JoAnne Carner


JoAnne Gunderson Carner is an American former professional golfer. Her 43 victories on the LPGA Tour led to her induction in the World Golf Hall of Fame. She is the only woman to have won the U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Women's Amateur, and U.S. Women's Open titles, and was the first person ever to win three different USGA championship events. Tiger Woods is the only man to have won the equivalent three USGA titles. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Carol Semple Thompson have also won three different USGA titles.
Carner was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1981, Carner was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. She captained the 1994 U.S. Solheim Cup team.

Amateur career

Born in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle, "The Great Gundy" remained an amateur until age 30. In 1960, while attending Arizona State University, she won the national intercollegiate individual golf championship. From 1956 to 1968, she was the dominant woman in amateur golf, and accumulated five U.S. Women's Amateur titles, ranking her second only to Glenna Collett Vare who had six. She was runner-up two other times. In 1966, Carner needed 5 extra holes to beat Marlene Stewart Streit in the longest final match in U.S. Women's Amateur history. She also won the U.S. Girls' Junior in 1956.
While still an amateur in 1969, Carner won an LPGA Tour event, the Burdine's Invitational. She was the last amateur to win on the LPGA Tour until 15-year-old New Zealander Lydia Ko won the CN Canadian Women's Open in 2012.

Professional career

Carner's greatest professional victories were her two U.S. Women's Opens, in 1971 and 1976. She led after each round in 1971 and won easily, finishing seven shots better than Kathy Whitworth who finished in second. In 1976, Carner needed an 18-hole playoff to defeat Sandra Palmer.
Big Mama was the second player in LPGA history to cross the $1 million mark in career earnings. She had an unusually long career, remaining competitive through the late 1990s. During 2004, she still played 10 tournaments and became the oldest player to make a cut on the LPGA Tour at age 65.

Personal

Carner is a graduate of Arizona State University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She married Don Carner in 1963, and he also served as her coach and business manager. They were married 36 years until his death at age 83 in 1999 after a long illness. The couple was known for driving from tournament to tournament and staying in an Airstream trailer.

Amateur wins (7)

LPGA Tour wins (43)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of victoryRunner-up
1Jan 19, 1969Burdine's Invitational E 1 stroke Shirley Englehorn
2Sep 12, 1970Wendell-West Open−2 Playoff Marilynn Smith
3Jun 27, 1971U.S. Women's OpenE 7 strokes Kathy Whitworth
4Aug 1, 1971Bluegrass Invitational−6 3 strokes Sandra Haynie
5May 19, 1974Bluegrass Invitational−4 Playoff Sandra Spuzich
6May 26, 1974Hoosier LPGA Classic−6 2 strokes Donna Caponi
Judy Rankin
7Jun 9, 1974Desert Inn Classic−4 1 stroke Carole Jo Kabler
8Aug 18, 1974St. Paul Open−7 4 strokes Laura Baugh
9Sep 8, 1974Dallas Civitan Open+1 1 stroke Kathy Whitworth
10Sep 29, 1974Portland Ladies Classic−5 2 strokes Donna Caponi
11May 25, 1975American Defender Classic−10 Playoff Judy Rankin
12Jun 8, 1975Girl Talk Classic−6 6 strokes Sandra Spuzich
13Jun 29, 1975Peter Jackson Classic−5 Playoff Carol Mann
14Feb 15, 1976Orange Blossom Classic−7 Playoff Sandra Palmer
15June 21, 1976Lady Tara Classic−10 3 strokes Silvia Bertolaccini
16Jun 20, 1976Hoosier Classic−6 2 strokes Debbie Austin
Pat Bradley
17Jul 11, 1976U.S. Women's Open+8 Playoff Sandra Palmer
18Jun 5, 1977Talk Tournament '77−4 5 strokes Kathy McMullen
19Jul 17, 1977Borden Classic−9 1 stroke Pat Meyers
20Sep 11, 1977National Jewish Hospital Open−6 2 strokes Hollis Stacy
21Jul 4, 1978Peter Jackson Classic−14 8 strokes Hollis Stacy
22Jul 16, 1978Borden Classic−7 3 strokes Pat Bradley
Sandra Post
24Apr 1, 1979Women's Kemper Open+2 Playoff Donna Caponi
Hisako Higuchi
Nancy Lopez
Jan Stephenson
25Feb 4, 1980Whirlpool Championship of Deer Creek−10 2 strokes Sandra Post
26Feb 24, 1980Bent Tree Ladies Classic−8 1 stroke Sandra Post
27Mar, 9, 1980Sunstar Classic−9 4 strokes Judy Rankin
29Jun 22, 1980Lady Keystone Open−9 4 strokes Jo Ann Washam
30Feb 15, 1981S&H Golf Classic−1 Playoff Dot Germain
31Jun 21, 1981Lady Keystone Open−13 8 strokes Martha Nause
32Aug 30, 1981Columbia Savings LPGA Classic−10 2 strokes Janet Anderson
Patty Sheehan
Kathy Whitworth
33Sep 7, 1981Rail Charity Golf Classic−11 2 strokes Kyle O'Brien
34Feb 7, 1982Elizabeth Arden Classic−5 1 stroke Jo Ann Washam
35Jun 6, 1982McDonald's Classic−12 6 strokes Sandra Haynie
36Aug 22, 1982Chevrolet World Championship of Women's Golf−4 5 strokes Ayako Okamoto
37Aug 29, 1982Henredon Classic−6 Playoff Sandra Haynie
38Sep 6, 1982Rail Charity Golf Classic−14 6 strokes Susie McAllister
39Aug 21, 1983Chevrolet World Championship of Women's Golf−6 2 strokes Ayako Okamoto
40Sep 11, 1983Portland Ping Championship−4 Playoff Charlotte Montgomery
41May 27, 1984LPGA Corning Classic−7 4 strokes Ayako Okamoto
42Feb 3, 1985Elizabeth Arden Classic−8 6 strokes Jane Blalock
43Sep 15, 1985Safeco Classic−9 2 strokes Jan Stephenson

