Dottie Pepper Explained

Dottie Pepper
Birth Date:17 August 1965
Birth Place:Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
Residence:Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
College:Furman University
Yearpro:1988
Extour:LPGA Tour (1988–2004)
Prowins:25
Lpgawins:17
Jlpgawins:1
Futwins:1
Otherwins:6
Majorwins:2
Nabisco:Won: 1992, 1999
Lpga:T5: 1992
Wusopen:3rd/T3: 1988, 1990, 2001
Dumaurier:4th: 1993
Wbritopen:T24: 2003
Award1:LPGA Tour
Money Winner
Year1:1992
Award2:LPGA Tour
Player of the Year
Year2:1992
Award3:LPGA Vare Trophy
Year3:1992
Award4:GWAA Female
Player of the Year
Year4:1992
Award5:Best Female Golfer
ESPY Award
Year5:1993
Award6:GWAA William D.
Richardson Award
Year6:2016
Award7:New York State Golf
Assoc. Hall of Fame
Year7:2018
Award8:Old Tom Morris Award
Year8:2024

Dottie Pepper (born August 17, 1965) is an American professional golfer and television golf broadcaster. From 1988 to 1995 she competed as Dottie Mochrie, which was her married name before a divorce. She won two major championships and 17 LPGA Tour events in all.

Amateur career

Pepper was born in Saratoga Springs, New York. Her father, Don, was a major league baseball player, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a "rookie to watch", along with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, in 1968. Her career began with big amateur victories in her home state of New York. She won the 1981 state amateur and the 1981 and 1983 New York Junior Amateur titles. She was a member of the 1981 Junior World Cup team and low amateur at the 1984 U.S. Women's Open. She attended Furman University, where she earned five collegiate victories and was named All-American three times.

Professional career

Pepper joined the LPGA Tour in 1988 and won 17 official events on the Tour, including two major championships: the 1992 and 1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore. Her 19-under-par finish in the 1999 victory still stands as the lowest score in relation to par in a major championship. She topped the money list in 1992 and finished in the top ten in ten of eleven seasons between 1991 and 2001. Pepper also played for the United States in the Solheim Cup six times.

Due to injury problems, Pepper played only one tournament in 2002. In July 2004 she announced that she would retire at the end of the season. In 2005, she began work as a golf commentator for NBC and The Golf Channel, reporting on both men's and women's events.

During the 2007 Solheim Cup, Pepper caused some stir while working as commentator for the Golf Channel. She called the American team "choking freaking dogs". She thought the network had cut to commercial when the comment was uttered, but it was actually still broadcasting live. Some players and fans were upset by this and Pepper quickly apologized for her "poor choice of words".[1]

In July 2012 Pepper was named by captain Meg Mallon as one of two assistant captains for the U.S. Team at the 2013 Solheim Cup.[2]

Pepper retired from commentating in December 2012, tired of the traveling and wanting to spend more time promoting junior golf as a PGA of America board member.[3] In May 2013, she signed a contract with ESPN to return to commentating on a limited basis, working mainly major tournaments on the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours.[4] In October 2015, Pepper was signed to a contract with CBS, replacing David Feherty who had left the network to work for NBC and to continue his Feherty series on the Golf Channel. She took up Feherty's role as on-course reporter as well as doing occasional tower announcing.[5]

Pepper served as a member of the PGA of America Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015, and the NENY PGA Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015. She was the recipient of the 2016 William D. Richardson Award, presented by the Golf Writers Association of America for her consistently outstanding contributions to golf. She is also a 2018 inductee to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame.[6] The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America awarded Pepper with its highest honor, the Old Tom Morris Award, in 2024, for her continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf, and helping mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris.[7]

Personal life

Pepper resides in Saratoga Springs, New York with her third husband, golf writer and historian David Normoyle. They were married in May 2010.[8]

Professional wins (25)

