ROSIE JONES
Birthdate: November 13, 1959
Birthplace: Santa Ana, Calif.
Age: 45
Ht: 5’7"
Home: Atlanta, Ga.
College: Ohio State
Turned Professional: 1982
LPGA Tour Wins: 13 - 1987 Rail Charity Golf Classic. 1988 USX Golf Classic, Nestle World Championship, Santa Barbara Open. 1991 Rochester International. 1995 Pinewild Women’s Championship. 1996 LPGA Corning Classic. 1997 LPGA Corning Classic. 1998 Wegman’s Rochester International. 1999 Firstar LPGA Classic, 2001 Kathy Ireland Championship Honoring Harvey Penick, Sybase Big Apple Classic, 2003 Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mt. Vintage
Player Notes:
Professional
2004 Highlights
• Tied for second on two occasions: at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez, where she posted a season-low 66 during the second round; and at the Wegmans Rochester LPGA Presented by Lincoln Mercury.
• Tied for eighth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
• Also posted season-low 66s during the second round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, where she tied for 25th, and the third round of the Longs Drugs Challenge, where she tied for 16th.
• Suffered from a herniated disc in her back throughout the season.
2004 Stats (Rank)
Rds under par: 36/72 (22)
Rds in the 60s: 19/72 (26)
Birdies: 236 (41)
Eagles: 4 (63)
Greens in reg: 66.2% (56)
Driving accuracy: 83.1% (2)
Sand saves: 36.5% (74)
Putts per GIR: 1.77 (7)
Driving avg: 233.2 (164)
2003 Highlights
• Won her 13th career LPGA title at the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mount Vintage.
• Added an additional eight top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Evian Masters, where she crossed the $7 million mark in career earnings, and the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by AIG.
• Carded a career-low 62 during the first round of the Kellogg-Keebler Classic, where she tied for fifth.
• Was a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team for the sixth time in her career.
• Led the Tour in putts per greens in regulation (1.74) with Annika Sorenstam.
2003 Stats (Rank)
Rds under par: 38/69 (10) Rds in the 60s: 24/69 (10) Birdies: 260 (29)
Eagles: 2 (79)
Greens in reg: 64.9% (59) Driving accuracy: 82.2% (2)
Sand saves: 43.3% (26) Putts per GIR: 1.74 (1) Driving avg: 235.3 (156)
2002 Highlights
• Recorded four top-three finishes-second place at the LPGA Corning Classic and ties for third at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mount Vintage and Safeway Classic.
• Posted a season-low 66 on three occasions: during the first round of the Wendy's Championship for Children at Tartan Fields, where she finished sixth; second round of the Samsung World Championship, where she tied for fourth; and third round of the Mobile LPGA Tournament of Championship Presented by Ultimate Software, where she tied for fourth.
• Crossed the $6 million mark in career earnings after tying for 11th at the Evian Masters.
• Qualified for her fifth Solheim Cup, posting a 2-1-0 record for the victorious U.S. Team; in the final singles match of the event, Jones sank the putt that clinched The Solheim Cup for the U.S. Team.
2002 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 50/80 (4)Rds in the 60s: 30/80 (3)Birdies: 292 (10)
Eagles: 2 (89)Greens in reg: 66.2% (30)Driving accuracy: 82.1% (2)
Sand saves: 44.4% (23)Putting avg: 28.64 (2)Driving avg: 236.5 (150)
2001 Highlights
• Became the season’s first winner from the United States with her playoff victory over Mi Hyun Kim at the Kathy Ireland Championship Honoring Harvey Penick; crossed the $5 million in career earnings after her win.
• Won her second title of the season at the Sybase Big Apple Classic Presented by GOLF MAGAZINE, which was her fifth career title in the state of New York.
• Tied for third at the ShopRite Classic, finished fourth at both the Wendy’s Championship for Children at New Albany and Tyco/ADT Championship and tied for fourth at the Longs Drugs Challenge and LPGA Corning Classic.
• Tied her career-low score of 64 during the final round of the State Farm Classic.
• Made the cut in all 23 events in which she entered and posted a career-low scoring average of 70.51
2001 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 46/84 (9) Rds in the 60s: 31/84 (7) Birdies: 289 (19)
Eagles: 6 (23)Greens in reg: 68.8% (24) Driving accuracy: 78.7% (10)
Sand saves: 51.2% (12)Putting avg: 29.21 (3) Driving avg: 236.70 (142)
Career Highlights
• In 2000, posted runner-up finishes at the Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic and du Maurier Classic; was a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team.
• In 1999, captured the 10th win of her career at the Firstar LPGA Classic, where she defeated Jan Stephenson and Becky Iverson on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff; crossed the $4 million mark in career earnings following her tie for ninth at the du Maurier Classic; tied her career-low 64 during the first round of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship.
• In 1998, recorded her ninth LPGA win at the Wegmans Rochester International, where she tied her career-low round of 64 during the third round; finished second at the Standard Register PING, where she lost to Liselotte Neumann on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff; recorded her fourth career hole-in-one during the third round of the du Maurier Classic.
• In 1997, successfully defended her title at the LPGA Corning Classic, where she defeated Tammie Green in a sudden-death playoff; crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings.
• In 1996, recorded her seventh career victory at the LPGA Corning Classic.
• In 1995, captured the Pinewild Women’s Championship title by defeating Dottie (Pepper) Mochrie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff; recorded the third ace of her LPGA career during the first round of the Oldsmobile Classic.
• In 1994, best finish was a tie for second in the SAFECO Classic (her fourth consecutive runner-up finish at that tournament); recorded her second LPGA career hole-in-one during the Sara Lee Classic.
• In 1993, carded three second-place finishes: Sprint Classic, JAL Big Apple Classic and SAFECO Classic.
• In 1992, best finish was a tie for second at the SAFECO Classic.
• In 1991, recorded her fifth career victory at the Rochester International; narrowly missed out on another win that season when she lost to Pat Bradley in a sudden-death playoff at the SAFECO Classic.
• In 1990, became the 20th player to cross the $1 million milestone in career earnings; best finish was second place at the Mazda LPGA Championship.
• In 1989, best finish of the season was a tie for fourth at the Standard Register PING.
• In 1988, captured the USX Golf Classic title, where she defeated LPGA Tour Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth in a sudden-death playoff; lost to Juli Inkster in a playoff later that season at the Crestar Classic.
• In 1987, captured her first LPGA Tour victory at the Rail Charity Golf Classic; posted her career-low score of 64 during the second round of the LPGA Corning Classic; notched the first hole-in-one of her career during the GNA/Glendale Federal Classic.
• In 1986, top finish was seventh place at the du Maurier Classic.
• In 1985, tied for fifth at the Chrysler-Plymouth Classic for her best finish of the season.
• In 1984, finished second twice: fell one shot shy of tying Hollis Stacy for the U.S. Women’s Open title and lost to Kathy Whitworth on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Rochester International.
• In 1983, finished fourth at the Peter Jackson Classic.
• In 1982, during her first season on Tour, tied for 28th at the Mary Kay Classic.
Amateur
Jones was a 1981 AIAW All-American in her fourth year of varsity golf at Ohio State University. Also in 1981, she was the third low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open and a semifinalist at both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the Trans-National. Earlier in her amateur career, Jones won the New Mexico Junior Championship three consecutive years, 1974-76, and claimed the 1979 New Mexico State Championship title. . .Credits Rick Jensen, Tom Nielsen, Elmer Prieskorn, Mike Adams and Jeff Peltz as the individuals most influencing her career...Enjoys fishing, dancing, woodworking, working outside in the yard, planting flowers and any arts and crafts projects...Travels with her dog.