Carner won the Burdine's Invitational as an amateur.
LPGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11970Wendell-West Open Marilynn SmithWon with bogey on first extra hole
21974Bluegrass Invitational Sandra SpuzichWon with bogey on first extra hole
31975Birmingham Classic Maria Astrologes
Judy Rankin		Astrolges won with birdie on first extra hole
41975American Defender Classic Judy RankinWon with par on first extra hole
51975Peter Jackson Classic Carol MannWon with birdie on second extra hole
61976Orange Blossom Classic Sandra PalmerWon with par on fourth extra hole
71976U.S. Women's Open Sandra PalmerWon an 18-hole playoff
81976Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic Mary Lou Crocker
Sandra Palmer
Michelle Walker		Palmer won with birdie on third extra hole
Crocker and Walker eliminated with par on first hole
91978Coca-Cola Classic Nancy LopezLost to par on first extra hole
101979Women's Kemper Open Donna Caponi
Chako Higuchi
Nancy Lopez
Jan Stephenson		Won with par on second extra hole
Caponi, Lopez, and Stephenson eliminated with par on first hole
111979Florida Lady Citrus Jane BlalockLost to par on second extra hole
121981Elizabeth Arden Classic Sally Little
Judy Rankin		Little won with par on third extra hole
Carner eliminated with par on second hole
131981S&H Golf Classic Dot GermainWon with par on first extra hole
141982Whirlpool Championship of Deer Creek Hollis StacyLost to birdie on fifth extra hole
151982Henredon Classic Sandra HaynieWon with par on fifth extra hole
161983McDonald's Kids Classic Beth DanielLost to birdie on first extra hole
171983Portland Ping Championship Charlotte MontgomeryWon with birdie on first extra hole
181986Henredon Classic Betsy KingLost to par on second extra hole
191987U.S. Women's Open Laura Davies
Ayako Okamoto		Davies won 18-hole playoff
201993HealthSouth Palm Beach Classic Tammie GreenLost to birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (6)

Wins (2)

1 In an 18-hole playoff, Carner 76, Palmer 78.

Results timeline

† The Kraft Nabisco Championship was the Nabisco Dinah Shore Championship through 1999. It became the Nabisco Championship in 2000 and adopted the Kraft Nabisco Championship name in 2002.
^The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
DQ = disqualified
... = not yet a major
"T" = tied for place

Summary

Amateur
Professional