Britz, Jerilyn

Golf Professional

Started playing golf at the age of 17 on a nine-hole course in Luverne, Minn… She taught high school for five years and college for three years before turning pro at the age of 30...Has her pilot’s license...One of the pioneers of the 48-inch putter on the LPGA Tour…First woman to be inducted into the Rock County Historical Society’s Hall of Fame…Member of the Mankato State College Athletic Hall of Fame…Finished fifth at the 1980 Women’s Superstars Athletic Competition…Listed in the Minnesota Women’s “Who’s Who” Yearbook for 1978-79 and 1984- 85…Named Golf Digest’s Most Improved Golfer of the Year in 1979…Awarded the 1979 Peter Jackson Award for her performances in major championships that season...Enjoys working with tools, repairing things and building things out of wood... Qualified for the Tour on her first attempt.

Jerilyn Britz played the LPGA Tour from the mid-1970s into the late 1990s. And while she didn't win a lot, she did win the big one: Britz is a U.S. Women's Open champion.
Date of birth: January 1, 1943

Place of birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nickname: Later in her career, she was sometimes called "Orville" (explanation in the "More About" section).

Britz's LPGA Tour Wins

Jerilyn Britz won twice on the LPGA Tour — but one of those was the biggest tournament in women's professional golf:
1979 U.S. Women's Open
1980 Mary Kay Classic
Her U.S. Women's Open Win

With back-to-back rounds of 70 in the first two rounds, Britz was the first-round co-leader and solo second-round leader at the 1979 U.S. Women's Open.
After a 75 in Round 3, she fell to three strokes off the lead. At the start of the fourth round, Britz trailed leader Debbie Massey. But in that final round, Britz shot 69 to Massey's 75 to finish with a three-stroke victory over Massey and Sandra Palmer. Massey had birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to tie Britz heading to the last hole. But on that hole, Britz held her nerve for a par while Massey double-bogeyed.

Britz's winning score was even-par 284. The tournament was played at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut. At the time, Britz was the sixth golfer ever to make the U.S. Women's Open her first professional victory. She was also, at the time, at age 36, the oldest golfer to win the USWO for the first time.

Britz's 284 total matched the tournament scoring record originally set by Louise Suggs. But Britz shared that record for only a short time: It was lowered the following year.

More About Jerilyn Britz

Jerilyn Britz was a multi-sport athlete growing up in Minnesota, but golf wasn't one of those sports until she was 17 years old. Then, she began playing the 9-holer in Luverne, Minn. Decades later, Britz explained what hooked her on golf:
"I hit one solid shot and I've been trying to do it again ever since."
But she didn't pursue tournament golf at first. Britz instead graduated from college in 1965, then got her master's degree as a physical education instructor, then taught school for eight years in Minnesota and New Mexico.
During the summers when school was out, she worked on her game. In 1969, Britz won the Minnesota Women's Public Links Championship. A few years later in New Mexico, she attended a clinic given by former LPGA Tour player Joanne Winter. Winter watched Britz hit balls and immediately asked, "Have you ever thought about playing the tour?"

Britz hadn't really thought of that before. But she headed to Florida for the 1973 LPGA Q-School tournament. After getting her card, Britz joined the LPGA Tour as a 31-year-old rookie in 1974.

And Britz had her first Top 10 in a major that year, tying for 10th at LPGA Championship. She finished in the Top 60 on the money list from 1974-78, moving up to 23rd in 1978, and had a couple third-place finishes in those years. One of those was at the 1978 Patty Berg Classic, where Britz led going to the final hole, only to double bogey and drop to third.

Then came her 1979 breakout season. In addition to winning the U.S. Women's Open, she nearly claimed another major. At the 1979 LPGA Championship, Britz opened with a 64, breaking the tournament scoring record. Her round included nine birdies, an LPGA record at that time. She wound up finishing second, three strokes behind winner Donna Caponi.

Britz also finished second in the 1981 LPGA Championship, and also to Donna Caponi, although this time by a single stroke when Caponi birdied from just off the final green.

Britz tied for 10th in a couple other majors, the 1980 LPGA Championship and 1986 Nabisco Dinah Shore. And she won the 1980 Mary Kay Classic in a playoff against Nancy Lopez. Her best years on the money list were 16th in 1979 and 14th in 1980.