Shirley Englehorn Explained

Shirley Englehorn
Fullname:	Shirley Ruth Englehorn
Nickname:	Dimples
Birth Date:	12 December 1940
Birth Place:	Caldwell, Idaho, U.S.
Yearpro:	1959
Extour:	LPGA Tour
Prowins:	12
Lpgawins:	11
Otherwins:	1
Majorwins:	1
Western:	3rd: 1967^[1]
Titleholders:	T6: 1964^[2]
Lpga:	Won: 1970
Wusopen:	T3: 1964^[3]
Dumaurier:	T52: 1979^[4]

Shirley Ruth Englehorn (December 12, 1940 – October 2, 2022) was an American professional golfer.^[5] Nicknamed "Dimples", she won 11 tournaments during her LPGA Tour career, including one major, the 1970 LPGA Championship.^[6]

Early life and amateur career

Englehorn was born on December 12, 1940,^[7] in Caldwell, Idaho, where she was raised.^{[8] [9]} She first played golf when she was six years old,^[10] having been introduced to the sport by Shirley Spork, one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA, and also studied with Johnny Revolta, an 18-time PGA Tour winner and the PGA Championship victor in 1935.^[8]

Englehorn won numerous amateur and open events. These included the McCall Open (1957 and 1958), the Idaho Open (1957 to 1959), and the Pacific Northwest Amateur (1958). She also won the Oregon Open in 1959,^[11] and won the Dorothy Pease Trophy (Trans-Miss) when she was fifteen, the youngest player to win the honor.^{[8] [11]}

Professional career

After graduation from Caldwell High School in 1958, Englehorn turned pro at age 18 in 1959 and joined the LPGA Tour.^[12] She was sponsored by the Athletic Round Table of Spokane from 1960 through 1962.^{[7] [13]} Despite a career-threatening equestrian accident in Georgia in March 1960,^{[14] [15] [16]} Englehorn recovered and won her first tournament at age 21 in July 1962 at the Women's Eastern Open in Sutton, Massachusetts.^{[7] [13] [17]} She won a total of 11 events on the LPGA Tour, including one major championship, the LPGA Championship in 1970 in a playoff over Kathy Whitworth, her third victory at Sutton.^[6]

Englehorn led the tour that season in wins with four. Five years earlier, in 1965, she suffered injuries in an automobile accident and missed much of the season.^{[7] [18]} Englehorn was awarded the Ben Hogan Award in early 1968 by the Golf Writers Association of America in honor of her successful comeback from injuries.^[19] She had surgery on her ankle in 1971 and 1973 and in each case returned to compete.^{[11] [20]} She later became a golf instructor, and was conferred the LPGA Teacher of the Year Award in 1978. She made her last LPGA appearance in 1979.^[8]

Personal life

Englehorn died at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on October 2, 2022, at the age of 81.^[8]

Professional wins (12)

LPGA Tour wins (11)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (1)
Other LPGA Tour (10)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Ref
1	Jul 22, 1962	Eastern Open	74-77-75=226	+4	3 strokes	Mary Mills	^[21]
2	Sep 9, 1962	Eugene Open	75-69-79-69=292	−4	7 strokes	Jackie Pung	^[22]
3	Jul 7, 1963	Lady Carling Eastern Open	71-79-71=221	+4	2 strokes	JoAnne Carner (a)	^[23]
4	Aug 9, 1964	Waterloo Women's Open Invitational	72-71-68=211	−5	4 strokes	Ruth Jessen	^[24]
5	May 22, 1966	Babe Zaharias Open	71-68-70=209	−1	2 strokes	Kathy Whitworth	^[25]
6	Sep 17, 1967	Shirley Englehorn Invitational	71-70-69=210	−3	Playoff	Kathy Whitworth	^[26]
7	Aug 10, 1968	Concord Open	77-76-76=229	−2	3 strokes	Sandra Haynie	^[27]
8	May 17, 1970	Johnny Londoff Chevrolet Tournament	74-74-68=216	E	2 strokes	Carol Mann	^[28]
9	May 31, 1970	O'Sullivan Ladies Open	71-68-71=210	−6	Playoff	Margie Masters	^[29]
10	Jun 7, 1970	Lady Carling Open	72-67-71=210	−9	1 stroke	Carol Mann	^[30]
11	Jun 13, 1970	LPGA Championship	70-70-75-70=285	−7	Playoff	Kathy Whitworth	^[31]

LPGA Tour playoff record (3–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result	Ref
1	1963	Rock City Ladies Open	Barbara Romack	Lost to par on third extra hole	^[32]
2	1966	Alamo Ladies' Open	Sandra Haynie	Lost to birdie on third extra hole	^[33]
3	1967	Shirley Englehorn Invitational	Kathy Whitworth	Won with par on second extra hole
4	1970	O'Sullivan Ladies Open	Margie Masters	Won with birdie on first extra hole
5	1970	LPGA Championship	Kathy Whitworth	Won 18-hole playoff (Englehorn: 74, Whitworth: 78)

