Who is Patty Sheehan?

Patty Sheehan , born in Middlebury, Vermont, on October 27, 1956, is an American golfer. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour. Sheehan's father coached football, baseball, golf, and skiing at Middlebury College in Vermont and gave her a sawed-off two-iron at age 2, introducing her to golf. She was a nationally ranked junior skier at age 13 but chose golf over skiing at 14. In 1993, with her 30th tour victory, she secured a spot in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame.

What sport is Patty Sheehan famous for?

Patty Sheehan is an American golfer celebrated as one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour in the 1980s and 1990s. She began playing golf at age 2 and was a nationally ranked junior skier at 13 but chose golf at 14. Sheehan won three straight state high-school individual championships and the national collegiate championship in 1980, the year she turned professional. Her achievements include Rookie of the Year in 1981, multiple LPGA championships, and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1992 and 1994. In 1993, she was inducted into the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame .

Which major golf tournaments has Patty Sheehan won?

Patty Sheehan, inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, achieved 35 tour wins during her professional career. Major tournament wins: * LPGA Championship (1983) * LPGA Championship (1984) * U.S. Women’s Open (1992) * LPGA Championship (1993) * U.S. Women’s Open (1994) * Nabisco Dinah Shore (1996) Sheehan was named Rookie of the Year in 1981 after her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic. In both 1983 and 1984, she was named Player of the Year, also achieving the tour’s lowest scoring average in 1984 at 71.40.

When did Patty Sheehan start her professional golf career?

Patty Sheehan began her professional golf career in 1980, after winning the national collegiate championship that same year. In 1981, she achieved her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic and was named Rookie of the Year. By 1993, Sheehan had secured her place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame with her 30th career tour victory. Some of the top players in the 1980s and 90s included Pat Daniel, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, and Laura Davies.

How did Patty Sheehan impact women's golf?

Patty Sheehan was a prominent and consistent golfer on the women’s tour in the 1980s and 1990s. Sheehan, along with Pat Daniel, Betsy King, Juli Inkster, and Laura Davies, was among the top players of those decades. By 1993, she had secured a place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame with her 30th career tour victory. In 2001, the annual purse for LPGA events had increased to more than $37 million per year.

What awards or honors has Patty Sheehan received in her golf career?

Patty Sheehan, an American golfer, was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, securing her place with her 30th tour victory. In 1981, she was named Rookie of the Year after her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic. Sheehan was also named Player of the Year in 1983, after four tour victories, including the LPGA Championship, a feat she repeated the following year, finishing first at the LPGA and recording the tour’s lowest scoring average, 71.40.

Patty Sheehan

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Golfer Patty Sheehan competing in the 1992 U.S. Women's Open.

Quick Facts

In full:: Patricia Leslie Sheehan

Born:: October 27, 1956, Middlebury, Vermont, U.S. (age 70)

Awards And Honors:: United States Women’s Open Championship (1994); United States Women’s Open Championship (1992)

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Patty Sheehan

American golfer

Written by

Kevin Lamb

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 23, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who is Patty Sheehan?
Patty Sheehan, born in Middlebury, Vermont, on October 27, 1956, is an American golfer. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour. Sheehan's father coached football, baseball, golf, and skiing at Middlebury College in Vermont and gave her a sawed-off two-iron at age 2, introducing her to golf. She was a nationally ranked junior skier at age 13 but chose golf over skiing at 14. In 1993, with her 30th tour victory, she secured a spot in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame.
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1. Patty Sheehan
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What sport is Patty Sheehan famous for?
Patty Sheehan is an American golfer celebrated as one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour in the 1980s and 1990s.

She began playing golf at age 2 and was a nationally ranked junior skier at 13 but chose golf at 14. Sheehan won three straight state high-school individual championships and the national collegiate championship in 1980, the year she turned professional. Her achievements include Rookie of the Year in 1981, multiple LPGA championships, and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1992 and 1994. In 1993, she was inducted into the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame.
1 Britannica Source
1. Patty Sheehan
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which major golf tournaments has Patty Sheehan won?
Patty Sheehan, inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, achieved 35 tour wins during her professional career.