LPGA Tour wins (17)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Jan 29, 1989Oldsmobile LPGA Classic−9 (69-74-67-69=279)Playoff Beth Daniel
2May 13, 1990−16 (67-65-68=200)9 strokes Chris Johnson
3Mar 29, 1992Nabisco Dinah Shore −9 (69-71-70-69=279)Playoff Juli Inkster
4Apr 19, 1992Sega Women's Championship−11 (70-69-68-70=277)1 stroke Danielle Ammaccapane
5Aug 2, 1992Welch's Classic−10 (72-67-69-70=278)3 strokes Stephanie Farwig
6Aug 30, 1992Sun-Times ChallengeEven (71-72-73=216)Playoff Beth Daniel
Judy Dickinson
7Oct 19, 1993World Championship of Women's Golf−4 (72-71-69-72=284)1 stroke Donna Andrews
Meg Mallon
Michelle McGann
Sherri Steinhauer
8Mar 5, 1994Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions−1 (72-75-71-69=287)2 strokes Nancy Lopez
Lauri Merten
9Mar 12, 1995PING/Welch's Championship (Tucson)−10 (70-68-72-68=278)3 strokes Cindy Rarick
Annika Sörenstam
10Aug 6, 1995McCall's LPGA Classic−12 (69-67-68=204)3 strokes Kelly Robbins
11Jun 23, 1996Rochester International−10 (69-66-71=206)2 strokes Annika Sörenstam
12Jun 30, 1996ShopRite LPGA Classic−11 (67-66-69=202)4 strokes Amy Benz
13Jul 21, 1996Friendly's Classic−9 (68-69-73-69=279)1 stroke Brandie Burton
14Sep 8, 1996Safeway LPGA Golf Championship−14 (65-70-67=202)2 strokes Chris Johnson
15Mar 28, 1999Nabisco Dinah Shore−19 (70-66-67-66=269)6 strokes Meg Mallon
16Aug 29, 1999Oldsmobile Classic−18 (67-63-70-70=270)2 strokes
17Nov 19, 2000Arch Wireless Championship−9 (68-71-69-71=279)3 strokes

LPGA Tour playoff record (3–5)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
11989Oldsmobile LPGA Classic Beth DanielWon with par on fifth extra hole
21992Nabisco Dinah Shore Juli InksterWon with par on first extra hole
31992Sun-Times Challenge Beth Daniel
Judy Dickinson
Pepper won with par on sixth extra hole
Daniel eliminated by par on fourth hole
41993 PING/Welch's Championship (Massachusetts) Missie BerteottiLost to birdie on fifth extra hole
51993 State Farm Rail Classic Helen DobsonLost to birdie on fifth extra hole
61995Pinewild Women's Championship Rosie JonesLost to birdie on first extra hole
71998Star Bank LPGA Classic Meg MallonLost to par on first extra hole
82000AFLAC Champions Karrie WebbLost to par on first extra hole

LPGA majors are shown in bold.

Futures Tour wins (1)

LPGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

Other wins (6)

Major championships

Wins (2)

YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
−9 (69-71-70-69=279) Playoff 1 Juli Inkster
−19 (70-66-67-66=269) 6 strokes Meg Mallon

1 Defeated Inkster with par on first extra hole.

Results timeline

Tournament 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipT7T66
LPGA ChampionshipT45T39
U.S. Women's OpenT22T5578T12T3T5
T35T18
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipT1121T30T19T11T23T11T912
LPGA ChampionshipT53T22T5T30T11T6T26T37CUTT19T23
U.S. Women's OpenT3T5T6T17T12T13CUTT14T11T14WD
T27T6T204T14T12T27T14T34
Tournament 2001 2002 2003
Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipT2T51T24
LPGA ChampionshipT17T67T70
U.S. Women's Open3WDWD
Women's British Open ^CUTT24
^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied

Summary

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

Solheim Cup record

Year Total
matches
Total
W-L-H
Points
won
Points
%
Career2013–5–21470%
199032–1–0267%
199230–2–10.517%
199433–0–03100%
199643–1–0375%
199844–0–04100%
200031–1–11.550%

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pepper Adds Spice to Solheim Cup . Eddie . Pells . Associated Press . newsvine . April 8, 2013.
  2. News: Dottie Pepper named assistant captain for Solheim Cup . . Steve . DiMeglio . July 4, 2012 . April 8, 2013.
  3. News: Dottie Pepper moves on from TV golf . USA Today . Associated Press . December 18, 2012 . May 16, 2013.
  4. News: Dottie Pepper returns to TV on ESPN . ESPN . May 15, 2013 . May 16, 2013.
  5. News: Dottie Pepper hired to cover golf for CBS in 2016 . CBS Sports . Kyle . Porter . October 14, 2015 . October 14, 2015.
  6. Web site: About Dottie Pepper . 2018 . www.dottiepepper.net .
  7. Web site: Dottie Pepper to receive GCSAA's Old Tom Morris Award . November 14, 2023. www.gcsaa.org.
  8. News: . Pepper back home in Saratoga . Pete . Dougherty . June 30, 2010 . April 8, 2013.