Jan Stephenson

Jan started her winning golf career at an early age, winning 6 consecutive State Schoolgirl Championships in her home country of Australia. She was selected to represent her State in the National Women’s Championships when she was 15 and won the Australian Foursomes Championship with Diana Thomas. She won all the trials for the World Team representation, including the State Stroke Play Championship and the State Match Play Championship, but was not chosen to represent the State. The Australian Ladies Golf Union cited that Jan as too young to represent her country, even though she had won the Trials. This was a devastating loss to Jan, but turned out to be the best lesson for her. The Australian Media used this to jump on Jan’s “Band Wagon”. Realizing that she would never be chosen to represent her country, Jan turned professional and joined the Australian LPGA in August of 1973.

She won 5 of the last 10 events including the Australian LPGA Championship and the Ladies Australian Open. Jan joined the US LPGA tour in 1974 and won Rookie of the Year Honors. In 1975 Jan was invited to play in the Inaugural Moroccan Open. Jan won the event and added another National Open title to her resume. During 1976, Commissioner Ray Volpe immediately saw that Jan could be the new “face” of the LPGA. “She has sex appeal and talent. What more could we ask for”, Volpe said. He proceeded to utilize Jan for programs for the new tournaments and promote this “new image” for the LPGA. Jan traveled around the country meeting potential new sponsors and attending press conferences for new events. Jan broke through in 1976 and won in the US. For the next eight years Jan was the “face” of the LPGA for marketing purposes. In 1978, Jan made an instructional video call, “How to Golf” which is still the 3^rd largest selling instructional video. In 1978 she teamed up with David Graham to represent Australia in the World Team championships. They won the event and started the popularity of Australian’s in golf. Dunlop, her golf ball sponsor, produced a calendar featuring Jan. A bathtub of golf balls with Jan in the tub, seemingly nude, created huge publicity for Dunlop and golf and is still to this day, something the world identifies with Jan.

In 1981, Jan won the World Ladies Championship in Japan and became the first Australian to win a golf tournament there. Jan went on to win three LPGA Major Championships including the, Peter Jackson (Canadian Open) Classic (1981), The LPGA Championship (1982) and the US Women’s Open (1983).

In 1983, Jan was married and for the next few years she concentrated on her family life more than her golf. It was during this time that she spent a great deal of time with her father-in-law’s company, Landmark Land, learning the golf course design business with Pete and Alice Dye.

In 1985, Jan was invited to participate on the European LPGA tour in the French Open. She won the event and added another National title to her list. At that time she became the first woman to win on Five continents.

Jan teamed up with Greg Norman to win the 1985 Australian Festival of Sport event against, Mark O’Meara and reigning US Open Champion Kathy Baker.

In 1987, Jan was enjoying her best year and was the leading money winner. After winning the previous tournament, she was leading the St. Petersburg Classic by 5 shots with one round to go when a car ran a red stop light crashed into her car. Jan sustained serious head and back injuries as well as breaking her ribs on the left side. She had to sit out most of the year and tried to come back prematurely. This was very bad for her health.

In August, she played an exhibition with Jack Nicklaus. When Jack realized that she was playing with broken ribs, he gave her advice that she credits her comeback. He insisted that she withdraw from competition and let her body heal and just work on short game until there was no pain from the injuries.  Her parents and caddy took off the next 2 months and she worked on her short game and rehab, ready to return the last three events of the season.

It paid off when she finished second her first event back, the went on to win the last two LPGA tournaments of the year. The doctors had been telling her that she could not get well until she quit golf and let her injuries heal. “I knew I was playing the best golf of my career when I had been hit and I was forcing a premature return. If it had been anyone other than Jack Nicklaus, I would have ignored them. However, when the greatest player of all time said to rest, now that carried some punch”, said Jan.

Jan went on to finish 1 shot behind in the Pebble Beach Pro Am in November of 1987, which is an event where PGA, Champions Tour and LPGA players compete in the same competition. It was the best finish that an LPGA player ever had, also breaking the Women’s Course record at Pebble Beach.

Jan’s personal life took a toll on her golf career for the next few years. In December her brother-in-law was killed in a car accident, then her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In 1988, Jan was playing very consistently and in the top 10 on the US LPGA money list. She was in contention or within with 3 shots of the lead going into the last round 17 times. However, traveling back to Australia to visit her father on her weeks off left her tired and drained by the last day. Her father, Frank, lost his battle with cancer in December of 1988 and suffered her worst golf year in 1989. Her father had been a large part of her golf career’s success and even caddied for her on the LPGA Tour in 1981 and 1982, including her 2 major championships during that time.

