In honor of the 250th anniversary of The United States of America, let’s take a look back at the last 50 and who the greatest players to represent the American flag are.
This will only include accomplishments since 1976 and while it will focus mostly on LPGA Tour accomplishments, other tours and events will be factored in:
No. 10 – Cristie Kerr – The best player from the United States throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s is a discussion between Kerr and Stacy Lewis, but Kerr has seven more victories at 20 total. During a time where American women’s golf just wasn’t winning at a high pace, Kerr was good for 2-3 wins most seasons during her peak. She also got two major championship titles and the CME Group Tour Championship.
No. 9 – Beth Daniel – The only thing holding Beth Daniel back on this list, is the lack of major championships. Across her long career, Daniel won 33 LPGA Tour events across four decades. In 2003, she became the oldest player to win on the Tour at 46 years old. While the high win total is impressive, she has the 15th most wins in LPGA Tour history, it is really the longevity that stands out with Daniel.
No. 8 – Meg Mallon – Meg Mallon edges out her long-term partner Daniel mostly on the shoulders of her remarkable major championship record. Mallon won four majors between 1991-2004. From her true peak, years that stretch from 1990-2000, Mallon built up 19 top-10 finishes in majors while there were still just four on the schedule. While the majors really stand out, Mallon still had a fantastic career otherwise with 18 LPGA Tour wins. Her resumé would be one of the great arguments to expand LPGA Hall of Fame requirements.
No. 7 – Nelly Korda – It is so hard to compare the career of Nelly Korda, one that seems to be just now reaching its peak, to the legends of the LPGA Tour from the past. When it is all said and done, Korda could easily be on the top three of this list, heck, maybe as soon as the end of the year. Korda wins at a rate that isn’t just unheard of from Americans in the modern game, its rare for any player. Korda already has 19 wins and four major championships (plus an Olympic Gold Medal) and she is just 27-years-old. There’s plenty of time for Korda, but she has already etched her name in the history books.
No. 6 – Pat Bradley – All of the players at the top of this list are so difficult to separate, they all have remarkably similar resumés, so really any order the rest of the way out is reasonable. Bradley’s career started right at the beginning of the eligibility window in 1976, and her 31 wins with six majors are incredible. Also incredible, how condensed those wins were, with all of her majors coming in a seven-season window. Bradley’s peak is about as good as any player not named Annika in history.
No. 5 – Betsy King – Betsy King may have an argument to being the most underrated player in the Tour’s history. While many of the names at the top here are routinely discussed, King it seems sometimes is forgotten. While her career got off to a slow start, once she started winning, she won at a high level. King didn’t win on the LPGA Tour from 1977-1983, but after her first title in 1984, she won 33 more times, including two major championships. King won three LPGA Tour Player of the Year awards and had six seasons with at least three wins.
No. 4 – Amy Alcott – Amy Alcott is responsible for creating the LPGA Tour’s most enduring tradition, jumping into the water at the Chevron Championship, but that moment is so iconic in part because she was such a legend of the game. King won 34 times on the LPGA Tour, including six times in major championships. At her peak, she is one of the best major championship performers of all time, routinely finishing in the top 10 at all four majors in a season.
No. 3 – Juli Inkster – One of the unquestioned faces of American women’s golf, Inkster’s combination of elite play and an engaging personality have kept her a major superstar even decades after she won her last Tour event. Inkster had 31 wins overall with seven major titles, the most of anyone on this list. She also had to play the second half of her career during the prime of Annika. Inkster is also known as a fantastic Solheim Cup captain, leading the United States to victories in 2015 and 2017.
No. 2 – Patty Sheehan – Like Inskter, Patty Sheehan played her golf at San José State University, but it wasn’t until well after her playing days as a Spartan were done that she reached legendary status. Sheehan has one of the more unique career arcs in golf. She won 28 times between 1980 and 1992, but had a relatively low two majors for the strength of the rest of her resumé. From that point on she won just seven more events, but four of those were major championships.
No. 1 – Nancy Lopez – Compared to some of the other greats on this list, the iconic Nancy Lopez doesn’t have a lot of major championship trophies on her mantle. While every other player in the top eight has at least four, Lopez has three. Still, the rest of her career is enough to keep her at the top in the No. 1 spot. Lopez had 48-career wins, which ranks second in the modern era on the LPGA Tour, behind only Annika. Lopez was also one of the first true mainstream superstars on the LPGA Tour. Lopez had maybe the most incredible start to a career ever, winning 17 times between 1978 and 1979, her first two years on Tour.
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