Betsy King was also a childhood name for Lizzie Lloyd King.

Betsy King (born August 13, 1955) is an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1977 and won six major championships and 34 LPGA Tour victories in all.

Early life, college and amateur career King was born on born August 13, 1955, in Reading, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Exeter Township High School in 1973. She played collegiately at Furman University, and was on the 1976 national championship team that included future LPGA players Beth Daniel, Sherri Turner and Cindy Ferro. She was low amateur at the 1976 U.S. Women's Open.

Professional career King joined the LPGA Tour in 1977. She won her first tournament at the 1984 Women's Kemper Open. She won three titles in 1984, and added 21 top-10 finishes to earn LPGA Tour Player of the Year honors. From 1984 through 1989, she won a total of 20 LPGA events, more wins than any other golfer in the world, male or female, during that time period.

After that first win in 1984, King won at least once each of the next 10 years, with a high of six victories in 1989. She finished in the top-10 on the money list every year from 1985–1995, and again in 1997. Along the way, she was named Player of the Year three times, won two scoring titles and three money titles. In 1993, she won a scoring title and the money title, but only one tournament. She finished second five times, including at two majors. She averaged a major a year from 1987 to 1992, then won a sixth major in 1997. The last of her 34 LPGA wins came in 2001. With her 30th win in 1995, she gained entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

From 1996 to 2004, there was an event on Tour, the Wachovia LPGA Classic, hosted by King. She was also a worker for charitable causes, organizing Habitat for Humanity house building projects and working in former Soviet bloc countries with orphan relief agencies. She played for the United States in the Solheim Cup five times (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998) and was the captain of the 2007 United States team. She led the team to a 16–12 win over Europe in the 2007 Solheim Cup held in Halmstad, Sweden between September 14 and 16, 2007. In 2001, she was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (39) LPGA Tour (34) LegendLPGA Tour major championships (6)Other LPGA Tour (26)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Mar 25, 1984Women's Kemper Open−9 (71-72-73-73=289)3 strokes Pat Bradley2Apr 29, 1984Freedom/Orlando Classic −14 (69-67-66=202)2 strokes Alice Miller3Aug 26, 1984Columbia Savings Classic −7 (72-70-67-72=281)1 stroke Muffin Spencer-Devlin4Mar 3, 1985Samaritan Turquoise Classic−8 (69-68-72-71=280)Playoff Patty Sheehan5Sep 2, 1985Rail Charity Classic−11 (65-73-67=205)2 strokes Janet Anderson6Aug 10, 1986Henredon Classic−11 (70-67-70-70=277)Playoff JoAnne Carner7Sep 1, 1986Rail Charity Classic−11 (70-72-63=205)Playoff Cathy Gerring Alice Ritzman8Mar 22, 1987Circle K Tucson Open−7 (70-71-72-68=281)2 strokes Jan Stephenson9Apr 5, 1987Nabisco Dinah Shore−5 (68-75-72-68=283)Playoff Patty Sheehan10Jun 7, 1987McDonald's Championship−6 (72-68-71-67=278)2 strokes Ayako Okamoto11Aug 23, 1987Atlantic City LPGA Classic−6 (70-71-66=207)3 strokes Nancy Lopez12Mar 6, 1988Women's Kemper Open−8 (73-72-66-69=280)1 stroke Beth Daniel13Sep 5, 1988Rail Charity Golf Classic−9 (68-68-71=207)2 strokes Margaret Ward14Sep 11, 1988Cellular One-Ping Golf Championship−3 (71-70-72=213)1 stroke Colleen Walker15Jan 15, 1989The Jamaica Classic−11 (64-68-70=202)1 stroke Nancy Lopez16Feb 26, 1989Women's Kemper Open−14 (63-72-67=202)2 strokes Jane Geddes 17Apr 23, 1989USX Golf Classic−13 (67-70-72-66=275)Playoff Lynn Adams 18Jun 25, 1989McDonald's Championship −16 (69-65-71-67=272)2 strokes Pat Bradley Shirley Furlong19Jul 16, 1989U.S. Women's Open−6 (67-71-72-68=278)4 strokes Nancy Lopez 20Aug 27, 1989Nestle World Championship−13 (66-71-70-68=275)1 stroke Pat Bradley Patty Sheehan 21Apr 1, 1990Nabisco Dinah Shore−5 (69-70-69-75=283)2 strokes Shirley Furlong Kathy Postlewait22Jul 15, 1990U.S. Women's Open−4 (72-71-71-70=284)1 stroke Patty Sheehan23Aug 19, 1990JAL Big Apple Classic−15 (75-67-63-68=273)3 strokes Beth Daniel24May 26, 1991LPGA Corning Classic−15 (69-73-65-66=273)6 strokes Deb Richard25Jul 21, 1991JAL Big Apple Classic−9 (73-66-67-73=279)1 stroke Ayako Okamoto26May 17, 1992Mazda LPGA Championship−17 (68-66-67-66=267)11 strokes JoAnne Carner Liselotte Neumann Karen Noble27Jul 12, 1992The Phar-Mor in Youngstown−7 (71-67-71=209)Playoff Donna Andrews Beth Daniel Meg Mallon28Nov 8, 1992Mazda Japan Classic1−11 (66-72-67=205)Playoff Helen Alfredsson29Nov 7, 1993Toray Japan Queens Cup1−11 (68-70-67=205)1 stroke Jane Geddes30Jun 25, 1995ShopRite LPGA Classic−9 (66-71-67=204)2 strokes Beth Daniel Rosie Jones31Mar 30, 1997Nabisco Dinah Shore−12 (71-67-67-71=276)2 strokes Kris Tschetter32Feb 19, 2000Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open −12 (67-67-70=204)2 strokes Brandie Burton33May 28, 2000LPGA Corning Classic−12 (69-68-69-70=276)Playoff Vicki Goetze-Ackerman Kelli Kuehne34Jul 1, 2001ShopRite LPGA Classic−12 (65-69-67=201)2 strokes Lorie Kane 1Co-sanctioned by the LPGA of Japan Tour

