Donna Caponi
Donna Caponi | |||||||
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Personal information | |||||||
Full name | Donna Caponi-Byrnes | ||||||
Born | (1945-01-29) January 29, 1945 (age 79) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||
Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||||||
Sporting nationality | United States | ||||||
Residence | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
Spouse | Ken Young (1971–81) Ted Byrnes (2006–) | ||||||
Career | |||||||
Turned professional | 1965 | ||||||
Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour (joined 1965) | ||||||
Professional wins | 29 | ||||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||||
LPGA Tour | 24 | ||||||
Other | 5 | ||||||
Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 4) | |||||||
Western Open | 21st: 1967 | ||||||
Titleholders C'ship | 12th: 1966 | ||||||
Chevron Championship | T13: 1985 | ||||||
Women's PGA C'ship | Won: 1979, 1981 | ||||||
U.S. Women's Open | Won: 1969, 1970 | ||||||
du Maurier Classic | 3rd: 1980, 1982 | ||||||
Achievements and awards | |||||||
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Donna Caponi-Byrnes (born January 29, 1945) is an American LPGA Tour professional golfer. She became a member of the tour in 1965 and won four major championships and 24 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Amateur career
Caponi was born in Detroit, Michigan. She started playing golf at the age of 5. She learned golf from her father, Harry, and won the Los Angeles Junior title in 1956. She tied for 21st as an amateur at the 1964 Hillside House Ladies' Open on the LPGA Tour.
Professional career
Caponi joined the LPGA Tour in 1965. She won her first tournament in 1969 at the U.S. Women's Open. She is one of 14 players to make the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA victory. She would repeat as champion in 1970. Only Mickey Wright had ever won back-to-back U.S. Women's Opens before Caponi, who also matched Wright's 72-hole scoring record of 287. She would go on to win a total of 24 events on the LPGA Tour, including four major championships.
Caponi was named Female Player of the Year by Golf Writers Association of America in 1981. She finished in the top ten on the money list ten times between 1968 and 1981, including second-place finishes in 1976 and 1980. She retired from full-time competition in 1988. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2009, she was the recipient of the PGA First Lady of Golf Award.[1]
She is currently an announcer on the Golf Channel, covering the Champions Tour.
Personal life
From 1971 to 1981, Caponi was married to Ken Young and was known as Donna Caponi Young. After her divorce in 1981, she changed her name back to Donna Caponi.[2] She married her longtime boyfriend Edward "Ted" Byrnes on July 29, 2006, and changed her name to Donna Caponi-Byrnes.
Professional wins (29)
LPGA Tour wins (24)
Legend |
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LPGA Tour major championships (4) |
Other LPGA Tour (20) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jun 29, 1969 | U.S. Women's Open | +2 (74-75-76-69=294) | 1 stroke | Peggy Wilson |
2 | Sep 21, 1969 | Lincoln-Mercury Open | −2 (74-68-72=214) | Playoff | Kathy Whitworth |
3 | May 24, 1970 | Bluegrass Invitational | −2 (72-70-72=214) | 1 stroke | Mary Mills |
4 | Jul 5, 1970 | U.S. Women's Open | +3 (69-70-71-77=287) | 1 stroke | Sandra Haynie Sandra Spuzich |
5 | May 20, 1973 | Bluegrass Invitational | −3 (72-72-72=216) | 2 strokes | Sandra Spuzich |
6 | Feb 2, 1975 | Burdine's Invitational | −8 (70-71-67=208) | 3 strokes | Kathy Cornelius |
7 | May 11, 1975 | Lady Tara Classic | −5 (72-70-72=214) | 1 stroke | Gloria Ehret Sandra Post |
8 | Jun 13, 1976 | Peter Jackson Classic | −4 (72-73-67=212) | Playoff | Judy Rankin |
9 | Sep 19, 1976 | Portland Classic | −2 (72-71-74=217) | Playoff | Clifford Ann Creed |
10 | Sep 26, 1976 | The Carlton | −6 (69-69-72-72=282) | 5 strokes | Jane Blalock Judy Rankin |
11 | Nov 3, 1976 | LPGA/Japan Mizuno Classic | −5 (74-71-72=217) | 4 strokes | Chako Higuchi |
12 | Sep 17, 1978 | The Sarah Coventry | −10 (72-71-68-71=282) | 5 strokes | Jane Blalock |
13 | Oct 22, 1978 | Houston Exchange Clubs Classic | −9 (70-68-69=207) | 3 strokes | Alexandra Reinhardt |
14 | Jun 10, 1979 | LPGA Championship | −9 (69-70-70-70=279) | 3 strokes | Jerilyn Britz |
15 | Mar 23, 1980 | LPGA National Pro-Am | −2 (71-74-71-70=286) | 1 stroke | Nancy Lopez |
16 | Apr 6, 1980 | Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle | −13 (71-67-66-71=275) | 2 strokes | Amy Alcott |
17 | May 25, 1980 | Corning Classic | −7 (66-72-69-74=281) | 2 strokes | Myra Blackwelder |
18 | Sep 14, 1980 | United Virginia Bank Classic | −11 (70-67-66-74=277) | 4 strokes | Nancy Lopez |
19 | Sep 21, 1980 | ERA Real Estate Classic | −9 (75-68-71-69=283) | 5 strokes | Shelley Hamlin |
20 | Mar 22, 1981 | LPGA Desert Inn Pro-Am | −3 (74-75-69-68=286) | 3 strokes | Pat Bradley |
21 | Apr 12, 1981 | American Defender/WRAL Golf Classic | −8 (71-65-72=208) | 1 stroke | Cathy Sherk |
22 | Jun 14, 1981 | LPGA Championship | −8 (69-68-70-73=280) | 1 stroke | Jerilyn Britz Pat Meyers |
23 | Jul 19, 1981 | WUI Classic | −6 (71-69-69-73=282) | 2 strokes | Julie Pyne |
24 | Aug 2, 1981 | Boston Five Classic | −12 (69-68-68-71=276) | 6 strokes | Jan Stephenson |
- Note: Caponi won the Peter Jackson Classic (which became the du Maurier Classic) and the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before they became major championships.
