View source for Sandra Post

{{short description|Canadian professional golfer (born 1948)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name              = Sandra Post
| image             =Professional golfer Sandra Post - DPLA - 14cb34fcdb664648442688395c44e154.jpg
| imagesize         =
| caption           = Post in 1978
| fullname          = Sandra Post
| nickname          =
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1948|6|4}}
| birth_place       = [[Oakville, Ontario]]
| death_date        = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|1948|6|4}} -->
| death_place       =
| height            = {{height|ft=5|in=4}}
| weight            =
| nationality       = {{CAN}}
| residence         = [[Toronto]], Ontario
| spouse            = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|John Elliot, Jr.|1970|1971|end=d.}}
*{{marriage|John McDermid|December 24, 1992|2008|end=d.}}<ref name=sptwflp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=05ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mcsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3387%2C3278122 |newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Sandra Post to wed Fort Lauderdale pro |date=March 14, 1970 |page=70 }}</ref><ref name=wbhmprcrr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YfAiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K8sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3523%2C2993023 |newspaper=Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph |agency=Canadian Press |last=Svoboda |first=Chuck |title=Wedding bells hamper Sandra Post's career |date=August 22, 1970 |page=9}}</ref>}}
| partner           =
| children          =
| college           =
| yearpro           = 1968
| retired           = 
| tour              =
| extour            = [[LPGA Tour]] (1968–1983)
| prowins           = 10
| lpgawins          = 8
| jlpgawins         = 1
| otherwins         = 1
| majorwins         = 1
| western           =
| titleholders      = DNP
| nabisco           = T62: 1983
| lpga              = '''Won''': [[1968 LPGA Championship|1968]]
| wusopen           = T2: [[1975 U.S. Women's Open|1975]]
| dumaurier         = T7: 1979
| wghofid           =
| wghofyear         =
| award1            = [[LPGA Tour#LPGA Tour awards|LPGA Tour<br>Rookie of the Year]]
| year1             = 1968
}}
'''Sandra Post''', {{postnominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born June 4, 1948) is a retired [[professional golfer]], the first Canadian to play on the [[LPGA Tour]]. In 1968 at age 20 in her rookie professional year, she won a [[Women's major golf championships|women's major]] – the [[1968 LPGA Championship|LPGA Championship]], and was the youngest player at the time to win a major.

Over her 16 year career on the LPGA Tour, Post won eight championships and became the first Canadian to win multiple times in the same season, doing so twice in each of 1978 and 1979. The next time a two-win season by a Canadian occurred was in 2000 by [[Lorie Kane]].<ref>{{cite episode |airdate= July 4, 2016 |network= Rogers Sportsnet |series= Sportsnet Central }}</ref> In 1988, Post was named to both the [[Canadian Golf Hall of Fame]] and the [[Canadian Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref name="gc">{{cite web |title=Sandra Post, CM |url=https://heritage.golfcanada.ca/hall-of-fame-members/sandra-post/ |publisher=Canadian Golf Hall of Fame; Golf Canada - Heritage |access-date=April 21, 2019 |date=2019}}</ref> In 2004, she was inducted into the [[Order of Canada]] as a ''Member'' with the designation, ''CM''.<ref name=gc/>

==Early years==
Born in [[Oakville, Ontario]], Post was introduced to golf at age five by her father,<ref name=spknewast>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M5kuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VaEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3081%2C5495463 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |last=Thibeault |first=Marc |title=Sandra Post knew as tot she wanted to be golf pro |date=May 29, 1979 |page=53 }}</ref> and was a youthful prodigy who learned her golf at the nearby [http://www.trafalgargolf.com Trafalgar Golf & Country Club]. She was competing in Ontario provincial events by age 13 and compiled an outstanding junior and amateur career that included winning the [[Ontario]] and Canadian Junior Girls Championships three times each.<ref name=spknewast/><ref>{{cite book |title=Golf in Canada: A History |first=James A. |last=Barclay |author-link=James A. Barclay |publisher=[[McClelland & Stewart]] |location=Toronto |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-7710-1080-4}}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Wins major, LPGA Rookie of the Year===
Bypassing college, Post turned professional in the spring of 1968 and joined the LPGA Tour at age 19.<ref name=spknewast/> In her debut season of [[1968 LPGA Tour|1968]], Post became the youngest player to win a [[Women's major golf championships|women's major]] title at the [[1968 LPGA Championship|LPGA Championship]]. Her 18-hole playoff victory over defending champion [[Kathy Whitworth]], by 68 to 75, also marked the first victory in the championship by a non-U.S. player. She was the only Canadian to win an LPGA major for 48 years, until 18-year-old [[Brooke Henderson]] in [[2016 KPMG Women's PGA Championship|2016]].

