The Success and The Failures of Lefthanders in Sports

Lefthanders Currently/Recently on the LPGA Tour

Cathryn Bristow is a lefthanded golfer from New Zealand who turned pro in 2009.  She played college golf at the University of Oregon, and after a few good years on the Futures Tour she made her LPGA debut in 2012.  After limited success on the LPGA tour, she chose to return to her native New Zealand.   She has played regularly on the Australian Ladies Professional Tour and on the Ladies European Tour for the past ten years, and she is a 3-time winner on the ALPG tour.

Brittany Benvenuto played college golf at University of Arizona and turned pro in 2011.  She improved each year on the Futures Tour, and in 2016 she made the cut 19 times and finished in the top ten 5 times to earn her first way onto the PGA tour in 2017.  She played in 10 LPGA events but only made the cut once.  She returned to the Futures Tour for 2019 and continues to work toward another chance at the LPGA.

Katelyn Dambaugh played college golf at the University of South Carolina and turned pro in 2017.  In her first year as a pro she finished 10th on the Symetra Tour money list, finishing in the top ten in 6 of the 12 events she played.  This performance earned her LPGA membership for 2018.  She has played in 17 tournaments this year, made the cut in 8 of them.  Her best finish was a tie for 10th place in the Kingsmill Championship, and she has won a total of $67,216 (ranking #288) for the year.  This makes her the 2nd leading all-time money winner among lefthanders on the LPGA tour, and hopefully her career is just getting started.

Lefthanders Previously on the LPGA Tour

Judi Pavon had 49 career starts on the LPGA tour in the early 1990s, including five of the LPGA major events.  Her best finish was a tie for 18th place in a 1992 tournament.  She played college golf at University of Alabama before turning pro, and she played on the Futures Tour for a few years prior, and after, her time on the LPGA tour.  Pavon has been Head Coach of Women’s Golf at the University of Tennessee since 2000.

Angela Buzminski had 48 career starts on the LPGA tour between 2002 and 2009.  Her best finish was a tie for 20th in a 2003 tournament.  She played college golf at Indiana University before turning pro in 1995, and worked her way to the LPGA tour by finishing 2nd on the Symetra Tour in 2001.   She won a total of $58,541 in LPGA events.  She currently teaches golf at Woodland Hills Country Club in Florida.

Kelly Lagedrost had 28 career starts on the LPGA tour from 2004-2006, and her best showing was a tie for 46th place in a 2006 tournament. She turned pro in 2001 success on the “Future Tour” brought her to the LPGA.  Unfortunately she made the cut only 5 times in her 28 starts, and earned just $13, 871 in her career.  She is currently the Director of Golf at Brooksville Country Club in Florida.

Malinda Johnson had 18 career starts on the LPGA tour in 2005 and 2006, and finished 15th in her very first tour event.  She played college golf at the University of Wisconsin and turned pro in 2004, then had a great first year on the “Futures Tour” to earn her way onto the LPGA tour. She finished 2005 ranked as #112, and earned over $48,000 in prize money.  Unfortunately she hurt her shoulder from playing too much, and never made it back to the LPGA.

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Lefthanded Golfers on the LPGA Tour

Bonnie Bryant is the only lefthanded golfer ever to win an LPGA Tour event, and it has been nearly 50 years since her landmark victory.  Unfortunately there have not been any other lefthanded golfers who has followed her lead and won, or even come really close to winning an LPGA event. 

You can read more about Bonnie Bryant here.