Heather Farr

Heather Farr (March 10, 1965 – November 20, 1993) was an American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.[1][4][5][6][7]

Heather Farr
Personal information
Born(1965-03-10)March 10, 1965
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
DiedNovember 20, 1993(1993-11-20) (aged 28)
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Height5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseGoran Lingmerth[1][2][3]
(m.1992–93, her death)
Career
CollegeArizona State University
Turned professional1985
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (1986–1990)
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipT58: 1989
Women's PGA C'shipT45: 1988
U.S. Women's OpenT11: 1983
du Maurier ClassicT37: 1986
Achievements and awards
LPGA William and
Mousie Powell Award		1989
LPGA Heather Farr Award1994

Early years

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Farr was the elder of two daughters of Gerald D. (Jerry) and Sharon Farr.[5] She and her sister Missy were introduced to golf by their father, a former rodeo cowboy and Air Force veteran,[8][9] and the family spent countless hours together at the public Papago Golf Course in east Phoenix.[8]

Farr won three state high school championships while at the all-girls Xavier College Preparatory, and is a member of the National High School Sports Hall of Fame and the azcentral.com Arizona High School Sports Hall of Fame. At a diminutive 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m), she was nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" during her teenage years.[2]

Golf career

College

Farr graduated from high school a year early in 1982 and was a top recruit with many scholarship offers. She chose to stay close and enrolled at Arizona State University in adjacent Tempe, where she played for the Sun Devils women's golf team. At ASU she became a well-known golfer, both in Arizona and nationwide, winning the 1982 U.S. Girls' Junior[10] and 1984 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.[11]

At the U.S. Women's Open, Farr tied for eleventh and was low amateur as an 18-year-old in 1983 in Oklahoma,[12] then tied for fortieth in Massachusetts in 1984.[13] Farr played on the U.S. teams in the 1984 Curtis Cup and Espirito Santo Trophy. She was an All-American and was inducted into the ASU Sun Devils' Hall of Fame in 1990.

LPGA Tour

After three years at ASU, Farr turned pro in June 1985;[14] she tied for eighth at the LPGA Tour's qualifying tournament near Houston in October to earn her tour card,[15] and began play in early 1986.[4]

Farr's best finish on tour was a tie for third at the Mazda Classic at Boca Raton, Florida in early 1988,[16] and she had six top ten finishes that season.[1]

Breast cancer

With her pro career on the rise, Farr was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24 in July 1989.[4] Her battle with cancer became national news for the next four years.[7] She played on tour on a limited basis in the fall of 1990, but more cancer was found in her spine and the base of her skull. In March 1991, Farr underwent a 13-hour operation to rebuild her vertebrae and stabilize her back with a 7-inch (18 cm) metal rod.[1] That August, she began working on her putting stroke, with hopes to return to the tour. In 1992, she married Goran Lingmerth in March, and played six holes of a skins game at the Sara Lee Classic in April,[17] but in May more cancer was found on her pelvis and skull.

Through 1993, The Arizona Republic newspaper of Phoenix kept a daily column which updated Farr's health condition. She became admired by many Arizonans because she kept hope of returning to the golf links soon, despite her ordeal.[17][18] Beginning in August, she had numerous surgeries to relieve internal bleeding,[1][19] and underwent surgery at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital-North on November 11 to relieve a brain hemorrhage; she died nine days later at age 28, surrounded by her family and many LPGA tour pros.[6][20]

Legacy

Farr was posthumously named an "ambassador" of the Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona, and her family established the Heather Farr Foundation. In addition to that numerous golf awards have been named after her.

In 1994, the LPGA established the Heather Farr Player Award to celebrate the life of Farr. The award "recognizes an LPGA Tour player who, through her hard work, dedication and love of the game of golf, has demonstrated determination, perseverance and spirit in fulfilling her goals as a player, qualities for which Farr is so fondly remembered".[21]

Farr is buried at St. Francis Cemetery in Phoenix, beside her father Jerry (1939–2014).[8]

Her younger sister Missy Farr-Kaye became the head coach of the women's golf team at Arizona State in June 2015, after many years as an assistant at their alma mater.[22][23] Also diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago at age 30,[24] she is a two-time cancer survivor (1998, 2008) and leads her sister's foundation.[25]

Amateur wins (2)

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

Videos

References
  1. "Heather Farr loses bout with cancer". Prescott Daily Courier. Arizona. Associated Press. November 22, 1993. p. 6A. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016 – via Google News.
  2. Brennan, Christine (November 24, 1993). "Heather Farr lived her life to the fullest". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida. (Washington Post). p. 3C. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016 – via Google News.
  3. Kreidler, Mark (November 22, 1993). "Heather Farr fought hard - with her heart". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). McClatchy News Service. p. C7. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020 – via Google News.
  4. "Heather Farr, youngest golfer to make pro tour". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 22, 1993. p. B6. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016 – via Google News.
  5. Robledo, Fred (November 22, 1993). "Golfer Heather Farr dies at 28 after cancer fight". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  6. Dorman, Larry (November 22, 1993). "Heather Farr, Rising Golfer, 28; Pro Career Cut Short by Cancer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011.
  7. Fields, Bill (October 28, 2015). "Nearly 22 years after her death, golfer Heather Farr continues to inspire". ESPNW. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  8. "Farr, Gerald D. "Jerry"". Whitney Murphy Funeral Home. (obituary). September 30, 2014. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  9. Robeldo, Fred (November 1993). "Golfer Heather Farr dies at 28 after cancer fight". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  10. "1982 U.S. Girls' Junior". champsdatabase.usga.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  11. "1984 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links". champsdatabase.usga.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  12. "Stephenson makes dream a reality at Women's Open". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. August 1, 1983. p. 2D. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016 – via Google News.
  13. "Women's Open scores". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. July 16, 1984. p. 16. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016 – via Google News.
  14. "Heather Farr". The Courier. Prescott, Arizona. UPI. May 30, 1985. p. 11A. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016 – via Google News.
  15. "LPGA scores". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. October 19, 1985. p. 2C. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016 – via Google News.
  16. Wine, Steven (February 8, 1988). "Lopez opens LPGA season with a win". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. p. 3D. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016 – via Google News.
  17. "Golfer Heather Farr battling fatigue after her cancer bout". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Associated Press. April 22, 1992. p. 4B. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016 – via Google News.
  18. Reisner, Mel (February 11, 1992). "Heather Farr plans for her comeback". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. Associated Press. p. 4B. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016 – via Google News.
  19. "LPGA golfer Heather Farr battling cancer once again". Ludington Daily news. Michigan. Associated Press. August 26, 1993. p. 3C. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016 – via Google News.
  20. "Battle against breast cancer ends for Heather Farr". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. wire services. November 22, 1993. p. D2. Archived from the original on May 11, 2016 – via Google News.
  21. "2003 LPGA Tour award winners announced". LPGA.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2006.
  22. "Farr-Kaye takes over Arizona State's women's golf program". Associated Press. June 26, 2015. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  23. "Golf: Missy Farr-Kaye". Arizona State University Athletics. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  24. Sirak, Ron (April 1, 1998). "Sister of Heather Farr diagnosed with breast cancer". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. p. 3D. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016 – via Google News.
  25. Morgan, Craig (October 28, 2015). "Farr-Kaye still at forefront in fight against breast cancer". Arizona State University Athletics. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
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