LPGA Tour playoff record (3–5)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
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1 | 1969 | Lincoln-Mercury Open | Kathy Whitworth | Won with par on first extra hole |
2 | 1974 | Lady Tara Classic | Sandra Spuzich Kathy Whitworth | Spuzich won with par on fifth extra hole Whitworth eliminated by par on third hole |
3 | 1976 | Peter Jackson Classic | Judy Rankin | Won with par on first extra hole |
4 | 1976 | Portland Classic | Clifford Ann Creed | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
5 | 1979 | Women's Kemper Open | JoAnne Carner Chako Higuchi Nancy Lopez Jan Stephenson | Carner won with par on second extra hole Caponi, Lopez, and Stephenson eliminated by par on first hole |
6 | 1980 | West Virginia LPGA Classic | Sandra Post | Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
7 | 1981 | Florida Lady Citrus | Beth Daniel Cindy Hill Patti Rizzo Patty Sheehan | Daniel won with birdie on second extra hole Hill, Rizzo, and Sheehan eliminated by par on first hole |
8 | 1981 | Inamori Classic | Amy Alcott Hollis Stacy Jan Stephenson | Stacy won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (5)
- 1975 Colgate European Open
- 1976 Wills Qantas Australian Ladies Open
- 1978 Ping Classic Team Championship (with Kathy Whitworth)
- 1980 Portland Ping Team Championship (with Kathy Whitworth)
- 1981 Portland Ping Team Championship (with Kathy Whitworth)
Major championships
Wins (4)
Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
1969 | U.S. Women's Open | +2 (74-76-75-69=294) | 1 stroke | Peggy Wilson |
1970 | U.S. Women's Open | +3 (69-70-71-77=287) | 1 stroke | Sandra Haynie, Sandra Spuzich |
1979 | LPGA Championship | −9 (69-70-70-70=279) | 3 strokes | Jerilyn Britz |
1981 | LPGA Championship | −8 (69-68-70-73=280) | 1 stroke | Jerilyn Britz, Pat Meyers |
See also
References
- ^ a b Ferncroft Country Club, Ferncroft CC Member Donna Caponi-Byrnes Receives PGA First Lady of Golf Award Accessed November 23, 2011.
- ^ NY Times News Service, Donna Caponi starting over again August 24, 1981. Accessed November 23, 2011.
External links
- Donna Caponi at the LPGA Tour official site
- Donna Caponi at the Legends Tour official site (also at former site)
- Donna Caponi at golf.about.com at the Wayback Machine (archived February 16, 2007)
- v
- t
- e
- 1955 Beverly Hanson‡
- 1956 Marlene Hagge†
- 1957 Louise Suggs
- 1958 Mickey Wright‡
- 1959 Betsy Rawls
- 1960 Mickey Wright
- 1961 Mickey Wright‡
- 1962 Judy Kimball‡
- 1963 Mickey Wright
- 1964 Mary Mills
- 1965 Sandra Haynie
- 1966 Gloria Ehret
- 1967‡ Kathy Whitworth‡
- 1968 Sandra Post†‡
- 1969 Betsy Rawls
- 1970 Shirley Englehorn†
- 1971 Kathy Whitworth
- 1972 Kathy Ahern
- 1973 Mary Mills
- 1974 Sandra Haynie
- 1975 Kathy Whitworth
- 1976 Betty Burfeindt
- 1977 Hisako Higuchi
- 1978 Nancy Lopez
- 1979 Donna Caponi
- 1980 Sally Little
- 1981 Donna Caponi
- 1982 Jan Stephenson‡
- 1983 Patty Sheehan
- 1984 Patty Sheehan
- 1985 Nancy Lopez‡
- 1986 Pat Bradley
- 1987 Jane Geddes
- 1988 Sherri Turner
- 1989 Nancy Lopez
- 1990 Beth Daniel
- 1991 Meg Mallon
- 1992 Betsy King‡
- 1993 Patty Sheehan
- 1994 Laura Davies
- 1995 Kelly Robbins
- 1996 Laura Davies
- 1997 Christa Johnson†
- 1998 Se-ri Pak‡
- 1999 Juli Inkster
- 2000 Juli Inkster†
- 2001 Karrie Webb
- 2002 Se-ri Pak
- 2003 Annika Sörenstam†
- 2004 Annika Sörenstam
- 2005 Annika Sörenstam
- 2006 Se-ri Pak†
- 2007 Suzann Pettersen
- 2008 Yani Tseng†
- 2009 Anna Nordqvist
- 2010 Cristie Kerr‡
- 2011 Yani Tseng‡
- 2012 Shanshan Feng
- 2013 Inbee Park†
- 2014 Inbee Park†
- 2015 Inbee Park
- 2016 Brooke Henderson†
- 2017 Danielle Kang
- 2018 Park Sung-hyun†
- 2019 Hannah Green‡
- 2020 Kim Sei-young
- 2021 Nelly Korda
- 2022 Chun In-gee
- 2023 Yin Ruoning