Patty Sheehan - Part 2 (Winning the 1983 and 1984 LPGA)

It is a tribute of a person’s fortitude that she is at her best when life seems at its worst. That, then, says it all about Patty Sheehan, who has twice answered adversity with achievement, and who has proven that heart and courage mean as much in golf as talent. When you grow up as a downhill skier, you learn how to pick yourself up, and that’s what Sheehan has done.

In 1989, Sheehan lost her house, her trophies and nearly all of her life savings in the San Francisco earthquake. She came back the next year to win five tournaments and more than $732,000. Nearly all of that money went to pay bills, but it was the tournament she lost in 1990 that represented as much potential devastation to her career as the earthquake did to her financial security.

The U.S. Women’s Open was played at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Sheehan had an 11-stroke lead in the third round and ended up losing it all to Betsy King. As Sheehan later said, “I had owned the Open. It was in my hands. I could break a leg and still shoot well enough to win, but I hadn’t been able to do it.”

“I saw myself as a winner from a very young age. I played with boys all my life, and I seemed to be their equal, if not better. I never thought of myself as anything less than a winner. To be successful, you need drive, determination and a belief in yourself, and some kind of peacefulness about what you’re doing.”
Two years later, Sheehan came to Oakmont Country Club after two consecutive victories. She birdied the 71st and 72nd holes, then went on to defeat Juli Inkster in a playoff. She won the… Read More

Professional golfer, broadcaster, course designer and philanthropist, Australian-born Bruce Devlin amassed 40 world-wide wins in his professional career. As a young man, he followed his father and began an apprenticeship in plumbing before taking up golf at age 13. As a fine amateur player, Bruce enjoyed a great deal of success with wins at the Australian Amateur and Australian Open before turning 23. In 1958, as a member of the Australian team, he won team and individual honors at the inaugural Eisenhower Trophy played at the Old Course in St. Andrews. He turned pro in 1961 and won his first international event in 1962. Over his career, he also achieved eight victories on the U.S. PGA Tour. Bruce was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2014. Bruce is one of only four golfers to have scored a double eagle at the Masters Tournament. In the first round of the 1967 Masters he holed a 4-wood from 248 yards on the par-5 8th hole. His last victory came on the Senior PGA Tour in 1995. At the end of the 1998 golf season, he retired from the Senior PGA Tour to concentrate on his Golf Course Architecture and Design business and his commitment to ESPN's Golf Telecasts. He worked for NBC from 1977 to 1982 and ESPN from 1983 to 1987. Bruce currently serves as Board Chairman for The Devlin Foundation and is an active volunteer with The Ben Hogan Foundation. Bruce and his late wife of 63 years Gloria have three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Mike is a retired business executive, having headed up several mid-sized companies in a career that spanned nearly 35 years. Introduced to golf at an early age by his father, he has been passionate about the game and its principles ever since. A graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, Mike appreciates his midwestern roots and has been a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He has served on various professional and philanthropic boards including the Material Handling Board of Governors, the Boys & Girls Club, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Southeastern Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District (Miller Park). Mike has also served the game as a Board member with the Chicago District Golf Association and as a member of golf club Boards. Currently, Mike enjoys work with private equity firms as an Executive Operating Partner and mentor to young business executives. He has traveled the world extensively and enjoys the simplicity of the game of golf during his regular sojourns to the UK. Mike met his wife Jan in college and they have been married for 40+ years. They have two grown daughters and one adorable grandson.