LPGA Tour playoff record (8–6) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11979Wheeling Classic Debbie MasseyLost to par on first extra hole 21985Samaritan Turquoise Classic Patty SheehanWon with eagle on first extra hole31986Henredon Classic JoAnne CarnerWon with par on second extra hole41986 Rail Charity Classic Cathy Gerring Alice RitzmanWon with birdie on second extra hole51986 Konica San Jose Classic Amy Alcott Ayako Okamoto Patty SheehanSheehan won with birdie on first extra hole61987Mazda Classic Kathy PostlewaitLost to par on first extra hole71987Nabisco Dinah Shore Patty SheehanWon with par on second extra hole81988Crestar Classic Juli Inkster Rosie Jones Nancy LopezInkster won with eagle on first extra hole91989USX Golf Classic Lynn AdamsWon with birdie on first extra hole101992The Phar-Mor in Youngstown Donna Andrews Beth Daniel Meg MallonWon with birdie on first extra hole111992Mazda Japan Classic Helen AlfredssonWon with birdie on fourth extra hole121993du Maurier Ltd. Classic Brandie BurtonLost to birdie on first extra hole131994Toray Japan Queens Cup Woo-Soon KoLost to par on first extra hole142000LPGA Corning Classic Vicki Goetze-Ackerman Kelli KuehneWon with birdie on second extra hole

LPGA majors are shown in bold.

Ladies European Tour (1) 1985 Burberry Women's British Open Note: King won the Women's British Open once before it became co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour in 1994 and recognized as a major championship by the LPGA Tour in 2001

LPGA of Japan Tour (3) 1981 Ajinomoto-Itsuki Charity Classic 1992 Mazda Japan Classic1 1993 Toray Japan Queens Cup1 1Co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour

Legends Tour (1) 2013 Fry's Desert Golf Classic (with Jane Crafter)

Other (3) 1990 Itoman LPGA World Match Play Championship 1993 JCPenney/LPGA Skins Game

Major championships

Wins (6) YearchampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner(s)-up 1987 Nabisco Dinah Shore −5 (68-75-72-68=283)Playoff1 Patty Sheehan 1989 U.S. Women's Open −4 (67-71-72-68=278)4 stroke Nancy Lopez 1990 Nabisco Dinah Shore −5 (69-70-69-75=283)2 strokes Shirley Furlong, Kathy Postlewait 1990 U.S. Women's Open −4 (72-71-71-70=284)1 stroke Patty Sheehan 1992 Mazda LPGA Championship −17 (68-66-67-66=267)11 strokes JoAnne Carner, Liselotte Neumann, Karen Noble 1997 Nabisco Dinah Shore −12 (71-67-67-71=276)2 strokes Kris Tschetter 1 Won on second extra hole with a par

Results timeline Tournament 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980LPGA ChampionshipT49CUTT27U.S. Women's OpenT8CUTT20CUTCUTdu Maurier Classic–––T26 Tournament 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990Kraft Nabisco Championship––T52T24T741T35T41LPGA ChampionshipT38T21T11T7T44CUT2T24T8T5U.S. Women's OpenT21T25T32T5T8T3T4T1211du Maurier Classic T38T12T253CUTT37T19T2T10 Tournament 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipT1156T2T48T11CUT1T6177CUTLPGA Championship71T4T17T11T14T53T37T69T23U.S. Women's OpenT28T16T7T6T3CUTT28CUTT47T46du Maurier Classic T6T282T4T5CUTT33T23 Tournament 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Kraft Nabisco Championship74T36T28T58T62LPGA ChampionshipT54T47CUTT17CUTU.S. Women's OpenCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTWomen's British Open ^59CUTT60 ^ 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 Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeKraft Nabisco Championship 3 1 0 6 7 10 23 21LPGA Championship 1 1 0 4 7 15 28 24U.S. Women's Open 2 0 2 6 10 15 30 20du Maurier Classic 0 2 4 8 11 15 20 18Women's British Open 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2Totals 6 4 6 24 35 55 104 85 Most consecutive cuts made – 38 (1986 U.S. Open – 1995 du Maurier Classic) Longest streak of top-10s – 8 (1989 Nabisco – 1990 LPGA)

Team appearances Professional Solheim Cup (representing the United States): 1990 (winners), 1992, 1994 (winners), 1996 (winners), 1998 (winners), 2007 (non-playing captain, winners) Handa Cup (representing the United States): 2012 (tie, Cup retained), 2013

See also List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins List of golfers with most LPGA major championship wins

References

External links