Kristy McPherson
Encyclopedia
Kristy McPherson is an American professional golfer
, currently playing on the LPGA Tour.
, McPherson was diagnosed at age 11 with Still's disease
, a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
. Confined mostly to bed and unable to walk for a year, she was told she would no longer be able to compete in any sport that required jumping or running. As a result, she took up golf and played on the boy's golf team at her high school. She earned a golf scholarship
to the University of South Carolina
, and recorded seven victories in her four-year collegiate career. McPherson graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree
in Sports and Entertainment Management.
for four years. From 2003 to 2006 she competed in 60 events, never missed a cut, and won twice. Her fourth place finish on the Futures Tour money list in 2006 earned her an LPGA Tour
card for the 2007 season
.
Her first season on the LPGA brought limited success, with a best finish a tie for 18th; she finished the season 97th on the money list. In 2008
, her second year, she recorded six top-10 finishes, and finished 47th on the official money list. In 2009
, McPherson recorded a T-2 in a LPGA major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship
, followed by a T-5 three months later at the next major, the LPGA Championship
.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
, currently playing on the LPGA Tour.
Early life and amateur career
A native of South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, McPherson was diagnosed at age 11 with Still's disease
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children. JIA is a subset of arthritis seen in childhood, which may be transient and...
, a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
. Confined mostly to bed and unable to walk for a year, she was told she would no longer be able to compete in any sport that required jumping or running. As a result, she took up golf and played on the boy's golf team at her high school. She earned a golf scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to the University of South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
, and recorded seven victories in her four-year collegiate career. McPherson graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Sports and Entertainment Management.
Professional career
After graduating from college, McPherson turned professional and competed on the Futures TourFUTURES Tour
The LPGA Futures Tour, previously styled in uppercase as FUTURES Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed FUTURES Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour...
for four years. From 2003 to 2006 she competed in 60 events, never missed a cut, and won twice. Her fourth place finish on the Futures Tour money list in 2006 earned her an LPGA Tour
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
card for the 2007 season
2007 LPGA Tour
The 2007 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2007. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association...
.
Her first season on the LPGA brought limited success, with a best finish a tie for 18th; she finished the season 97th on the money list. In 2008
2008 LPGA Tour
The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association...
, her second year, she recorded six top-10 finishes, and finished 47th on the official money list. In 2009
2009 LPGA Tour
The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association ....
, McPherson recorded a T-2 in a LPGA major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship
2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship
The 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship was played at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, on April 2–5, 2009. This was the 38th edition of the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the 27th as a women's major golf championship....
, followed by a T-5 three months later at the next major, the LPGA Championship
2009 LPGA Championship
The 2009 LPGA Championship was played at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland, from June 11-14, 2009. This was the 55th edition of the LPGA Championship, the second of four major championships on the LPGA Tour....
.
The Big Break
While on the Futures Tour, McPherson appeared on the Golf Channel reality show The Big Break VI, which was filmed during a two-week period in late June and early July 2006. McPherson was the fifth player eliminated from the show.Futures Tour wins
- 2006 Jalapeno FUTURES Golf ClassicJalapeno Golf ClassicThe Jalapeno Golf Classic was an annual golf tournament for professional women golfers on the FUTURES Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour. The event was part of the FUTURES Tour's schedule from 2005 to 2008...
, Betty Puskar FUTURES Golf ClassicBetty Puskar Golf ClassicThe Betty Pusker Golf Classic was an annual golf tournament for professional women golfers on the FUTURES Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour. The event was part of the FUTURES Tour's schedule from 1992 through 2007...
Results in LPGA majors
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship Kraft Nabisco Championship The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T2 | T34 | T41 |
| LPGA Championship LPGA Championship The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour... |
DNP | DNP | CUT | T25 | T5 | CUT | T50 |
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T34 | T19 | CUT |
| Women's British Open Women's British Open The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T21 | 7 | CUT | T43 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 LPGA Tour The 2005 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2005. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | MC | n/a | 77.00 | ||
| 2007 2007 LPGA Tour The 2007 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2007. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T18 | 79,724 | 97 | 73.73 | T99 |
| 2008 2008 LPGA Tour The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
26 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | T4 | 407,237 | 47 | 71.86 | 34 |
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
24 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | T2 | 816,182 | 16 | 71.25 | 17 |
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
22 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | T2 | 418,217 | 27 | 72.26 | 40 |
| 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
20 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T18 | 153,727 | 51 | 72.71 | 52 |
- official as of October 23, 2011