View source for Dottie Pepper

{{Short description|American golfer and sports broadcaster}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name              = Dottie Pepper
| image             = 
| imagesize         = 
| caption           = 
| fullname          = 
| nickname          = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1965|8|17}} 
| birth_place       = [[Saratoga Springs, New York]], U.S.
| death_date        = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|1965|8|17}} --> 
| death_place       = 
| height            = {{height|ft=5|in=5}} 
| weight            = 
| nationality       = {{USA}}
| residence         = [[Saratoga Springs, New York]], U.S.
| spouse            = 
| partner           = 
| children          = 
| college           = [[Furman University]]
| yearpro           = 1988
| retired           =
| tour              = 
| extour            = [[LPGA Tour]] (1988–2004)
| prowins           = 25
| lpgawins          = 17
| letwins           = <!-- Number of Ladies European Tour wins -->
| jlpgawins         = 1
| klpgawins         = <!-- LPGA of Korea Tour wins -->
| lagtwins          = <!-- Number of Ladies Asian Golf Tour wins -->
| alpgwins          = 
| futwins           = 1
| otherwins         = 6
| majorwins         = 2
| nabisco           = '''Won''': [[1992 Nabisco Dinah Shore|1992]], [[1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore|1999]]
| lpga              = T5: [[1992 LPGA Championship|1992]]
| wusopen           = 3rd/T3: [[1988 U.S. Women's Open|1988]], [[1990 U.S. Women's Open|1990]], [[2001 U.S. Women's Open|2001]]
| dumaurier         = 4th: [[1993 du Maurier Classic|1993]]
| wbritopen         = T24: 2003
| wghofid           = 
| wghofyear         = 
| award1            = [[LPGA Tour#Leading money winners by year|LPGA Tour<br>Money Winner]]
| year1             = 1992
| award2            = [[LPGA Tour Player of the Year|LPGA Tour<br>Player of the Year]]
| year2             = 1992
| award3            = [[LPGA Vare Trophy]]
| year3             = 1992
| award4            = GWAA Female<br>Player of the Year
| year4             = 1992
| award5            = [[Best Female Golfer ESPY Award|Best Female Golfer<br>ESPY Award]]
| year5             = 1993
| award6            = GWAA William D.<br> Richardson Award
| year6             = 2016
| award7            = New York State Golf<br> Assoc. Hall of Fame
| year7             = 2018
| award8            = [[Old Tom Morris Award]]
| year8             = 2024
| awardssection     = <!-- location of awards page or section -->
}}
'''Dottie Pepper''' (born August 17, 1965) is an American professional [[golf]]er and television golf broadcaster. From 1988 to 1995 she competed as '''Dottie Mochrie''', which was her married name before a divorce. She won two [[women's major golf championships|major championships]] and 17 [[LPGA Tour]] events in all.

==Amateur career==
Pepper was born in [[Saratoga Springs, New York]]. Her father, [[Don Pepper|Don]], was a major league baseball player, who appeared on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' as a "rookie to watch", along with Hall of Famer [[Johnny Bench]], in 1968. Her career began with big amateur victories in her home state of New York. She won the 1981 state amateur and the 1981 and 1983 New York Junior Amateur titles. She was a member of the 1981 Junior World Cup team and low amateur at the 1984 [[U.S. Women's Open]]. She attended [[Furman University]], where she earned five collegiate victories and was named [[All-America]]n three times.

==Professional career==
Pepper joined the [[LPGA Tour]] in 1988 and won 17 official events on the Tour, including two [[women's majors|major championships]]: the 1992 and 1999 [[Nabisco Dinah Shore]]. Her 19-under-par finish in the 1999 victory still stands as the lowest score in relation to par in a major championship. She topped the money list in 1992 and finished in the top ten in ten of eleven seasons between 1991 and 2001. Pepper also played for the United States in the [[Solheim Cup]] six times.

Due to injury problems, Pepper played only one tournament in 2002. In July 2004 she announced that she would retire at the end of the season. In 2005, she began work as a golf commentator for [[NBC]] and [[The Golf Channel]], reporting on both men's and women's events.

