known for her tenacity and skill on the course, shares her experiences from the early days of her career, her challenges, and the pivotal moments that shaped her into becoming a major champion. Our episode begins with a dive into Nanci’s roots and the influence of her family in her early golfing ...

Three-time winner of major championships, Mary Mills, recounts making four back-nine birdies en route to her third major victory at the 1973 LPGA Championship at Pleasant Valley CC where Bruce Devlin won his final PGA Tour event the previous year. Mary recalls her record in the majors and reflects back on putting woes that led to her retirement from competitive golf. She talks about her love for teaching the game, something that remains a passion for her. Mary Mills concludes her wonderful story...

Mary Mills, winner of three majors, continues her story by reflecting back on her early wins on the LPGA Tour, including the 1964 LPGA Championship played at the Stardust CC in Las Vegas. Mary looks back on the many places in the world where she was able to play and introduce golf to the local population. She talks about where she got her nickname "Pipeline" and discovers that she and Bruce Devlin both won tournaments in Ohio on the same day back in 1970. Mary Mill, with some great stories of To...

Three-time major championship winner Mary Mills begins her story by sharing her memories of growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where she took up the game the game at age 11. With regular lessons from 1935 PGA Champion Johnny Revolta, Mary enjoyed early amateur success winning the Women's State Am eight times in a row starting at age 14. She met Messrs. Hogan and Jones at age 14 and found inspiration from those encounters. Mary played for four years on the men's golf team at Millsaps Colleg...

18-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Meg Mallon finishes her career with a flourish by winning her 4th major, the 2004 Women's U.S. Open over Annika Sorenstam with a brilliant bogey-free closing round of 65, the finest final round in the 59-year history of the event. Meg remembers the golf history she witnessed playing with Sorenstam when she shot 59, with Juli Inkster when she won the LPGA for her career Grand Slam, with Dottie Pepper when she shot the lowest under par at a major and with Karie Web...

Winner of four major championships, Meg Mallon takes us through many of her 18 tour wins including the 1991 LPGA Championship where she birdied the last to win, the 1991 Women's U.S. Open just two weeks later where play was so slow Lori Garbacz ordered a pizza on the 14th hole and had it delivered on the 17th tee, and the 2000 du Maurier Classic where she won her third different major. In between are great stories of life on the tour competing in her prime. Meg Mallon continues her life story, "...

World Golf Hall of Fame member, Meg Mallon takes us back to her younger days growing up in Michigan with sporting parents and five siblings. Competition came naturally to Meg in that environment and she was introduced to golf at age 7 with some early lessons. Typical of many of golf's greats, she competed in a variety of sports and was a big fan of Babe Zaharias. Listen is as Meg share her high school and university experiences before turning professional and joining the LPGA Tour in 1987. She t...

World Golf Hall of Fame member Sandra Haynie continues her story with the 1973 season and fondly recalls her six titles the following year including two majors, her second LPGA Championship and the Women's U.S. Open where she birdied the final two holes to win. Sandra explains her decision to step away from the Tour in 1977 citing the toll various injuries were taking on her body, impacting her ability to compete at the highest level. She returned in 1981 and won her final major and Tour event, ...

4-time major championship winner and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Sandra Haynie begins her story as a young girl in Texas, learning the game under the watchful eye of her father Jim and A.G. Maxwell who shaped her game and instilled the fundamentals she relied on her entire career. Sandy knew at age 9, when she had a chance to play with Babe Zaharias, what she wanted to do in life. From that moment she was focused on golf and enjoyed success as an amateur, knowing she was not going to ...

Gloria Ehret takes us back through her LPGA career which began with a confidence-building 5th place finish in the 1965 LPGA Championship, her first year on tour. That led to her one major win the following year at Stardust C.C. in Las Vegas. Gloria prevailed by 3 shots over the great Mickey Wright and earned her Most Improved Player on the LPGA Tour in 1966. Listen in as she recalls her wins and close calls and talks about many of the game's greats of that era. Some of her fondest memories come ...

Winner of the 1966 LPGA Championship, Gloria Ehret, takes us back to the days of her youth growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Gloria, a multi-sport athlete, was introduces to golf by her father and uncle who needed a fourth to round out their group. Under the watchful eye of the pro at the local muni, she developed her game and, after an exhibition by Tommy Bolt at their local course, she was really hooked. Moves to Florida for junior college and then to Connecticut, allowed her to compete, ...