Alice Ritzman
| Alice Ritzman | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 1, 1952 Kalispell, Montana, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Eastern Montana College |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tours | LPGA Tour (1978–1998) Legends Tour |
| Best results in LPGA major championships | |
| Chevron Championship | T9: 1983 |
| Women's PGA C'ship | 2nd: 1994 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T15: 1987, 1991 |
| du Maurier Classic | T11: 1986 |
Alice Ritzman (born March 1, 1952) is an American professional golfer. She played on the LPGA Tour from 1978 to 1998.
Early life and amateur career
[edit]Ritzman was born in Kalispell, Montana, on March 1, 1952.[1] Ritzman was coached by Harvey Penick in Austin, Texas, where he worked as the golf coach at the University of Texas. Penick wrote a book on golf[2] in which he refers to Ritzman as "little Alice Ritzman".
According to the LPGA, "Ritzman dominated amateur golf in her home state of Montana before joining the Tour."[3] She won the Montana Junior Championship three times. She also won the Montana State Women's Amateur Championship in 1972 and 1973.[4] In 1973, she graduated from Eastern Montana College in Billings, Montana. She earned a degree in physical education.[3]
Professional career
[edit]In 1979, during her first full year on tour, Ritzman established an LPGA all-time record, which still stands, by carding three eagles in one round at the 1979 Colgate European Open. Overall, her best results were three playoff losses she suffered: to Kathy Whitworth at the 1981 Coca-Cola Classic, to Hollis Stacy at the 1981 West Virginia Bank Classic, and to Betsy King at the 1986 Rail Charity Classic. In 1986, she also posted her career-low round of 64 at the Rochester International.
Ritzman crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings in 1992. When she retired in 1998, she had the highest ranking on the career money list (43) as a non-winner with $1,490,016.[3] She became a golf commentator for ESPN. She still plays golf on the Legends Tour.[5]
Ritzman subsequently worked as a realtor.[1] She teaches golf to the boys and girls at Flathead High School. Ritzman is also a member of the Board of Trustees of School District 5 of the Kalispell Public Schools.[6] She has a tournament named after her at Buffalo Hill Golf Club:[7] the Alice Ritzman Golf Tournament.
Awards and honors
[edit]In 1991, she was inducted in the Montana State Women's Golf Association's Hall of Fame.
Playoff record
[edit]LPGA Tour playoff record (0–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | Coca-Cola Classic |  Kathy Whitworth |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1981 | West Virginia Bank Classic | Susie McAllister Kathy Postlewait Penny Pulz Hollis Stacy |
Stacy won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1986 | Rail Charity Classic | Cathy Gerring Betsy King |
King won with birdie on second extra hole |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Alliss, Peter (1983). The Who's Who of Golf. Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-13-958489-3.
- ↑ Harvey Penick with Bud Shrake (1997). "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book"
- 1 2 3 "Alice Ritzman" (PDF). LPGA. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ↑ "Champions – Women's State Amateur Champions". Montana State Golf Association. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Home". thelegendstour.com.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "Buffalo Hill Golf Club – Events". Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Alice Ritzman at the Legends Tour former site