During the 2007 [[Solheim Cup]], Pepper caused some stir while working as commentator for the [[Golf Channel]]. She called the American team "choking freaking dogs". She thought the network had cut to commercial when the comment was uttered, but it was actually still broadcasting live. Some players and fans were upset by this and Pepper quickly apologized for her "poor choice of words".<ref name="newswinearticle">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/09/15/964609-pepper-adds-spice-to-solheim-cup |title=Pepper Adds Spice to Solheim Cup |first=Eddie |last=Pells |agency=Associated Press |publisher=newsvine |access-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref>

In July 2012 Pepper was named by captain Meg Mallon as one of two assistant captains for the U.S. Team at the [[2013 Solheim Cup]].<ref name="solheim=capt">{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/golf/lpga/story/2012-07-04/dottie-pepper-named-solheim-cup-assistant-captain/56013956/1 |title=Dottie Pepper named assistant captain for Solheim Cup |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |first=Steve |last=DiMeglio |date=July 4, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref>

Pepper retired from commentating in December 2012, tired of the traveling and wanting to spend more time promoting junior golf as a [[PGA of America]] board member.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2012/12/18/dottie-pepper-leaves-nbc-sports-after-8-years/1778207/ |title=Dottie Pepper moves on from TV golf |newspaper=USA Today |agency=Associated Press |date=December 18, 2012 |access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> In May 2013, she signed a contract with [[ESPN]] to return to commentating on a limited basis, working mainly major tournaments on the PGA, LPGA and Champions Tours.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/9277939/dottie-pepper-join-espn-golf-announcing-team |title=Dottie Pepper returns to TV on ESPN |work=ESPN |date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref>  In October 2015, Pepper was signed to a contract with [[CBS]], replacing [[David Feherty]] who had left the network to work for [[NBC]] and to continue his ''[[Feherty (TV series)|Feherty]]'' series on the [[Golf Channel]]. She took up Feherty's role as on-course reporter as well as doing occasional tower announcing.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/25339358/dottie-pepper-hired-to-cover-golf-for-cbs-in-2016 |title=Dottie Pepper hired to cover golf for CBS in 2016 |work=CBS Sports |first= Kyle |last=Porter |date=October 14, 2015 |access-date=October 14, 2015}}</ref>

Pepper served as a member of the PGA of America Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015, and the NENY PGA Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015. She was the recipient of the 2016 William D. Richardson Award, presented by the Golf Writers Association of America for her consistently outstanding contributions to golf. She is also a 2018 inductee to the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dottiepepper.net/about |title=About Dottie Pepper |date=2018 |website=www.dottiepepper.net |access-date=}}</ref> The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America awarded Pepper with its highest honor, the [[Old Tom Morris Award]], in 2024, for her continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf, and helping mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gcsaa.org/media/news/2023/11/14/dottie-pepper-to-receive-gcsaa-s-old-tom-morris-award |title=Dottie Pepper to receive GCSAA's Old Tom Morris Award |date=November 14, 2023|website=www.gcsaa.org|access-date=}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Pepper resides in [[Saratoga Springs, New York]] with her third husband, golf writer and historian David Normoyle. They were married in May 2010.<ref name="saratoga">{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Albany Times Union]] |url=http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Pepper-back-home-in-Saratoga-562822.php |title=Pepper back home in Saratoga |first=Pete |last=Dougherty |date=June 30, 2010 |access-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref>

