Jackie Pung Explained

Jackie Pung
Fullname:Jacqueline Nolte Liwai Pung
Birth Date:13 December 1921
Birth Place:Honolulu, Hawaii
Death Place:Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Status:Professional
Extour:LPGA Tour
Prowins:5
Lpgawins:5
Titleholders:5th: 1953
Lpga:T3: 1958
Wusopen:2nd: 1953

Jacqueline Nolte Liwai Pung (December 13, 1921 – March 15, 2017) was an American professional golfer. She played on the LPGA Tour.

Early life and amateur career

Pung was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother was Jacqueline Nolte. Her father was Jack Liwai, who was originally trained as a musician, but worked as a nurse for the grandson of shipping magnate Samuel Gardner Wilder.[1] She won the Hawaiian Women's Amateur four times between 1937 and 1948.[2] She won the 1952 U.S. Women's Amateur.[3]

Professional career

Pung won five times[4] on the LPGA Tour between 1953 and 1958.[5]

Pung is best known for the tournament she did not win. In the 1957 U.S. Women's Open, she appeared to have beaten Betsy Rawls by one stroke when it was discovered that she had signed an incorrect scorecard and was disqualified.[6] Both she and her playing partner, Betty Jameson, had recorded 5s on the fourth hole when in fact both had made 6s. Although both players had signed for the correct total score, they were both disqualified. The fans, officials, and members of Winged Foot Golf Club, where the tournament was held, took up a collection for Pung and presented her with over $3,000 (the winner's share was only $1,800).[2] [7] [8] [9]

Personal life

She died March 15, 2017, at Life Care Center of Kona on Hawaii's Big Island, according to family members. She was 95.[10]

Awards and honors

Pung was inducted into the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.[11]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (5)

LPGA Tour wins (5)

Notes and References

  1. Book: Betty Dunn . Jackie Pung: Women's Golf Legend . February 2005 . iUniverse . 978-0-595-34091-0 . 2.
  2. Book: Elliott . Len . Barbara . Kelly . Who's Who in Golf . 1976 . Arlington House . New Rochelle, New York . 0-87000-225-2 . 153–4 . registration .
  3. http://champsdatabase.usga.org/results_winner.asp?ID=604 1952 U.S. Women's Amateur
  4. http://www.lpga.com/content/All-timeWinnersList.pdf LPGA All-Time Winners List
  5. http://www.lpga.com/content/Chronology50-59.pdf LPGA Tournament Chronology 1950-59
  6. Book: Ward. Andrew. Golf's Strangest Rounds. 1999. Robson Books. London. 1861051840. 170–172.
  7. http://champsdatabase.usga.org/results_winner.asp?ID=670 1957 U.S. Women's Open
  8. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1133448/index.htm The Tragic Fourth
  9. http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=342&MagazineID=21 Return to Winged Foot
  10. News: Jackie Pung dies at 95: 'Hawaii's First Lady of Golf' an LPGA pioneer . Burnett . John . Hawaii Tribune-Herald . March 22, 2017 . March 29, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170330083709/http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sports/local-sports/jackie-pung-dies-95-hawaii-s-first-lady-golf-lpga-pioneer . March 30, 2017 . dead .
  11. http://aloha.pga.com/index.cfm?content=dcms&option=halloffame&edit_id=2658 Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Listing