At the beginning of 1990 Jan was ready to overcome her grieving for the loss of her father and return to a full-time schedule. In her first 2 events in 1990 on the LPGA tour, she finished in the to 10. During the week off before the next scheduled event in South Florida, Jan and her husband were guests of the Miami Heat basketball team. While parking the car before the game, Jan was brutally mugged. Her left hand and ring finger were broken in 5 places and her right shoulder was dislocated when she was thrown into the people trying to rescue her. Her husband remained in the car while she was mugged, so Jan filed for divorce shortly after this and set about trying to figure out her future. The damage to her left hand which will never recover has and still is a problem for her golf. She began researching how she was going to play without the use of her left hand grip.

When she went home to her native country of Australia to play in the Inaugural Ladies Masters, she reconnected with friend, a well-respected golf teacher, Gary Edwin. He had success with pros that had experienced physical set-backs and had developed a golf system that emphasized the right side. Jan stayed after the event and learned this new “right sided” method. This was the answer to Jan’s prayers. She had her grips made bigger and put sponges in her glove.

It was difficult working with Gary from such a long distance and Jan felt she should try to find a teacher in the United States where the LPGA was based. Jan traveled the country interviewing all the “famous” best teachers in the game. There was not one that believed that with the devastating and debilitating injuries she had sustained from her mugging, that she could return to professional golf.

After struggling with her game, Jan decided to focus on golf course design. She attended courses at the University of Georgia on turf grasses and began work with Dye Designs. In the late 1990’s Jan won a bid to design her first golf course and fashioned the development after her homeland of Australia. The course was called Walkabout Golf Course and the development used Australian names for streets and logos. Even though design was a success Jan missed playing full time and wanted to the give the LPGA one more shot.

She called Gary Edwin who was at eh British Open and asked if he could return to Australia through the US. He agreed and Jan started her “Right Sided” swing method with Gary.

Jan went on to complete the LPGA tour year with 2 second place finishes and well as a playoff loss to Rosie Jones and became the oldest player to earn a spot in the top 30 in the World rankings.

In 2000, along with Jane Blalock, Hollis Stacy and Sally Little, Jan began the LPGA Senior Women’s Tour. They gathered 25 past Champions who donated money to find sponsors. Jan won the first event the, Hy-Vee Classic and Jan has gone on to win many tournaments and was the leading money on the tour.

The LPGA would not sanction them as the Official Seniors Tour of the LPGA unless they became an Association. So, it was changed accordingly in 2003 along with a name change to The Legend’s Tour.

The Legend’s Tour has grown dramatically with all the names you have known in Women’s Golf. The LPGA Legends Tour remains a bargain for sponsors.

Off the course, Jan has gone on to design another golf course in Alabama. She formed a new company, Green tee Systems that includes an irrigation system which utilizes water technology that sanitizes without the use of harmful chemicals. Green Tee Systems and other “green” initiatives such as recycled cart paths, fish farms on the golf course development and grasses that don’t require as much chemical treatments are also being well received.

Jan was the first woman “keynote” speaker at the Urban Land Institute’s Annual Convention. Her subject, “The Underestimated Power of the Woman”.

She continues to work with a large number of charities as well as her own charity, Jan for Juniors and Jan Stephenson’s Crossroads Foundation. She represents the Arthritis Foundation after discovering Arthritis in her left hand. She has an arthritis instructional program and leads a group of athletes called, PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise). Jan is working on a golf club design with Razor Golf for arthritis sufferers and a line of clothing.

After learning the “Right Sided” swing method, Jan realized there would be a great demand for this in the USA. Australian golfers have enjoyed much success on the world stage in professional golf with this method.

Jan was voted one of the top LPGA Teachers in 2005 and is poised to introduce a Jan Stephenson International Golf School to the USA, bringing the “Right Sided” swing method to the USA.

Jan is an Ambassador for blind and disabled golf and has acquired a golf course in Palm Harbor through her Foundation. The golf course provides initiatives for blind/disabled and wounded veterans and first responders. Her mission is, “Giving to Those that have Given so Much”. She has been recognized for her philanthropic work by the Government of Australia and other charitable organizations. She was awarded recognition by the Military Order of the Purple Heart in October of 2017 for her service to combat wounded/disabled/blind veterans and first responders.

Jan was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in March of 2018. The OAM is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognize Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious service. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens received British honors.  The Queen of Australia is Sovereign Head of the Order, while the Governor-General is Principal Companion/Dame/Knight (as relevant at the time) and Chancellor of the Order. She is now formally known as, “Lady Jan”.

Golf

LPGA Statistics:

• Total Victories (41)
• LPGA Victories (16)
• LPGA Legends tour Victories: (10) (Leading money winner with 6 victories)
• International Victories (15)
• Major Championships: (8)

Holes-In-One: 15 total (9 in LPGA competition)

LPGA Victories:

• 1976 Sarah Coventry Naples Classic, Birmingham Classic.
• 1976 Birmingham Classic.
• 1978 Women’s International.
• 1980 Sun City Classic.
• 1981 Peter Jackson Classic, Mary Kay Classic, United Virginia Bank Classic.
• 1982 Lady Keystone Open, LPGA Championship.
• 1983 Tucson Conquistadores LPGA Open, S. Women’s Open.
• 1985 GNA Classic.
• 1987 Santa Barbara Open, SAFECO Classic, Konica San Jose Classic.