==Professional wins (25)==
===LPGA Tour wins (17)===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.
!Date
!Tournament
!Winning score
!Margin of<br>victory
!Runner(s)-up
|-
|1
|Jan 29, [[1989 LPGA Tour|1989]]
|[[Oldsmobile LPGA Classic]]
|−9 (69-74-67-69=279)
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Beth Daniel]]
|-
|2
|May 13, [[1990 LPGA Tour|1990]]
|[[Crestar Classic (LPGA Tour)|Crestar Classic]] 
|−16 (67-65-68=200)
|9 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Johnson (golfer)|Chris Johnson]]
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|3
|Mar 29, [[1992 LPGA Tour|1992]]
|'''[[Nabisco Dinah Shore]]''' 
|−9 (69-71-70-69=279)
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Juli Inkster]]
|-
|4
|Apr 19, [[1992 LPGA Tour|1992]]
|[[Sega Women's Championship]]
|−11 (70-69-68-70=277)
|1 stroke
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Danielle Ammaccapane]]
|-
|5
|Aug 2, [[1992 LPGA Tour|1992]]
|[[Welch's Classic]]
|−10 (72-67-69-70=278)
|3 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Stephanie Farwig]]
|-
|6
|Aug 30, [[1992 LPGA Tour|1992]]
|[[Sun-Times Challenge]]
|Even (71-72-73=216)
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Beth Daniel]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Judy Dickinson]]
|-
|7
|Oct 19, [[1993 LPGA Tour|1993]]
|[[World Championship of Women's Golf]]
|−4 (72-71-69-72=284)
|1 stroke
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Donna Andrews (golfer)|Donna Andrews]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meg Mallon]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Michelle McGann]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Sherri Steinhauer]]
|-
|8
|Mar 5, [[1994 LPGA Tour|1994]]
|[[Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions]]
|−1 (72-75-71-69=287)
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Nancy Lopez]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lauri Merten]]
|-
|9
|Mar 12, [[1995 LPGA Tour|1995]]
|[[Welch's/Fry's Championship|PING/Welch's Championship (Tucson)]]
|−10 (70-68-72-68=278)
|3 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cindy Rarick]]<br>{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annika Sörenstam]]
|-
|10
|Aug 6, [[1995 LPGA Tour|1995]]
|[[McCall's LPGA Classic]]
|−12 (69-67-68=204)
|3 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kelly Robbins]]
|-
|11
|Jun 23, [[1996 LPGA Tour|1996]]
|[[Rochester International]]
|−10 (69-66-71=206)
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annika Sörenstam]]
|-
|12
|Jun 30, [[1996 LPGA Tour|1996]]
|[[ShopRite LPGA Classic]]
|−11 (67-66-69=202)
|4 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Amy Benz]]
|-
|13
|Jul 21, [[1996 LPGA Tour|1996]]
|[[Friendly's Classic]]
|−9 (68-69-73-69=279)
|1 stroke
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Brandie Burton]]
|-
|14
|Sep 8, [[1996 LPGA Tour|1996]]
|[[Safeway LPGA Golf Championship]]
|−14 (65-70-67=202)
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Johnson (golfer)|Chris Johnson]]
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|15
|Mar 28, [[1999 LPGA Tour|1999]]
|'''[[Nabisco Dinah Shore]]'''
|−19 (70-66-67-66=269)
|6 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meg Mallon]]
|-
|16
|Aug 29, [[1999 LPGA Tour|1999]]
|[[Oldsmobile Classic]]
|−18 (67-63-70-70=270)
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kelli Kuehne]] 
|-
|17
|Nov 19, [[2000 LPGA Tour|2000]]
|[[Arch Wireless Championship]]
|−9 (68-71-69-71=279)
|3 strokes
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rachel Hetherington]] 
|}

'''LPGA Tour playoff record (3–5)'''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|1
|1989
|[[Oldsmobile LPGA Classic]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Beth Daniel]]
|Won with par on fifth extra hole 
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|2
|1992
|'''[[Nabisco Dinah Shore]]''' 
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Juli Inkster]]
|Won with par on first extra hole
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|3
|1992
|[[Sun-Times Challenge]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Beth Daniel]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Judy Dickinson]]
|Pepper won with par on sixth extra hole<br>Daniel eliminated by par on fourth hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|4
|1993 
|[[PING/Welch's Championship]] (Massachusetts)
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Missie Berteotti]]
|Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|5
|1993 
|[[State Farm Rail Classic]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Helen Dobson]]
|Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|6
|1995
|[[Pinewild Women's Championship]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Rosie Jones (golfer)|Rosie Jones]]
|Lost to birdie on first extra hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|7
|1998
|[[Star Bank LPGA Classic]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meg Mallon]]
|Lost to par on first extra hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|8
|2000
|[[AFLAC Champions]]
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Karrie Webb]]
|Lost to par on first extra hole
|}

LPGA [[Women's major golf championships|majors]] are shown in '''bold'''.

===Futures Tour wins (1)===
*1985 Albany-Colonie Chamber Open (as an amateur)

===LPGA of Japan Tour wins (1)===
*1989 [[Karuizawa 72 Tokyu Ladies Open]]

===Other wins (6)===
*1992 [[JCPenney Classic]] (with [[Dan Forsman]])
*1995 [[JCPenney/LPGA Skins Game]]
*1996 [[Diners Club Matches]] (with [[Juli Inkster]])
*1997 [[Diners Club Matches]] (with [[Juli Inkster]])
*1999 [[Diners Club Matches]] (with [[Juli Inkster]])
*2000 [[Hyundai Team Matches]] (with [[Juli Inkster]])

==Major championships==

===Wins (2)===
{|class="wikitable"
!Year!!Championship!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner-up
|-style="background:#D0F0C0;"
| [[1992 Nabisco Dinah Shore|1992]] ||[[Nabisco Dinah Shore]] ||−9 (69-71-70-69=279) ||Playoff <sup>1</sup> ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Juli Inkster]]
|- style="background:#D0F0C0;"
| [[1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore|1999]] ||[[Nabisco Dinah Shore]] ||−19 (70-66-67-66=269) ||6 strokes ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meg Mallon]]
|}

<sup>1</sup> Defeated Inkster with par on first extra hole.

