Stephenson, Jan (1951—)

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Stephenson, Jan (1951—)

Australian golfer. Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on December 22, 1951; attended Hales Secretarial School in Sydney; lives in Fort Worth, Texas; married Eddie Vossler.

Five-time winner of the New South Wales Schoolgirl championships (1964–69); won the New South Wales Junior championships (1969–72); won the New South Wales Amateur twice, and was the New South Wales "Woman Athlete of the Year" (1971); turned professional (1972) and played the Australian LPGA tour before joining the U.S. tour full time; won the Australian LPGA title (1973); in U.S., won the Sarah Coventy-Naples Classic and the Birmingham Classic (1976), Women's International(1978), Sun City Classic (1980), Peter Jackson Classic and Mary Kay Classic (1981), the LPGA championship and Lady Keystone (1982), Lady Keystone and U.S. Open (1983), Safeco Classic (1987), J.C. Penney LPGA Skins Game (1990).

Born in Sydney, Australia, in 1951, Jan Stephenson looked more like a model than an athlete, a minus as well as a plus for any golfing professional. Some refused to take the stunning blonde's athletic abilities seriously, but Stephenson proved she was a contender. She was the New South Wales Schoolgirl champion from 1964 to 1969, the Junior champion from 1969 to 1972, and she won the Australian Junior championship three times and the New South Wales Amateur twice. When she turned professional in 1972, she won four titles and became a national champion as well. She came to the United States to play in the mid-1970s and was LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1974. In 1976, she won two tournaments, followed by another in 1978, and yet another in 1980. In 1981, she set the all-time LPGA low score of 198 for 54 holes to win the Mary Kay Classic.

Injury plagued Stephenson's career. During the first part of 1982, a foot injury had her sidelined. Nonetheless, she had three victories that year, including the LPGA championship for which she beat out JoAnn Carner by two strokes. In 1983, Stephenson won the U.S. Open while sweltering under 100 degree temperatures, beating Carner by one stroke. She also won two other championships that year and finished in the top five in almost every category. In 1987, after an April auto accident caused her to miss six weeks of play, Stephenson returned to win the Safeco Classic. Stephenson's swing was precise rather than powerful, but her technical ability combined with hours of practice made her a professional golfer of the first rank.