Juli Inkster


Juli Inkster is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. With a professional career spanning 29 years to date, Inkster's 31 wins rank her second in wins among all active players on the LPGA Tour; she has over $13 million in career earnings. She also has more wins in Solheim Cup matches than any other American, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Inkster is the only golfer in LPGA Tour history to win two majors in a decade for three consecutive decades by winning three in the 1980s, two in the 1990s, and two in the 2000s.

Amateur career

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, Simpson graduated from Harbor High School in 1978 and played college golf at nearby San Jose State, where she was an All-American in 1979, 1981, and 1982. She was also All Nor-Cal 1979–1981 and SJSU Athlete of the Year in 1981, and is a member of the San Jose State Sports Hall of Fame. From 1980 to 1982, Inkster won three consecutive U.S. Women's Amateurs, her first victory coming three weeks after her marriage to Brian Inkster. She became the first woman since 1934 to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles. She was a member of the winning U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1982. She was also a member of the World Cup team in 1980 and 1982. She won the 1981 California State Amateur Championship, was California’s 1981 Amateur of the Year, and 1982 Bay Area Athlete of the Year. She won the Broderick Award, as the nation's best female collegiate golfer in 1982.

Professional career

She turned professional and enjoyed success in her rookie year of 1983 with a victory at the Safeco Classic. She won two major championships in 1984, her first full LPGA season, and was LPGA Rookie of the Year. She has won 31 tournaments on the LPGA Tour, including seven majors and the career Grand Slam for ladies' golf. she is fifth on the LPGA career money list. Inkster won a tournament in 16 out of 24 seasons from 1983 to 2006, but has never finished at the top of the money list; her best finishes were second in 1999, and third in both 1986 and 2002.
Inkster played on the United States Solheim Cup team in 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011; she has won a total of 18.5 points, making her the winningest American Solheim Cup player as of 2011.
She teamed with Pat Hurst, represented the United States at the 2007 Women's World Cup of Golf. She was voted Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 1999 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000. She was recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers.
Inkster was a player and assistant captain on the 2011 Solheim Cup team. She was the oldest player and the first playing assistant captain in Solheim Cup history.
In late 2011 at age 51, Inkster suffered the first major injury of her career, necessitating surgery in January 2012 to repair nerve and tendon damage in her right elbow. The surgery kept her out of the 2012 season until late June.

Solheim Cup captaincy

Inkster was the captain for the United States team in the 2015 Solheim Cup. The United States started the final day down 10–6, when Gerina Piller mounted the historic comeback assisted by SIMPLE-SPIN putting aid to capture the victory by a final score of 14.5–13.5. Inkster captained the United States team again in the 2017 Solheim Cup set at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, which the team won 16.5-11.5. On January 31, 2018, it was announced that Inkster would captain the United States team for a third consecutive match in 2019 at Gleneagles.

Senior career

Inkster has won four tournaments in the Legends Tour and finished second in the 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open.

Broadcast career

In 2014, Inkster began a career as a golf commentator for the Golf Channel, gaining experience as both interviewer and analyst. In 2015, she joined Fox Sports to serve as commentator for that network's coverage of USGA events.

Professional wins (44)

LPGA Tour wins (31)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-upRef
1Sep 18, 1983Safeco Classic−6 1 stroke Kathy Whitworth
2Apr 1, 1984Nabisco Dinah Shore−8 Playoff Pat Bradley
3Jul 29, 1984du Maurier Classic−9 1 stroke Ayako Okamoto
4Jun 30, 1985Lady Keystone Open−7 2 strokes Betsy King
5Mar 9, 1986Women's Kemper Open−12 1 stroke Amy Alcott
6Jun 8, 1986McDonald's Championship−7 3 strokes Mary Beth Zimmerman
7Jun 15, 1986Lady Keystone Open −6 Playoff Debbie Massey
Cindy Hill
8Aug 24, 1986Atlantic City LPGA Classic−4 3 strokes Patti Rizzo
9May 8, 1988Crestar Classic−7 Playoff Nancy Lopez
Rosie Jones
Betsy King
10Aug 21, 1988Atlantic City Classic −7 Playoff Beth Daniel
11Sep 15, 1988Safeco Classic −10 3 strokes Ok-Hee Ku
12Apr 2, 1989Nabisco Dinah Shore −9 5 strokes JoAnne Carner
Tammie Green
13May 7, 1989Crestar Classic −6 5 strokes Beth Daniel
Liselotte Neumann
14Jul 28, 1991LPGA Bay State Classic−13 1 stroke Caroline Keggi
15Jul 19, 1992JAL Big Apple Classic−11 2 strokes Nancy Lopez
16Oct 19, 1997Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf−8 Playoff Kelly Robbins
Helen Alfredsson
17Oct 25, 1998Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf −13 3 strokes Annika Sörenstam
18Mar 15, 1999Welch's/Circle K Championship−15 1 stroke Dottie Pepper
19Apr 4, 1999Longs Drugs Challenge−8 4 strokes Sherri Steinhauer
20Jun 6, 1999U.S. Women's Open−16 5 strokes Sherri Turner
21Jun 20, 1999McDonald's LPGA Championship−16 4 strokes Liselotte Neumann
22Sep 26, 1999Safeway LPGA Golf Championship−9 6 strokes Tina Barrett
Grace Park
23Apr 16, 2000Longs Drugs Challenge −13 5 strokes Brandie Burton
24Jun 25, 2000LPGA Championship −3 Playoff Stefania Croce
25Oct 15, 2000Samsung World Championship−14 4 strokes Annika Sörenstam
26May 13, 2001Electrolux USA Championship−14 1 stroke Catriona Matthew
27May 5, 2002Chick-fil-A Charity Championship−12 2 strokes Kelly Robbins
28Jul 7, 2002U.S. Women's Open −4 2 strokes Annika Sörenstam
29May 25, 2003LPGA Corning Classic−24 4 strokes Lorie Kane
30Jul 26, 2003Evian Masters−21 6 strokes Hee-Won Han
31Mar 19, 2006Safeway International−15 2 strokes Sarah Lee

LPGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11984Nabisco Dinah Shore Pat BradleyWon with par on first extra hole
21986Lady Keystone Open Cindy Hill
Debbie Massey		Won with par on first extra hole
31988Crestar Classic Rosie Jones
Betsy King
Nancy Lopez		Won with eagle on first extra hole
41988Atlantic City Classic Beth DanielWon with par on first extra hole
51992Nabisco Dinah Shore Dottie MochrieLost to par on first extra hole
61992U.S. Women's Open Patty SheehanLost 18-hole playoff
71997Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf Helen Alfredsson
Kelly Robbins		Won with birdie on first extra hole
82000LPGA Championship Stefania CroceWon with par on second extra hole
92007SemGroup Championship Mi-Hyun KimLost to par on first extra hole
102008SemGroup Championship Paula CreamerLost to birdie on second extra hole

Ladies European Tour wins (2)

Wins (7)

1 Defeated Bradley on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff

2 Defeated Croce on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2019.
^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.
^^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013.
CUT = missed the half-way cut.
DQ = disqualified
T = tied

Summary

* Includes match play and other events without a cut.

Team appearances

Amateur
Professional

Awards