Skip to content
Search
  • Members
  • Induction
    • Class of 2024
    • Class of 2022
    • Criteria & Process
    • History
  • Stories
    • Media
  • Visit
  • Contact US
  • Members
  • Induction
    • Class of 2024
    • Class of 2022
    • Criteria & Process
    • History
  • Stories
    • Media
  • Visit
  • Contact US
  • Home
  • >
  • Member Pages
  • >
  • JoAnne Carner

JoAnne Carner

Hometown
Kirkland
Washington
Year Inducted
1982
Inducted Category
Competitor
Birthdate
Apr 04,1939
Major Championships: 2
  • U.S. Women’s Open: 1971, 1976
Additional LPGA Tour Wins: 41
  • 1969: Burdine’s Invitational (as an amateur)
  • 1970: Wendell-West Open
  • 1971: Bluegrass Invitational
  • 1974: Bluegrass Invitational, Hoosier LPGA Classic, Desert Inn Classic, St. Paul Open, Dallas Civitan Open, Portland Ladies Classic
  • 1975: American Defender Classic, Girl Talk Classic, Peter Jackson Classic
  • 1976: Orange Blossom Classic, Lady Tara Classic, Hoosier Classic
  • 1977: Talk Tournament ’77, Borden Classic, National Jewish Hospital Open
  • 1978: Peter Jackson Classic, Borden Classic
  • 1979: Honda Civic Classic, Women’s Kemper Open
  • 1980: Whirlpool Championship of Deer Creek, Bent Tree Ladies Classic, Sunstar 80, Honda Civic Golf Classic, Lady Keystone Open
  • 1981: SR
  • 1982: Elizabeth Arden Classic, McDonald’s Classic, Chevrolet World Championship of Women’s Golf, Henredon Classic, Rail Charity Golf Classic
  • 1983: Chevrolet World Championship of Women’s Golf, Portland PING Championship
  • 1984: LPGA Corning Classic
  • 1985: Elizabeth Arden Classic, SAFECO Classic
Additional Wins: 13
  • 1956: U.S. Girls Junior Championship
  • 1957: U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
  • 1959: Women’s Western Amateur
  • 1960: U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
  • 1962: U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
  • 1966: U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
  • 1968: U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
  • 1975: Wills Qantas Australian Ladies Open
  • 1977: LPGA Team Championship (with Judy Rankin)
  • 1978: Colgate Triple Crown
  • 1979: Colgate Triple Crown
  • 1982: JCPenney Classic (with John Mahaffey)
  • 1996: Sprint Titleholders Senior Challenge
Solheim Cup Appearances: 1

(Wins in bold)

  • Captain: 1990
Curtis Cup Appearances

Wins in bold

  • 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
Awards & Honors
  • Golf
  • Rookie of the Year: 1970
  • Player of the Year: 1974, 1981, 1982
  • Vare Trophy: 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983
  • Golf Magazine Player of the Year Award: 1974, 1981, 1982
  • Arizona State Sun Devil Hall of Fame: 1975
  • Bob Jones Award: 1981
  • Seagrams Seven Crowns of Sport Award: 1982-83
  • International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame: 1987
  • Florida Sports Hall of Fame: 1988
  • Gold Tee Award: 1991
  • Washington Sports Hall of Fame: 1994
  • The William and Mousie Powell Award: 1995
  • Eagle Award: 2003
  • The Memorial Tournament Honoree: 2009

First she was known as “The Great Gundy.” Then “Big Momma.”

She loved match play, showboating to the galleries, riding motorcycles and partying in the clubhouse with members after her rounds. As JoAnne Gunderson, and later JoAnne Carner, she dominated women’s golf and nobody had more fun dominating than she did. There was a little Babe Ruth in her, a little Babe Zaharias, a little Walter Hagen and a little Shelly Winters, too. It made for some package.

“The ground shakes when she hits it,” Sandra Palmer once said, and with that statement the LPGA had a different type of folk hero to package with the glamour of Jan Stephenson and the youthful innocence of Nancy Lopez. While the youngsters were selling the LPGA Tour, Carner was going back to her Gulfstream motor home, where her husband, Don, had prepared dinner and found a stream where the fish were just waiting to take their lures. “I play better golf living in our trailer,” Carner said, and for a long while, nobody played it better.

“Some people are afraid to win, others are afraid to lose, I think winning is a lot more fun.”

As an amateur golfer, Gunderson was the historic equal of Zaharias and Glenna Collett Vare. Born in Kirkland, Washington, she came out of the Pacific Northwest and won the U.S. Girls’ Junior title in 1956. One month later, she lost in the final of the Women’s Amateur to Marlene Stewart to begin a 13-year run where she either won the national title or finished second seven times. Four of her five championship finals were blowout victories, but in 1966, it took Carner 41 holes to defeat the then-married Marlene Stewart Streit. It was the longest final match in U.S. Women’s Amateur history.

Only Vare, with six, has more U.S. Women’s Amateur titles. Carner won her first at age 18 and her last at age 29. It wasn’t until after winning the Burdine’s Invitational as an amateur in 1969 that Carner finally turned professional. She was also undefeated in Curtis Cup singles (4-0-1). “That first U.S. Amateur victory was a huge thrill,” Carner has said. “I really loved playing head-to-head, and I enjoyed all my battles in the Curtis Cup matches.”

Fact

JoAnne Carner extended her record as the oldest player to make a cut on the LPGA Tour to age 64 during the 2004 season.

Realizing there was nothing left to accomplish as an amateur, she turned professional and in just 12 seasons won 35 events to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. “Some people are afraid to win, others are afraid to lose,” Carner has said. “I think winning is a lot more fun.”

Carner’s second victory as a professional came in the 1971 U.S. Women’s Open, making her the only golfer in history to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Open titles. She won the Women’s Open again in 1976 and 42 LPGA titles in a 14-year period from 1970 to 1984. Three times she was Player of the Year, five times the Vare Trophy winner and all the time the clubhouse leader in body language, crowd interaction and exhortations.

Win or lose, “Big Momma” was quite a show. “Concentration and getting involved with the shot are important, but if I get too serious I can’t play,” Carner said. “I relieve the pressure by light chatter with the gallery, although I never get into conversation. I enjoy being able to show more emotion as a professional. I get so enthused with golf that if the ball is going for the pin or in the cup, I am the first one to yell.”

JoAnne Carner was originally inducted through the LPGA category.

  • About Us
  • Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Media
  • Privacy Policy

Stay Connected

Don’t miss out on the latest golf news and updates!

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

© Copyright World Golf Hall of Fame 2020