===Results timeline===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament !! 1984 !! 1985 !! 1986 !! 1987 !! 1988 !! 1989 
|-
|align=left|[[Kraft Nabisco Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:yellow;"|T7
|T66
|-
|align=left|[[LPGA Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T45
|T39
|-
|align=left|[[U.S. Women's Open]]
|T22
|T55
|78
|T12
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:yellow;"|T5
|-
|align=left|[[du Maurier Classic]] 
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T35
|T18
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament !! 1990 !! 1991 !! 1992 !! 1993 !! 1994 !! 1995 !! 1996 !! 1997 !! 1998 !! 1999 !! 2000 
|-
|align=left|[[Kraft Nabisco Championship]]
|T11
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|T30
|T19
|T11
|T23
|T11
|style="background:yellow;"|T9
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|-
|align=left|[[LPGA Championship]]
|T53
|T22
|style="background:yellow;"|T5
|T30
|T11
|style="background:yellow;"|T6
|T26
|T37
|CUT
|T19
|T23
|-
|align=left|[[U.S. Women's Open]]
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:yellow;"|T5
|style="background:yellow;"|T6
|T17
|T12
|T13
|CUT
|T14
|T11
|T14
|WD
|-
|align=left|[[du Maurier Classic]] 
|T27
|style="background:yellow;"|T6
|T20
|style="background:yellow;"|4
|T14
|T12
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T27
|T14
|T34
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament !! 2001 !! 2002 !! 2003 !! [[2004 in golf|2004]] 
|-
|align=left|[[Kraft Nabisco Championship]]
|style="background:yellow;"|T2
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T51
|T24
|-
|align=left|[[LPGA Championship]]
|T17
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T67
|T70
|-
|align=left|[[U.S. Women's Open]]
|style="background:yellow;"|3
|WD
|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|-
|align=left|[[Women's British Open]] ^
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|T24
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|}
^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.
{{legend|lime|Win}}
{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
CUT = missed the half-way cut<br />
WD = withdrew <br />
"T" = tied

===Summary===
*Starts – 65
*Wins – 2
*2nd-place finishes – 3
*3rd-place finishes – 3
*Top 3 finishes – 8
*Top 5 finishes – 12
*Top 10 finishes – 17
*Top 25 finishes – 42
*Missed cuts – 6
*Most consecutive cuts made – 38
*Longest streak of top-10s – 5

==Team appearances==
'''Amateur'''
*[[Curtis Cup]] (representing the United States): 1986

'''Professional'''
*[[Solheim Cup]] (representing the United States): [[1990 Solheim Cup|1990]] (winners), [[1992 Solheim Cup|1992]], [[1994 Solheim Cup|1994]] (winners), [[1996 Solheim Cup|1996]] (winners), [[1998 Solheim Cup|1998]] (winners), [[2000 Solheim Cup|2000]]

===Solheim Cup record===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;"
! Year !! Total<br>matches !! Total<br>W-L-H !! Points<br>won !! Points<br>%
|-
|Career
|20
|'''''13–5–2'''''
|14
|70%
|-
|[[1990 Solheim Cup|1990]]
|3
|'''''2–1–0'''''
|2
|67%
|-
|[[1992 Solheim Cup|1992]]
|3
|'''''0–2–1'''''
|0.5
|17%
|-
|[[1994 Solheim Cup|1994]]
|3
|'''''3–0–0'''''
|3
|100%
|-
|[[1996 Solheim Cup|1996]]
|4
|'''''3–1–0'''''
|3
|75%
|-
|[[1998 Solheim Cup|1998]]
|4
|'''''4–0–0'''''
|4
|100%
|-
|[[2000 Solheim Cup|2000]]
|3
|'''''1–1–1'''''
|1.5
|50%
|}

==See also==
*[[List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|https://dottiepepper.net/}}
*{{LPGA Tour player|dottie-pepper/82638}}
*{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124222228/http://golf.about.com/od/golferswomen/p/dottiepepper.htm |title=Dottie Pepper at golf.about.com |date=November 24, 2007 }}

{{Dinah Shore/Nabisco Champions}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Dottie Pepper in the [[Solheim Cup]]
|list=
{{1990 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{1992 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{1994 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{1996 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{1998 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{2000 United States Solheim Cup team}}
{{2013 United States Solheim Cup team}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepper, Dottie}}
[[Category:American female golfers]]
[[Category:Furman Paladins women's golfers]]
[[Category:LPGA Tour golfers]]
[[Category:Winners of LPGA major golf championships]]
[[Category:Solheim Cup competitors for the United States]]
[[Category:American golf commentators]]
[[Category:Golfers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Golfers from Orlando, Florida]]
[[Category:American women sports commentators]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Saratoga Springs, New York]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]