Other wins (1)

• 1964 Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (with Sam Snead)^{[34] [35]}

Major championships

Wins (1)

¹ Won in an 18-hole playoff. Englehorn: 74, Whitworth: 78

See also

• List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins

External links

• • • Page on the Engelhorn family site

Notes and References

1. News: Miss Whitworth Victor with 289. 44. August 21, 1967. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
2. News: Marilyyn Smith wins Titleholders . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . April 27, 1964 . 10.
3. News: Wright, Jessen tie in U.S. Open . Toledo Blade . Ohio . Associated Press . July 12, 1964 . G2.
4. News: LPGA: Peter Jackson Classic . Sentinel Start . Orlando, Florida . July 30, 1979 . D2 . newspapers.com . subscription.
5. News: Women golf pros tour . The Age . Melbourne, Australia . April 11, 1972 . 31 .
6. News: Shirley Englehorn wins playoff easily . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . June 16, 1970 . 13.
7. Web site: Shirley Englehorn biography at about.com . December 23, 2012.
8. News: LPGA Pioneer Shirley Englehorn Dies At Age 81. October 4, 2022. October 5, 2022. LPGA Tour.
9. News: Shirley and friends visit Spokane . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Missildine . Harry . August 11, 1960 . 14 .
10. Web site: On the Road with the Girls. June 19, 1961. October 5, 2022. Barbara. Heilman. SI.com. Sports Illustrated.
11. Web site: Shirley Englehorn – Bio. October 5, 2022. LPGA Tour.
12. News: Idaho lass joins circuit as youngest . Spokesman-Review . (Spokane, Washington) . Associated Press . November 29, 1959 . 2, sports.
13. News: Shirley Englehorn captures first professional golf win . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . July 23, 1962 . 9 .
14. News: Shirley home to recuperate . Spokane Daily Chronicle . UPI . Washington . April 27, 1960 . 20 .
15. News: Miss Englehorn learned fighting spirit from Bantam Ben . The Dispatch . Lexington, North Carolina . UPI . Fraley . Oscar . May 10, 1961 . 12 .
16. News: Shirley visits home folks . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Associated Press . August 21, 1962 . 14 .
17. News: Idaho miss gains win . Spokane Daily Chronicle . Washington . Associated Press . July 23, 1962 . 13 .
18. News: Tourney honors Shirley Englehorn . Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington . Missildine . Harry . June 13, 1966 . 10 .
19. News: Miss Englehorn award winner . Pittsburgh Press . UPI . December 27, 1967 . 47 .
20. News: Surgery for Miss Englehorn. 16. July 10, 1971. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
21. News: Shirley Englehorn Links Victor on 226. 26. July 23, 1962. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
22. News: Englehorn wins Open by 7 strokes . Eugene Register-Guard . Oregon . Mullin . Bob . September 10, 1962 . 2B .
23. News: Miss Englehorn, With 221, Takes Open by Two Shots. 33. July 8, 1963. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
24. News: Miss Englehorn Wins. 26. August 10, 1964. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. United Press International. . ProQuest.
25. News: Miss Englehorn Takes Golf Prize – Cards 209 in Zaharias Open Miss Whitworth at 211. 76. May 23, 1966. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. United Press International. . ProQuest.
26. News: Golf Playoff Won by Miss Englehorn. 88. September 18, 1967. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
27. News: Miss Englehorn Wins Concord Golf With Final 76 for 229 – Sandra Haynie 2D, 3 Strokes Behind. 32. Michael. Strauss. August 13, 1968. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. . ProQuest.
28. News: Shirley Englehorn Victor by 2 Strokes. 46. May 18, 1970. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
29. News: Shirley Englehorn Wins Golf Playoff. 46. June 1, 1970. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. United Press International. . ProQuest.
30. News: Miss Englehorn is Carling Victor – Beats Miss Mann by Shot on Closing 71 for 210. 49. June 8, 1970. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. United Press International. . ProQuest.
31. News: Miss Englehorn Takes Golf Playoff – Miss Whitworth Loses by 4 Shots. 62. June 16, 1970. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.
32. News: Barham Romack Victor. 36. June 10, 1963. October 5, 2022. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
33. News: Miss Haynie Links Victor On Third Hole of Playoff. 75. November 14, 1966. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. United Press International. . ProQuest.
34. Web site: Sam Snead – Profile. October 5, 2022. PGA Tour.
35. News: Snead Team Wins Golf with a 272 – Miss Englehorn's 2 Eagles Lead to One-Shot Victory. 52. December 14, 1964. October 5, 2022. The New York Times. Associated Press. . ProQuest.