Judy Rankin ( Torluemke; born February 18, 1945) is an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, she joined the LPGA Tour in 1962 at age 17 and won 26 tour events.

From 2010 through 2022, Rankin served as the lead analyst for LPGA Tour telecasts on the Golf Channel. She previously served as an expert analyst for golf coverage on ESPN and ABC.

Early life and amateur career In 1945, Rankin was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1959, at the age of 14, she won the Missouri Amateur. The next year she was the low amateur at the U.S. Women's Open. In addition, she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1961 at age 16.

Professional career In 1962, she turned professional. Rankin's first LPGA Tour win came in 1968 and she won 26 events, topping the money list in 1976 and 1977. She finished in the top ten on the money list eleven times between 1965 and 1979, and was the first to win over $100,000 in a season on the LPGA Tour (over $150,000 in 1976).

Rankin did not win a major championship but she was a four-time runner-up. Her best finishes were a solo second at the 1976 LPGA Championship and joint runner-up finishes at the 1972 Titleholders Championship, 1972 U.S. Women's Open, and 1977 LPGA Championship. Rankin also won the 1976 Colgate Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (currently the ANA Inspiration) and the 1977 Peter Jackson Classic (later renamed the du Maurier Classic); both events were later elevated to major status, but are not counted as majors in the years in which Rankin won. Her 26th and final win on tour was in August 1979 at Jericho, New York.

She retired from full-time competition at age 38 in 1983 due to chronic back problems, and later captained the victorious Solheim Cup teams in 1996 and 1998.

Broadcasting career From 1984 until 2018, Rankin worked as a golf commentator for ESPN and ABC. In 2010, she became the lead LPGA analyst for the Golf Channel.

She has also been a professional advisor for the magazines Golf Digest and Golf For Women.

Personal life Rankin was known as Judy Torluemke (pronounced Tor-lum-kee), until her marriage to Walter "Yippy" Rankin in 1967. They lived in Midland, Texas and have a son, Walter Jr., known as "Tuey," born in 1968. After a battle with throat cancer, Yippy died at age 71 on February 24, 2012. Tuey's wife is the sister-in-law of PGA Tour golfer Geoff Ogilvy.

Rankin was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2006. She completed treatment by August 2006 and returned to her on-air work on ABC Sports in time to cover the 2006 Women's British Open.

Awards and honors In 1976 and 1977, Rankin was LPGA Player of the Year She won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average three times: in 1973, 1976, and 1977 In 2000, Rankin became the first player voted into the LPGA Hall of Fame under the veterans category, In 2000, she was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2002, Rankin was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. In 2013, she was awarded a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 2024, she became the first woman to be awarded the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.

