Sandra Post
Sandra Post, CM (born June 4, 1948) is a retired professional golfer, the first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour. In 1968 at age 20 in her rookie professional year, she won a women's major – the LPGA Championship, and was the youngest player at the time to win a major.
| Sandra Post | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Post in 1978 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Sandra Post | ||
| Born | June 4, 1948 Oakville, Ontario | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | ||
| Sporting nationality | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | ||
| Residence | Toronto, Ontario | ||
| Spouse | John Elliot, Jr. (m. 1970)[1][2] | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1968 (age 19) | ||
| Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour (1968–83) | ||
| Professional wins | 10 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| LPGA Tour | 8 | ||
| LPGA of Japan Tour | 1 | ||
| Other | 1 | ||
| Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 1) | |||
| Titleholders C'ship | DNP | ||
| Chevron Championship | T62: 1983 | ||
| Women's PGA C'ship | Won: 1968 | ||
| U.S. Women's Open | T2: 1975 | ||
| du Maurier Classic | T7: 1979 | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Over her 16 year career on the LPGA Tour, Post won 8 championships and became the first Canadian to win multiple times in the same season, doing so twice in each of 1978 and 1979. The next time a two-win season by a Canadian occurred was in 2000 by Lorie Kane.[3] In 1988, Post was named to both the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.[4] In 2004, she was inducted into the Order of Canada as a Member with the designation, CM.[4]
Early years
Born in Oakville, Ontario, Post was introduced to golf at age five by her father,[5] and was a youthful prodigy who learned her golf at the nearby Trafalgar Golf & Country Club. She was competing in Ontario provincial events by age 13 and compiled an outstanding junior and amateur career that included winning the Ontario and Canadian Junior Girls Championships three times each.[5][6]
Professional career
Wins major, LPGA Rookie of the Year
Bypassing college, Post turned professional in the spring of 1968 and joined the LPGA Tour at age 19.[5] In her debut season of 1968, Post became the youngest player to win a women's major title at the LPGA Championship. Her 18-hole playoff victory over defending champion Kathy Whitworth, by 68 to 75, also marked the first victory in the championship by a non-U.S. player. She was the only Canadian to win an LPGA major for 48 years, until 18-year-old Brooke Henderson in 2016.
For her performance on the professional circuit, Post was voted the Tour's Rookie of the Year award. Post did not return to the winner's circle on the Tour until 1978; however, she challenged to win on many occasions during that ten-year period. In December 1974, she won the Colgate Far East Open, a non-tour event in Melbourne, Australia.[7]
Second on 1979 money list
Post hit her peak form from 1978 to 1981, winning seven of her eight career titles, and became one of the world's top players. She captured back-to-back wins at the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle in 1978 and 1979.[8][9]
For the 1979 season, she finished second on the LPGA money list, and won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's "Athlete of the Year." During her 16 years on the pro tour, Post also had 20 runner-up finishes, including the U.S. Women's Open in 1975.
Honors
Several nagging injuries led Post to retire from most LPGA competition by the mid-1980s, but she competed occasionally after that. In 1988, she was elected to the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[10] In 2003, she was honored by her country with membership in the Order of Canada. She was voted No. 8 of the females chosen as Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century.
Post has captained Canada's Nations Cup team, serves as a commentator on televised golf events in Canada, and writes golf instructional articles for several Canadian magazines. She is involved in a number of charitable causes, and runs the Sandra Post School of Golf near Toronto. Post has her own golf apparel firm, and has designed a set of women's golf clubs for the Jazz Golf company.
Professional wins
LPGA Tour wins (8)
| Legend |
| LPGA Tour major championships (1) |
| Other LPGA Tour (7) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 23, 1968 | LPGA Championship | 72-75-74-73=294 | +2 | Playoff |  Kathy Whitworth |
| 2 | Apr 2, 1978 | Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle | 65-74-72-72=283 | –5 | Playoff | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Penny Pulz |
| 3 | Aug 20, 1978 | Lady Stroh's Open | 69-71-71-75=286 | –2 | Playoff | Pat Meyers Kathy Whitworth |
| 4 | Apr 8, 1979 | Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (2) | 68-70-68-70=276 | –12 | 1 stroke | Nancy Lopez |
| 5 | May 13, 1979 | Lady Michelob | 72-69-69=210 | –9 | 2 strokes | Pat Bradley |
| 6 | Sep 23, 1979 | ERA Real Estate Classic | 71-73-70-70=284 | –8 | 2 strokes | Donna Caponi |
| 7 | Aug 3, 1980 | West Virginia LPGA Classic | 69-69-73=211 | –5 | Playoff | Donna Caponi |
| 8 | Jun 7, 1981 | McDonald's Kids Classic | 69-69-73-71=282 | –6 | 2 strokes | Amy Alcott |
Note: Post's wins in the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now ANA Inspiration) were before it became a major championship.
LPGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1968 | LPGA Championship | Kathy Whitworth |
Won 18-hole playoff (Post:68, Whitworth:75) |
| 2 | 1976 | Girl Talk Classic | Pat Bradley Bonnie Lauer Judy Rankin |
Bradley won with par on second extra hole Lauer and Post eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 3 | 1978 | Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle | Penny Pulz |
Won with par on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1978 | Lady Stroh's Open | Pat Meyers Kathy Whitworth |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 5 | 1979 | Elizabeth Arden Classic | Amy Alcott |
Lost to eagle on third extra hole |
| 6 | 1980 | West Virginia LPGA Classic | Donna Caponi |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
LPGA of Japan Tour wins (1)
- 1976 Sun Star Ladies
Other wins (1)
- 1974 Colgate Far East Open (in Melbourne, Australia)[7]
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | LPGA Championship | +2 (72-75-74-73=294) | Playoff1 | Kathy Whitworth |
1Won in a playoff (68 Post, 75 Whitworth).
References
- "Sandra Post to wed Fort Lauderdale pro". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. March 14, 1970. p. 70.
- Svoboda, Chuck (August 22, 1970). "Wedding bells hamper Sandra Post's career". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. Canadian Press. p. 9.
- Sportsnet Central. July 4, 2016. Rogers Sportsnet.
- "Sandra Post, CM". Canadian Golf Hall of Fame; Golf Canada - Heritage. 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- Thibeault, Marc (May 29, 1979). "Sandra Post knew as tot she wanted to be golf pro". Montreal Gazette. p. 53.
- Barclay, James A. (1992). Golf in Canada: A History. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-1080-4.
- "Sandra Post takes Far East tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Florida. Associated Press. December 9, 1974. p. 5C.
- "Sandra Post surprised with win". Evening News. Newburgh, New York. Associated Press. April 3, 1978. p. 10B.
- Peters, Ken (April 9, 1979). "Sandra Post outlasts Nancy Lopez". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. p. 38.
- "Sandra Post". oshof.ca. Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
External links
- Sandra Post at the LPGA Tour official site
- Sandra Post, History by the Minute
