Beth Daniel

Hometown

Charleston

South Carolina

Year Inducted

2000

Inducted Category

Competitor

Birthdate

Oct 14,1956

Major Championships: 1

LPGA Championship: 1990

Additional LPGA Tour Wins: 32

1979: Patty Berg Classic
1980: Golden Lights Championship, Patty Berg Classic, Columbia Savings Classic, Chevrolet World Championship of Women’s Golf
1981: Florida Lady Citrus, Chevrolet World Championship of Women’s Golf
1982: Bent Tree Ladies Classic, American Express Sun City Classic, BirminghamClassic, Columbia Savings Classic, WUI Classic
1983: McDonald’s LPGA Kids Classic
1985: Kyocera Inamori Classic
1989: Greater Washington Open, Rail Charity Golf Classic, SAFECO Classic, Konica San Jose Classic
1990: Orix Hawaiian Ladies Open, Women’s Kemper Open, Phar-Mor in Youngstown, Northgate Classic, Rail Charity Golf Classic, Centel Classic
1991: Phar-Mor at Inverrary, McDonald’s Championship
1994: LPGA Corning Classic, Oldsmobile Classic, JAL Big Apple Classic, World
Championship of Women’s Golf
1995: Ping Welch’s Championship (Boston)
2003: BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open

Solheim Cup Appearances: 8

(Wins in bold)

1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005

Curtis Cup Appearances

Wins in bold

1976, 1978

Addtional Wins: 5

1973 Twin States Junior Girls’ Championship
1974 Twin States Junior Girls’ Championship
1975 Twin States Junior Girls’ Championship
1975: U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion
1977: U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion
1979: World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup
1990: World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup
1991: World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup

Awards & Honors

South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame: 1978
Broderick Award, Best Collegiate Female Athlete (Golf): 1978
LPGA Rookie of the Year: 1979
LPGA Player of the Year: 1980, 1990, 1994
Seagrams Seven Crowns of Sport Award: 1981
Furman College Athletics Hall of Fame: 1981
Vare Trophy: 1989, 1990, 1994
UPI International Female Athlete of the Year: 1990
South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame: 1995
Heather Farr Player Award: 2003

Thanks to the changes to the LPGA Hall of Fame’s entrance requirements instituted in February 1999, Amy Alcott and Beth Daniel immediately met the criteria for induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Daniel, however, postponed her official induction until 2000 for reasons of symmetry. Along with 2000 being the 50th anniversary of the LPGA Tour, it was also the year her parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and the date of her induction was her brother’s 50th birthday. So, at last, she was ready to celebrate.

Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Daniel fondly remembers being six years old and playing about a half a hole behind her parents and trying to catch up to them. “From the first time I played the game I was addicted to it and I just loved it and wanted to be as good as I could be at it,” Daniel recalled.

“The LPGA Championship is by far my most memorable and most important win.”

Daniel first made waves in the golf world in 1975 when she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in her first appearance in the event. “I was thinking I was going there just to get some experience. I never expected to win,” said Daniel. “When I won, I thought this is it. This is the stepping stone. This is the first step that I’ve taken to become a really great player. Winning the Amateur really started my golf career.”

Daniel is particularly proud of winning the Women’s Amateur for a second time. “The win in 1977 meant more to me because I knew what was going on. The first time I had no clue. I just kept playing golf. The second time I knew exactly what was going on and I was still able to win,” said Daniel.

Joining the professional circuit in 1979, Daniel was named the LPGA Rookie of the Year. In her second season, she won four times and was named Rolex Player of the Year. Daniel’s continued success brought her nine more wins through 1985 and made her the tour’s eighth millionaire. Back problems hampered her swing and her play for several years in the mid-80s and she missed part of the 1988 season with mononucleosis. She suffered through a 4 1/2 year winless drought before rebounding better than ever.

Alas, 1990 was a banner year for Daniel. She dominated the LPGA Tour, capturing seven titles, setting a single-season earnings record and winning the Rolex Player of the Year award for a second time. Her rise to the pinnacle of her profession was duly noted when she was named Female Athlete of the Year by United Press International. Daniel rallied to win her first Major Championship with a final-round 66 in the LPGA Championship to highlight her remarkable season.

Fact

Beth Daniel became the second LPGA player to win the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons.

“The LPGA Championship is by far my most memorable and most important win,” said Daniel.

Johnny Miller, broadcasting the tournament for television, may have summed up Daniel’s performance best. “If Arnold Palmer was shooting this score they’d be doing cartwheels in the gallery. This is one great round of golf.”

“Every time I approached the green, the gallery gave me a standing ovation. Never in my career had that happened and never has it happened since. I had to fight off goose bumps every time I approached the green,” Daniel recalled with justifiable pride. “I just got such a warm reception from all the fans that week and then to be able to play well on top of that. I’ll never forget that feeling.”

Daniel won her third Rolex Player of the Year award in 1994. All told, she has collected 33 victories in her career. A member of five victorious U.S. Solheim Cup teams in her eight appearances, Daniel has represented her country with a formidable mark of 3-1-1 in singles competition. By winning the 2003 Canadian Women’s Open, Daniel — at 46 years, 8 months and 29 days — became the oldest player to win on the LPGA Tour, beating the record previously held by JoAnne Carner. She proved that while she already is enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame, she’s not finished playing at the highest level.

Beth Daniel was originally inducted through the LPGA category.