U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion’s Medal To Be Named for JoAnne Carner

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced the medal presented each year to the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion will be renamed and redesigned to honor golf legend JoAnne Carner in recognition of her remarkable golf career, which includes eight USGA championship victories, the most by any female golfer.

The gold medal in its current form, which has not had a formal name prior, dates back to 1977. Beginning with the 126th U.S. Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., next August, each champion will receive the JoAnne Carner Medal along with the Robert Cox Trophy.

“JoAnne’s storied career as a USGA champion is a testament to her relentless passion for the game,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “Naming the U.S. Women’s Amateur Medal after her is a small tribute to her legacy. We are proud to celebrate her accomplishments and longstanding commitment to golf in a way that will allow for continued recognition and inspiration for generations to come.”

Carner was the first player in history to win three different USGA titles, the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Open. She earned her first USGA victory in the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 1956, followed by the U.S. Women’s Amateur five times in 1957, 1960, 1962, 1966 and 1968, before turning professional in 1970 at the age of 30. During her professional run, Carner captured two U.S. Women’s Open titles, starting in 1971 with a win at Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa., and adding a second victory in 1976 at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa. At the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, JoAnne made history as the oldest golfer at the time to play in a USGA Championship at the age of 82 and has played in every iteration of the championship since.

Joining only a handful of golf’s greats, JoAnne received the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, in 1981, and shortly after, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame in 1982. JoAnne will become the third golfer to have a USGA championship medal named after her, preceded by Jack Nicklaus in 2012 for the U.S. Open gold medal, and by Mickey Wright in 2020 for the U.S. Women’s Open gold medal. The newly designed JoAnne Carner Medal depicts an iconic swing photo from her 1966 U.S. Women’s Amateur win.  

“For over 70 years, the USGA has played an active part in my life,” said Carner. “From winning my first USGA championship, the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 1956, to competing in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open more than six decades later, being able to hoist a USGA trophy on eight occasions is an experience unlike anything else. The USGA has always represented the pinnacle of the game — the toughest tests, the most demanding setups and the most iconic courses. That’s what makes winning a USGA championship so meaningful — it’s the highest accomplishment in golf.”

During her time on the LPGA Tour, JoAnne recorded 43 wins, earning her LPGA Rookie of the Year honors in 1970 at age 31, followed by Player of the Year in 1974, 1981 and 1982, and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Carner also captained the United States in the 1994 Solheim Cup, leading the team to a 13-7 victory over Europe. As an amateur, Carner earned her first LPGA Tour victory at the 1969 Burdine’s Invitational, won a national collegiate title while playing for Arizona State University, and was a four-time member of the United States Curtis Cup team.