Major tournament wins:
* LPGA Championship (1983)
* LPGA Championship (1984)
* U.S. Women’s Open (1992)
* LPGA Championship (1993)
* U.S. Women’s Open (1994)
* Nabisco Dinah Shore (1996)

Sheehan was named Rookie of the Year in 1981 after her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic. In both 1983 and 1984, she was named Player of the Year, also achieving the tour’s lowest scoring average in 1984 at 71.40.
1 Britannica Source
1. Patty Sheehan
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
When did Patty Sheehan start her professional golf career?
Patty Sheehan began her professional golf career in 1980, after winning the national collegiate championship that same year. In 1981, she achieved her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic and was named Rookie of the Year. By 1993, Sheehan had secured her place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame with her 30th career tour victory. Some of the top players in the 1980s and 90s included Pat Daniel, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, and Laura Davies.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Patty Sheehan
2. golf: The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Patty Sheehan impact women's golf?
Patty Sheehan was a prominent and consistent golfer on the women’s tour in the 1980s and 1990s. Sheehan, along with Pat Daniel, Betsy King, Juli Inkster, and Laura Davies, was among the top players of those decades. By 1993, she had secured a place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame with her 30th career tour victory. In 2001, the annual purse for LPGA events had increased to more than $37 million per year.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Patty Sheehan
2. golf: The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA)
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What awards or honors has Patty Sheehan received in her golf career?
Patty Sheehan, an American golfer, was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, securing her place with her 30th tour victory. In 1981, she was named Rookie of the Year after her first LPGA tour victory at the Mazda Japan Classic. Sheehan was also named Player of the Year in 1983, after four tour victories, including the LPGA Championship, a feat she repeated the following year, finishing first at the LPGA and recording the tour’s lowest scoring average, 71.40.
1 Britannica Source
1. Patty Sheehan
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Patty Sheehan (born October 27, 1956, Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.) is an American golfer who was one of the most consistent players on the women’s tour throughout the 1980s and ’90s. In 1993 she secured a place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Hall of Fame with her 30th career tour victory.

Sheehan first played golf at age 2, when she was given a sawed-off two-iron by her father, who coached football, baseball, golf, and skiing at Middlebury College in Vermont. She was a nationally ranked junior skier at age 13 but quit skiing in favour of golf at 14. Moving to Reno, Nevada, Sheehan won three straight state high-school individual championships. She attended the University of Nevada for three years and won the Nevada state amateur championships in 1975–78. Transferring to California State University at San Jose, she won California’s amateur title in 1978–79 and the national collegiate championship in 1980, the year she turned professional.

After winning her first LPGA tour victory, in 1981 at the Mazda Japan Classic, Sheehan was named Rookie of the Year for that season. She scored four tour victories in 1983, including the LPGA championship, and was named Player of the Year. The following year she repeated the feat, finishing first at the LPGA, as well as recording the tour’s lowest scoring average, 71.40. She did not win another major tournament for eight years.

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It seemed to be Sheehan’s year in 1990: she won five tournaments, posted a career-best 70.62 scoring average, shot 29 rounds in the 60s, and became the second woman ever to earn $700,000 in a season. She led the U.S. Women’s Open by nine strokes on the final, 36-hole day, and her 12-under-par score at one point made her the first golfer ever to reach 10 under par at any stage of a men’s or women’s U.S. Open. But she then lost the lead to Betsy King for her third second-place finish in nine Opens.

When Sheehan finally won the Open in 1992, she had to win an 18-hole play-off against college teammate Juli Inkster. Sheehan became the 13th member of the LPGA Hall of Fame on November 13, 1993, after qualifying with her 30th tour victory, on March 21, with a tournament record of 17 under par at the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix, Arizona. Later that year Sheehan made the LPGA championship her fourth major and 31st career win. She captured another pair of majors—the U.S. Women’s Open in 1994 and the Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1996—and finished her career with an impressive 35 tour wins. Sheehan remained active on the senior tour circuit, and she captained the 2003 U.S. Solheim Cup team.

Kevin Lamb The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Patty Sheehan

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