Major Victories:

• 1973 Wills Australian Ladies Open
• 1975 Moroccan Open Championship
• 1977 Wills Qantas Australian Ladies Open
• 1981 World Ladies Golf Tournament (Japan), Peter Jackson Classic/Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Championship
• 1981 World Ladies Golf Tournament (Japan)
• 1982 LPGA Championship
• 1983 United States Women’s Open Championship
• 1985 Hennessy French Open

International Victories:

• 1973 Wills Australian Ladies Open
• 1975 Moroccan Open Championship
• 1977 Wills Qantas Australian Ladies Open
• 1981 World Ladies Golf Tournament (Japan)
• 1985 Nichirei Ladies Cup (Japan)
• 1985 Hennessy French Open

Unofficial US Victories (2):

• 1983 JC Penney Mixed Team (with Fred Couples)
• 1990 JC Penney/LPGA Skins Game

LPGA Legend Tour Victories (10)

• 2002 Hy-Vee Championship
• 2005 BJ’s Charity Championship
• 2007 Handa Australia Cup
• 2013 ISPS Handa Cup
• 2015 Legends Tour Open Championship (Major)
• 2015 Walgreens Championship (Delray Beach, Florida)
• 2016 Walgreen’s Championship (Phoenix, Arizona)
• 2016 Legends Tour Open Championship (Major)
• 2016 BJ’s Charity Championship
• 2017 BJ’s Charity Championship

LPGA Awards:

• 1974 Rookie of the Year
• 2004 LPGA to 50 teachers
• 2014 First inductee into the LPGA Legends Tour Hall of Fame
• 2016 LPGA Pioneer Award

Awards:

• 1983, inducted in the Australia Sport Hall of Fame
• 1985, 100 heroes in golf by Golf Magazine
• 2000, The Australian Sports Medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth II
• 2005, The Centenary Medal awarded by Prime Minister, John Howard
• 2005, Forbes Magazine voted one of the top 200 “Most Powerful Women in the World”
• 2006, Voted Golf Inc’s Newsmaker of the Year for her designs
• 2007, Entrepreneur of the Year by Overtime Magazine
• 2007, Inducted into the Australia Golf Hall of Fame
• 2018, Order of Australia Medal – The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognize Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious service. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens received British honors. The Queen of Australia is Sovereign Head of the Order, while the Governor-General is Principal Companion/Dame/Knight (as relevant at the time) and Chancellor of the Order.
• 2018, Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce Charity of the Year award

Golf Course Design

Jan was the first LPGA Player to own a golf course design company. After working with Landmark Land and Dye designs, she built her first US golf course in Florida. She was one of the first advocates for tee options for all levels of golfers. She now does renovation.  She now renovates with new “green” technologies & is a member of the Audubon Society. She is always aware of the need to protect the environment.

Dancing With the Stars (Australia) 2013

Jan was contestant on Dancing with the Stars (Australia) 2013. She was eliminated on the 3^rd  round of voting. But, notwithstanding, her performances were worthy of high praise from all of the judges.

Wine

Jan’s love for fine wine has prompted her to develop her own line of Jan Stephenson Signature Series Wines. Her winery is in Paso Robles, California. Jan has taken a “hands on” approach to wine making. She makes frequent visits to the winery and during harvest actually gets into the vineyard and harvests grapes, crushes, and supervises all aspects of the wine making process. Jan’s winemaker, Chris Cameron is also from her home country of Australia. Chris has been recognized as winemaker extraordinaire by many wine rating groups. Jan is currently producing, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, a very fine Merlot and a Red & White Blend called 3 Majors. Enjoy!

Rum

Inspired by the flavors of her native country, Australia, Jan has produced some of the finest rum’s available. Her love of fruit has produced, Passion Fruit Flavored Rum, Pineapple Flavored Rum and Mango Flavored Rum. Her rum’s have been awarded 6 medals including 2 gold medals and 4 silver medals. See why Jan Stephenson Rum is soon to become everyone’s favorite.

Jan Stephenson’s Crossroads Foundation

“I started Jan Stephenson’s Crossroads Foundation to provide assistance and emotional healing to those who protect our freedoms every day. I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel the United States and the world in my golfing career. During these travels, I have come to deeply appreciate the extraordinary gift of freedom the United States Military provides to this great country and to the world. Recognizing this, I felt compelled to create the Crossroads Foundation with the express purpose of: “Giving to Those, That Have Given So Much”

I am also very excited to announce that our Foundation has been recognized as a partner organization by the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation. “We are indeed honored by this recognition.,” said Jan Stephenson, President of Jan Stephenson’s Crossroads Foundation.

The proceeds are used to fund initiatives for handicapped and disabled golf programs in support of disabled veterans and first responders.