Donna Caponi-Byrnes (born January 29, 1945) is an American LPGA Tour professional golfer. She became a member of the tour in 1965 and won four major championships and 24 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Donna Caponi
Personal information
Full nameDonna Caponi-Byrnes
Born (1945-01-29) January 29, 1945 (age 79)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceTampa, Florida, U.S.
SpouseKen Young (1971–81)
Ted Byrnes (2006–)
Career
Turned professional1965
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (joined 1965)
Professional wins29
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour24
Other5
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 4)
Western Open21st: 1967
Titleholders C'ship12th: 1966
Chevron ChampionshipT13: 1985
Women's PGA C'shipWon: 1979, 1981
U.S. Women's OpenWon: 1969, 1970
du Maurier Classic3rd: 1980, 1982
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame2001 (member page)
GWAA Female
Player of the Year
1981
PGA First Lady of
Golf Award[1]
2010

Amateur career

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Caponi was born in Detroit, Michigan. She started playing golf at the age of 5. She learned golf from her father, Harry, and won the Los Angeles Junior title in 1956. She tied for 21st as an amateur at the 1964 Hillside House Ladies' Open on the LPGA Tour.

Professional career

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Caponi joined the LPGA Tour in 1965. She won her first tournament in 1969 at the U.S. Women's Open. She is one of 14 players to make the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA victory. She would repeat as champion in 1970. Only Mickey Wright had ever won back-to-back U.S. Women's Opens before Caponi, who also matched Wright's 72-hole scoring record of 287. She would go on to win a total of 24 events on the LPGA Tour, including four major championships.

Caponi was named Female Player of the Year by Golf Writers Association of America in 1981. She finished in the top ten on the money list ten times between 1968 and 1981, including second-place finishes in 1976 and 1980. She retired from full-time competition in 1988. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2009, she was the recipient of the PGA First Lady of Golf Award.[1]

She is currently an announcer on the Golf Channel, covering the Champions Tour.

Personal life

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From 1971 to 1981, Caponi was married to Ken Young and was known as Donna Caponi Young. After her divorce in 1981, she changed her name back to Donna Caponi.[2] She married her longtime boyfriend Edward "Ted" Byrnes on July 29, 2006, and changed her name to Donna Caponi-Byrnes.

Professional wins (29)

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LPGA Tour wins (24)

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Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (4)
Other LPGA Tour (20)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 29, 1969 U.S. Women's Open +2 (74-75-76-69=294) 1 stroke   Peggy Wilson
2 Sep 21, 1969 Lincoln-Mercury Open −2 (74-68-72=214) Playoff   Kathy Whitworth
3 May 24, 1970 Bluegrass Invitational −2 (72-70-72=214) 1 stroke   Mary Mills
4 Jul 5, 1970 U.S. Women's Open +3 (69-70-71-77=287) 1 stroke   Sandra Haynie
  Sandra Spuzich
5 May 20, 1973 Bluegrass Invitational −3 (72-72-72=216) 2 strokes   Sandra Spuzich
6 Feb 2, 1975 Burdine's Invitational −8 (70-71-67=208) 3 strokes   Kathy Cornelius
7 May 11, 1975 Lady Tara Classic −5 (72-70-72=214) 1 stroke   Gloria Ehret
  Sandra Post
8 Jun 13, 1976 Peter Jackson Classic −4 (72-73-67=212) Playoff   Judy Rankin
9 Sep 19, 1976 Portland Classic −2 (72-71-74=217) Playoff   Clifford Ann Creed
10 Sep 26, 1976 The Carlton −6 (69-69-72-72=282) 5 strokes   Jane Blalock
  Judy Rankin
11 Nov 3, 1976 LPGA/Japan Mizuno Classic −5 (74-71-72=217) 4 strokes   Chako Higuchi
12 Sep 17, 1978 The Sarah Coventry −10 (72-71-68-71=282) 5 strokes   Jane Blalock
13 Oct 22, 1978 Houston Exchange Clubs Classic −9 (70-68-69=207) 3 strokes   Alexandra Reinhardt
14 Jun 10, 1979 LPGA Championship −9 (69-70-70-70=279) 3 strokes   Jerilyn Britz
15 Mar 23, 1980 LPGA National Pro-Am −2 (71-74-71-70=286) 1 stroke   Nancy Lopez
16 Apr 6, 1980 Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle −13 (71-67-66-71=275) 2 strokes   Amy Alcott
17 May 25, 1980 Corning Classic −7 (66-72-69-74=281) 2 strokes   Myra Blackwelder
18 Sep 14, 1980 United Virginia Bank Classic −11 (70-67-66-74=277) 4 strokes   Nancy Lopez
19 Sep 21, 1980 ERA Real Estate Classic −9 (75-68-71-69=283) 5 strokes   Shelley Hamlin
20 Mar 22, 1981 LPGA Desert Inn Pro-Am −3 (74-75-69-68=286) 3 strokes   Pat Bradley
21 Apr 12, 1981 American Defender/WRAL Golf Classic −8 (71-65-72=208) 1 stroke   Cathy Sherk
22 Jun 14, 1981 LPGA Championship −8 (69-68-70-73=280) 1 stroke   Jerilyn Britz
  Pat Meyers
23 Jul 19, 1981 WUI Classic −6 (71-69-69-73=282) 2 strokes   Julie Pyne
24 Aug 2, 1981 Boston Five Classic −12 (69-68-68-71=276) 6 strokes   Jan Stephenson
Note: Caponi won the Peter Jackson Classic (which became the du Maurier Classic) and the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before they became major championships.

LPGA Tour playoff record (3–5)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1969 Lincoln-Mercury Open   Kathy Whitworth Won with par on first extra hole
2 1974 Lady Tara Classic   Sandra Spuzich
  Kathy Whitworth
Spuzich won with par on fifth extra hole
Whitworth eliminated by par on third hole
3 1976 Peter Jackson Classic   Judy Rankin Won with par on first extra hole
4 1976 Portland Classic   Clifford Ann Creed Won with birdie on second extra hole
5 1979 Women's Kemper Open   JoAnne Carner
  Chako Higuchi
  Nancy Lopez
  Jan Stephenson
Carner won with par on second extra hole
Caponi, Lopez, and Stephenson eliminated by par on first hole
6 1980 West Virginia LPGA Classic   Sandra Post Lost to birdie on third extra hole
7 1981 Florida Lady Citrus   Beth Daniel
  Cindy Hill
  Patti Rizzo
  Patty Sheehan
Daniel won with birdie on second extra hole
Hill, Rizzo, and Sheehan eliminated by par on first hole
8 1981 Inamori Classic   Amy Alcott
  Hollis Stacy
  Jan Stephenson
Stacy won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (5)

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Major championships

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Wins (4)

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Year Championship Winning score Margin Runner(s)-up
1969 U.S. Women's Open +2 (74-76-75-69=294) 1 stroke   Peggy Wilson
1970 U.S. Women's Open +3 (69-70-71-77=287) 1 stroke   Sandra Haynie,   Sandra Spuzich
1979 LPGA Championship −9 (69-70-70-70=279) 3 strokes   Jerilyn Britz
1981 LPGA Championship −8 (69-68-70-73=280) 1 stroke   Jerilyn Britz,   Pat Meyers

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ferncroft Country Club, Ferncroft CC Member Donna Caponi-Byrnes Receives PGA First Lady of Golf Award Accessed November 23, 2011.
  2. ^ NY Times News Service, Donna Caponi starting over again August 24, 1981. Accessed November 23, 2011.
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