Colleen Walker

Colleen Walker
Colleen Walker
Personal information
Full name	Colleen Walker
Born	August 16, 1956; Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	December 11, 2012 (aged 56); Valrico, Florida, U.S.
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
College	Florida State University
Turned professional	1982
Former tours	LPGA Tour (1982–2004); Legends Tour
Professional wins	12
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	9
LPGA of Japan Tour	1
Other	2
Best results in LPGA major championships; (wins: 1)
Chevron Championship	2nd: 1988
Women's PGA C'ship	T15: 1991
U.S. Women's Open	T3: 1988
du Maurier Classic	Won: 1997
Women's British Open	DNP
Achievements and awards
LPGA Vare Trophy
LPGA Vare Trophy	1988
LPGA Heather Farr; Player Award	2004

Colleen Walker (August 16, 1956 – December 11, 2012^[1]) was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.

Amateur career

Walker was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1956. She started playing golf at the age of 14. At the age of 18, she was named the 1974 Palm Beach Post Athlete and Player of the Year. She won the Florida All-State Golf Award in 1976.

Walker then attended Florida State University. She won most valuable player honors from 1977–1978.

Professional career

In 1981, Walker turned professional. She played on the Tampa Bay Mini-Tour briefly.

Walker joined the LPGA Tour in 1982 after earning medalist honors at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She won nine tour titles, the first of which was in 1987. Her final victory was in 1997. That year she won her only major championship, the 1997 du Maurier Classic.

In 1988, she won the LPGA Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, was named Most Improved Player by Golf Digest, and finished a career high fifth on the money list, one of four times she finished in the top ten.

Illness and death

In 2001, Walker joined the Legends Tour. She won her first tournament that year. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2003, she underwent chemotherapy and radiation. She would rejoin the tour in September. She finished in a tie for 10th at a senior event, essentially an attempt to see if she could still play. She retired from the Legends Tour in 2004.

Walker died on December 11, 2012, in Valrico, Florida, of a cancer recurrence that was diagnosed in late 2011.^[2] She was 56-years-old.

Awards and honors

In 1974, Walker earned the Palm Beach Post Athlete and Player of the Year.
In 1976, she won the Florida All-State Golf Award.
In 1988, Walker won the LPGA Vare Trophy, bestowed to the player with the lowest scoring average on the LPGA.
In 1988, she earned the Most Improved Player award by Golf Digest.
In 1991, she was inducted into the Florida State University Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Walker was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2003, she earned the LPGA's Heather Farr Player Award.

Professional wins (12)

LPGA Tour (9)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (1)
Other LPGA Tour (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jun 14, 1987	Mayflower Classic	−10 (67-70-72-69=278)	1 stroke	Bonnie Lauer Sally Quinlan Patti Rizzo Patty Sheehan
2	Jul 17, 1988	Boston Five Classic	−14 (66-69-70-69=274)	8 strokes	Jane Geddes Patty Sheehan Jan Stephenson Kathryn Young
3	Mar 18, 1990	Circle K LPGA Tucson Open	−12 (71-68-65-72=276)	5 strokes	Pat Bradley Heather Drew Betsy King Kate Rogerson
4	Jun 16, 1991	Lady Keystone Open	−9 (70-70-67=207)	2 strokes	Beth Daniel Kris Tschetter
5	Feb 2, 1992	Oldsmobile LPGA Classic	−9 (71-73-67-68=279)	Playoff	Dawn Coe
6	May 24, 1992	LPGA Corning Classic	−12 (65-70-69-72=276)	5 strokes	Beth Daniel Alice Miller
7	Sep 20, 1992	Safeco Classic	−11 (72-67-68-70=277)	2 strokes	Vicki Fergon Rosie Jones
8	Aug 3, 1997	du Maurier Classic	−14 (68-72-73-65=278)	2 stokes	Liselotte Neumann
9	Sep 20, 1997	Star Bank LPGA Classic	−13 (67-69-67=203)	2 strokes	Terry-Jo Myers