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Colleen Walker

Colleen Walker
Personal information
Full nameColleen Walker
Born(1956-08-16)August 16, 1956
Jacksonville, Florida
DiedDecember 11, 2012(2012-12-11) (aged 56)
Valrico, Florida
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
CollegeFlorida State University
Turned professional1982
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (1982–2004)
Legends Tour
Professional wins12
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour9
LPGA of Japan Tour1
Other2
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 1)
Chevron Championship2nd: 1988
Women's PGA C'shipT15: 1991
U.S. Women's OpenT3: 1988
du Maurier ClassicWon: 1997
Women's British OpenDNP
Achievements and awards
LPGA Vare Trophy1988
LPGA Heather Farr
Player Award
2004

Colleen Walker (August 16, 1956 – December 11, 2012[1]) was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.

Amateur career

Walker was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She started playing golf at the age of 14. At the age of 18, she was named the 1974 Palm Beach Post Athlete and Player of the Year. She won the Florida All-State Golf Award in 1976. She attended Florida State University where she won most valuable player honors from 1977–1978.

Professional career

Walker turned professional in September 1981 and played on the Tampa Bay Mini-Tour. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1982 after winning the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She won nine tour titles, the first of them in 1987 and the last in 1997, including one major championship, the 1997 du Maurier Ltd. Classic. In 1988, she won the LPGA Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, was named Most Improved Player by Golf Digest, and finished a career high fifth on the money list, one of four times she finished in the top ten. She was inducted into the Florida State University Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Walker joined the Legends Tour in 2001, winning her first tournament that year. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2003, she underwent chemotherapy and radiation. She would rejoin the tour in September. She finished in a tie for 10th at a senior event, essentially an attempt to see if she could still play. She retired from the LPGA Tour in 2004.

Walker died on December 11, 2012, in Valrico, Florida, of a cancer recurrence that was diagnosed in late 2011.[2] She was 56.

Professional wins (12)

LPGA Tour (9)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (1)
Other LPGA Tour (8)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 14, 1987 Mayflower Classic −10 (67-70-72-69=278) 1 stroke United States Bonnie Lauer
United States Sally Quinlan
United States Patti Rizzo
United States Patty Sheehan
2 Jul 17, 1988 Boston Five Classic −14 (66-69-70-69=274) 8 strokes United States Jane Geddes
United States Patty Sheehan
Australia Jan Stephenson
United States Kathryn Young
3 Mar 18, 1990 Circle K LPGA Tucson Open −12 (71-68-65-72=276) 5 strokes United States Pat Bradley
United States Heather Drew
United States Betsy King
United States Kate Rogerson
4 Jun 16, 1991 Lady Keystone Open −9 (70-70-67=207) 2 strokes United States Beth Daniel
United States Kris Tschetter
5 Feb 2, 1992 Oldsmobile LPGA Classic −9 (71-73-67-68=279) Playoff Canada Dawn Coe
6 May 24, 1992 LPGA Corning Classic −12 (65-70-69-72=276) 5 strokes United States Beth Daniel
United States Alice Miller
7 Sep 20, 1992 Safeco Classic −11 (72-67-68-70=277) 2 strokes United States Vicki Fergon
United States Rosie Jones
8 Aug 3, 1997 du Maurier Classic −14 (68-72-73-65=278) 2 stokes Sweden Liselotte Neumann
9 Sep 20, 1997 Star Bank LPGA Classic −13 (67-69-67=203) 2 strokes United States Terry-Jo Myers

LPGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1992 Oldsmobile LPGA Classic Canada Dawn Coe Won with par on first extra hole

LPGA of Japan Tour (1)

  • 1989 Nichirei International

Legends Tour (1)

  • 2001 Hy-Vee Classic

Other (1)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship Winning score Margin Runner-up
1997 du Maurier Classic −14 (68-72-73-65=278) 2 strokes Sweden Liselotte Neumann

Team appearances

Professional

  • Handa Cup (representing the United States): 2009 (winners)

References

  1. ^ "9-time LPGA Tour winner Colleen Walker dies". Boston Herald. Associated Press. December 12, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  2. ^ Goldstein, Richard (December 12, 2012). "Colleen Walker, Nine-Time Winner on L.P.G.A. Tour, Dies at 56". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2013.