Carol Mann biography
Date of birth : 1941-02-03
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2011-10-26
Credited as : woman professional golfer, LPGA tour, US Open
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Major Championships:
• U.S. Women's Open: 1965
• Western Open: 1964
Awards and Honors:
• Member, World Golf Hall of Fame
• Vare Trophy (low scoring average), 1968
• LPGA Tour money leader, 1969
• Member, Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame
Mann started playing golf when she was nine years old, but didn't really settle into the game until age 13. In 1958, victories at the Western Junior and Chicago Junior tournaments sent her on her way to stardom. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, then turned pro in 1960. Her rookie year on the LPGA was 1961, and her first victory didn't come until 1964. That first win was at the Women's Western Open, which at that time was one of the LPGA's majors. Mann followed up with another major in 1965, winning the U.S. Women's Open.
She was unable to add anymore majors in coming years, but her career continued its upward track overall. In 1968 she won 10 times on the LPGA Tour, then added another eight victories in 1969. During a period of near total domination by Kathy Whitworth, Mann was the only golfer to break through and best Whitworth in wins.
Mann's 1968 scoring average of 72.04 wasn't bettered until Nancy Lopez beat it 10 years later.
Mann's last big year on Tour was 1975, when she won four times. Those were her last wins on the LPGA Tour, and her final competitive appearance came in 1981.
In addition to her golf resume, Mann also played a key role in modernizing and expanding the reach of the LPGA Tour. She served as Tour president from late 1973 through mid-1976, guiding the Tour through the Jane Blalock cheating scandal and the hiring of the Tour's first commissioner. She also tirelessly marketed the Tour to potential sponsors.
Mann also served as president of the Women's Sports Foundation from 1985 through 1989.
She went on to become a top teaching professional and also authored a couple of books. Her company, Carol Mann Inc., provides corporate golf programs and she serves as a product development consultant to golf companies.
