Sheehan, "Patty" (Patricia L.)
Golf
b. Oct. 27, 1956, Middlebury, VT
The daughter of the 1956 U. S. Olympic ski coach, Sheehan was one of the top skiers in her age group when she was thirteen. She began playing golf when her family moved to Nevada in 1967. Sheehan won four straight Nevada Amateur titles, from 1975 through 1978, and was the California Amateur champion in 1978 and 1979.
Sheehan joined the LPGA tour in 1981 and was named rookie of the year. Her first victory came in the Mazda Japan Classic that year. She was named player of the year in 1983, when she won four tournaments, including the LPGA Championship. Sheehan successfully defended that title in 1984 and also won the 1984 Vare Trophy for fewest strokes per round.
After tying Julie Inkster with birdies on the last two holes of the 1992 U. S. Women's Open, Sheehan won the playoff by shooting a 72 to Inkster's 74 for her third major championship and 29th overall.
The winner of more than $200,000 for eleven consecutive years, an LPGA record, Sheehan went over $1 million in career earnings faster than any other woman golfer. She achieved that in 1985 after playing only 115 tour events.
Sheehan qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame by claiming her 30th tournament victory, at the Standard Register PING, in 1993. She also won the LPGA Championship and passed the $3 million mark in winnings that year.
In 1996, Sheehan won her 35th career championship and her sixth major at the Dinah Shore. Although she hasn't won since then, she finished in the top ten eight times over the next two years. Since 2001, she has played in only three or four tournaments a year.
Sheehan has often been honored for her charitable work. She founded "Tigh (Tee) Sheehan," a house in Northern California where a home environment, counseling, and education are provided for troubled teen-age girls. ("Tigh" is Gaelic for "house.") She was one of eight athletes featured on the 1987 "Sportsman of the Year" cover by Sports Illustrated; all eight were honored for their contributions to society.
Her 35 victories place her 12th on the all-time list and she's 14th in career winnings with $5,513,409.