For her performance on the professional circuit, Post was voted the Tour's [[LPGA Tour#LPGA Tour awards|Rookie of the Year]] award. Post did not return to the winner's circle on the Tour until 1978; however, she challenged to win on many occasions during that ten-year period. In December 1974, she won the [[Colgate Far East Open]], a non-tour event in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]].<ref name=ferstdb>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3dYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h9EEAAAAIBAJ&pg=666%2C4670283 |newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sandra Post takes Far East tourney |date=December 9, 1974 |page=5C}}</ref>

===Second on 1979 money list===
Post hit her peak form from [[1978 LPGA Tour|1978]] to [[1981 LPGA Tour|1981]], winning seven of her eight career titles, and became one of the world's top players. She captured back-to-back wins at the [[ANA Inspiration|Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle]] in 1978 and [[1979 LPGA Tour|1979]].<ref name=ngny>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wlxGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GSsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1192%2C411602 |newspaper=Evening News |location=Newburgh, New York |agency=Associated Press |title=Sandra Post surprised with win |date=April 3, 1978 |page=10B}}</ref><ref name=kpap79>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oSIoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tXIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1272%2C1345907 |newspaper=The Day |location=New London, Connecticut |agency=Associated Press |last=Peters |first=Ken |title=Sandra Post outlasts Nancy Lopez |date=April 9, 1979 |page=38 }}</ref>

For the 1979 season, she finished second on the LPGA money list, and won the [[Lou Marsh Trophy]] as Canada's "Athlete of the Year." During her 16 years on the pro tour, Post also had 20 runner-up finishes, including the [[U.S. Women's Open]] in [[1975 U.S. Women's Open|1975]].

==Honors==
Several nagging injuries led Post to retire from most LPGA competition by the mid-1980s, but she competed occasionally after that. In 1988, she was elected to the [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]] and the [[Canadian Golf Hall of Fame]]. In 1999, she was inducted into the [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sandra Post |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/62-sandra-post |website=oshof.ca |publisher=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] |access-date=September 24, 2014 |archive-date=December 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229012233/http://www.oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/62-sandra-post |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2003, she was honored by her country with membership in the [[Order of Canada]]. She was voted No. 8 of the females chosen as [[Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century]].

Post has captained Canada's Nations Cup team, serves as a commentator on televised golf events in Canada, and writes golf instructional articles for several Canadian magazines. She is involved in a number of charitable causes, and runs the Sandra Post School of Golf near [[Toronto]]. Post has her own golf apparel firm, and has designed a set of women's golf clubs for the Jazz Golf company.