Professional wins (28) LPGA Tour wins (26) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMarginof victoryRunner(s)-up1Nov 10, 1968Corpus Christi Civitan Open +3 (75-69-69=213)Playoff Sandra Spuzich2Jun 27, 1970George Washington Golf Classic−7 (74-70-68=212)1 stroke Sandra Haynie3Jul 19, 1970Springfield Jaycee Open−10 (71-70-68=209)1 stroke Leslie Holbert4Sep 27, 1970Lincoln-Mercury Open−2 (69-71-77=217)1 stroke Kathy Whitworth5Oct 15, 1971Quality First Classic−2 (71-72-71=214)Playoff Jane Blalock6Mar 10, 1972Lady Eve Open−9 (69-71-70=210)Playoff Kathy Whitworth7Oct 10, 1972Heritage Village Open−7 (69-72-71=212)5 strokes Betty Burfeindt8May 6, 1973American Defender-Raleigh Classic +1 (73-72-72=217)2 strokes Chako Higuchi9May 13, 1973Lady Carling Open−4 (75-67-73=215)4 strokes Sandra Haynie10Aug 5, 1973Pabst Ladies Classic−4 (69-71-72=212)3 strokes Debbie Austin11Oct 14, 1973GAC Classic−8 (69-67-70-66=272)Playoff Gerda Boykin Sandra Palmer12Jun 2, 1974Baltimore Classic−2 (71-73=144)1 stroke Susie Berning Carol Mann Marilynn Smith Kathy Whitworth13Aug 24, 1975National Jewish Hospital Open−9 (68-68-71=207)2 strokes Jane Blalock Sandra Haynie14Feb 1, 1976Burdine's Invitational−3 (73-69-71=213)3 strokes Pat Bradley15Apr 4, 1976Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle−3 (74-72-71-68=285)3 strokes Betty Burfeindt16Apr 18, 1976Karsten-Ping Open−11 (68-68-69=205)7 strokes Sandra Post17Jun 27, 1976Babe Zaharias Invitational−1 (74-69-69-75=287)1 stroke Jane Blalock18Jul 18, 1976Borden Classic−11 (68-70-67=205)5 strokes Pat Bradley Hollis Stacy19Nov 20, 1976Colgate-Hong Kong OpenEven (71-72-73=216)3 strokes Chako Higuchi20Feb 20, 1977Orange Blossom Classic−8 (69-70-69=208)5 strokes Joyce Kazmierski21Feb 27, 1977Bent Tree Classic−7 (63-77-69=209)4 strokes Clifford Ann Creed22Jun 19, 1977Mayflower Classic−4 (68-72-72=212)2 strokes Jane Blalock23Jul 3, 1977Peter Jackson Classic−4 (72-66-74=212)3 strokes Pat Meyers Sandra Palmer24Aug 6, 1977Colgate European Women's Open−15 (69-71-71-70=281)6 strokes Nancy Lopez25Aug 13, 1978WUI Classic−9 (71-69-70-73=283)2 strokes Pam Higgins Debbie Massey26Aug 13, 1979 WUI Classic−4 (76-71-71-70=288)2 strokes Beth Daniel Note: Rankin won the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now the Chevron Championship)and the Peter Jackson Classic (later the du Maurier Classic) before they became major championships.

LPGA Tour playoff record (4–12) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11968Corpus Christi Civitan Open Sandra SpuzichWon with par on second extra hole 21970Women's Golf Charities Open Sandra Haynie Marilynn SmithSmith won with birdie on first extra hole31971Quality First Classic Jane BlalockWon with par on second extra hole41972 Lady Eve Open Kathy WhitworthWon with eagle on first extra hole51973 Sealy-Faberge Classic Kathy CorneliusLost to par on first extra hole61973La Canadienne Jocelyne Bourassa Sandra HaynieBourassa won with birdie on third extra holeRankin eliminated by par on first hole 71973GAC Classic Gerda Boykin Sandra PalmerWon with par on third extra holeBoykin eliminated by par on first hole81973Corpus Christi Civitan Open Sharon MillerLost to birdie on second extra hole91975Charity Golf Classic Amy Alcott Sandra HaynieHaynie won with par on fourth extra holeRankin eliminated by par on first hole101975Birmingham Classic Maria Astrologes JoAnne CarnerAstrologes won with birdie on first extra hole111975American Defender Classic JoAnne CarnerLost to par on first extra hole121976Girl Talk Classic Pat Bradley Bonnie Lauer Sandra PostBradley won with par on second extra holeLauer and Post eliminated by birdie on first hole131976Peter Jackson Classic Donna CaponiLost to par on first extra hole141977American Cancer Society Classic Pam HigginsLost to par on first extra hole151979Mayflower Classic Laura Baugh Hollis StacyStacy won with par on second extra holeRankin eliminated by par on first hole161981Elizabeth Arden Classic JoAnne Carner Sally LittleLittle won with par on third extra holeCarner eliminated by par on second hole Sources:

Other wins (2) 1974 (1) Colgate European Open 1977 (1) LPGA National Team Championship (with JoAnne Carner)

See also List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins

References

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