==Professional wins==
===LPGA Tour wins (8)===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Legend
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|LPGA Tour major championships (1)
|- 
|Other LPGA Tour (7)
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!No.
!Date
!Tournament
!Winning score
!To par
!Margin<br>of victory
!Runner(s)-up
|-style="background:#e5d1cb;"
|align=center|1
|align=right|Jun 23, [[1968 LPGA Tour|1968]]
|'''[[1968 LPGA Championship|LPGA Championship]]'''
|align=right|72-75-74-73=294
|align=center|+2
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kathy Whitworth]]
|-
|align=center|2
|align=right|Apr 2, [[1978 LPGA Tour|1978]]
|[[ANA Inspiration|Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle]]
|align=right|65-74-72-72=283
|align=center|–5
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Penny Pulz]]
|-
|align=center|3
|align=right|Aug 20, 1978
|[[Lady Stroh's Open]]
|align=right|69-71-71-75=286
|align=center|–2
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Pat Meyers]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Kathy Whitworth
|-
|align=center|4
|align=right|Apr 8, [[1979 LPGA Tour|1979]]
|Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle <small>(2)</small>
|align=right|68-70-68-70=276
|align=center|–12
|1 stroke
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Nancy Lopez]]
|-
|align=center|5
|align=right|May 13, 1979
|[[Lady Michelob]]
|align=right|72-69-69=210
|align=center|–9
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Pat Bradley (golfer)|Pat Bradley]]
|-
|align=center|6
|align=right|Sep 23, 1979
|[[ERA Real Estate Classic]]
|align=right|71-73-70-70=284
|align=center|–8
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Donna Caponi]]
|-
|align=center|7
|align=right|Aug 3, [[1980 LPGA Tour|1980]]
|[[West Virginia LPGA Classic]]
|align=right|69-69-73=211
|align=center|–5
|Playoff
|{{flagicon|USA}} Donna Caponi
|-
|align=center|8
|align=right|Jun 7, [[1981 LPGA Tour|1981]]
|[[McDonald's Kids Classic]]
|align=right|69-69-73-71=282
|align=center|–6
|2 strokes
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Amy Alcott]]
|}
''Note: Post's wins in the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now [[ANA Inspiration]]) were before it became a major championship.''

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|+LPGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|align=center|1
|[[1968 LPGA Tour|1968]]
|'''[[1968 LPGA Championship|LPGA Championship]]'''
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kathy Whitworth]]
|Won 18-hole playoff (Post:68, Whitworth:75)
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|align=center|2
|[[1976 LPGA Tour|1976]]
|[[Girl Talk Classic]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Pat Bradley (golfer)|Pat Bradley]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bonnie Lauer]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Judy Rankin]]
|Bradley won with par on second extra hole<br>Lauer and Post eliminated by birdie on first hole
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|align=center|3
|[[1978 LPGA Tour|1978]]
|[[ANA Inspiration|Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle]]
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Penny Pulz]]
|Won with par on second extra hole
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|align=center|4
|1978
|[[Lady Stroh's Open]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Pat Meyers]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Kathy Whitworth
|Won with birdie on second extra hole
|-style="background:#F5DEB3;"
|align=center|5
|[[1979 LPGA Tour|1979]]
|[[Elizabeth Arden Classic]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Amy Alcott]]
|Lost to eagle on third extra hole
|-style="background:#B0E0E6;"
|align=center|6
|[[1980 LPGA Tour|1980]]
|[[West Virginia LPGA Classic]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Donna Caponi]]
|Won with birdie on third extra hole
|}

===LPGA of Japan Tour wins (1)===
*1976 Sun Star Ladies

===Other wins (1)===
*1974 [[Colgate Far East Open]]<ref name=ferstdb/>

==Major championships==
===Wins (1)===
{|class="wikitable"
!Year!!Championship!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner-up
|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"
| [[1968 LPGA Championship|1968]] ||[[LPGA Championship]] ||+2 (72-75-74-73=294)||Playoff<sup>1</sup>||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Kathy Whitworth]]
|}
<sup>1</sup>Won in a playoff (68 Post, 75 Whitworth).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{LPGA player|sandra-post/81611}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060928062901/http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=14257 Sandra Post, History by the Minute]

{{LPGA Champions}}
{{Lou Marsh Trophy}}
{{Bobbie Rosenfeld Award}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Post, Sandra}}
[[Category:Canadian female golfers]]
[[Category:LPGA Tour golfers]]
[[Category:Winners of LPGA major golf championships]]
[[Category:Canadian golf instructors]]
[[Category:Golf commentators]]
[[Category:Golfing people from Ontario]]
[[Category:Northern Star Award winners]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Oakville, Ontario]]
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]