Jane Connachan (born 25 February 1964) is a Scottish
professional golfer
A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
who played on the
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. Most of the players on the tour are European, with members from more than 40 countries internationally. Despite its name, the tour also has tournaments in A ...
.
Amateur career
Connachan was considered a child prodigy, playing competitive golf constantly since the age of 10, and in the 17 years until she suddenly retired at age 27, accumulated an almost unparalleled record.
She first played for Scotland when she was 15. She won the
Australian Girls' Amateur and the
Girls Amateur Championship
The Girls Amateur Championship is a golf tournament held annually in the United Kingdom. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship.
Until World War II the championship was organised by a series of magazines and always ...
, twice. At 18, she was Scottish champion and holder of the
British Strokeplay title.
She won the Girl's Home Internationals,
Women's Home Internationals
The Women's Home Internationals were an amateur team golf championship for women contested between the four Home Nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, where Ireland was represented by the whole island of Ireland on an All-Ireland basi ...
and the
Vagliano Trophy
The Vagliano Trophy is a biennial women's amateur golf tournament. It is co-organised by The R&A and the European Golf Association and is contested by teams representing "Great Britain and Ireland" and the "Continent of Europe". It is played in o ...
, and appeared twice at the
Espirito Santo Trophy
The Espirito Santo Trophy (World Women's Amateur Team Championships) is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for women organised by the International Golf Federation.
The inaugural event was held in 1964. It was instituted by the Fren ...
, and twice in the
Curtis Cup
The Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match. It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and The R&A and is contested by teams representing the United States and " ...
against the Americans, before turning pro at the end of 1983.
Professional career
Connachan joined the
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. Most of the players on the tour are European, with members from more than 40 countries internationally. Despite its name, the tour also has tournaments in A ...
in 1984 and won in her rookie year, won twice in the following year, and went on to win a total of five tournaments between 1984 and 1989,
before deciding to retire in August 1991.
At the
Bloor Homes Eastleigh Classic in July 1991, in one of her last tournaments before retiring, she recorded a 58 in the first round, a
Ladies European Tour record as the lowest raw score ever, only equaled by
Dale Reid
Dale Reid (20 March 1959 – 8 November 2023) was a Scottish professional golfer. She was one of the most successful players in the history of the Ladies European Tour, with 21 tournament victories. She topped the Order of Merit in 1984 and 198 ...
and
Trish Johnson
Patricia Mary "Trish" Johnson MBE (born 17 January 1966) is an English professional golfer. She won three times on the LPGA Tour and 19 times on the Ladies European Tour. As a senior she has won both senior women's major championships, the U ...
at the same tournament.
Amateur wins
*1980
Girls Amateur Championship
The Girls Amateur Championship is a golf tournament held annually in the United Kingdom. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship.
Until World War II the championship was organised by a series of magazines and always ...
*1981
Girls Amateur Championship
The Girls Amateur Championship is a golf tournament held annually in the United Kingdom. Girls need to be under 18 on 1 January in the year of the championship.
Until World War II the championship was organised by a series of magazines and always ...
*1982
Australian Girls' Amateur,
Scottish Women's Amateur Championship
The Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship is the women's national amateur match play golf championship of Scotland. It was first played in 1903 and is currently organised by Scottish Golf.
The Scottish Women's Amateur Championship is contested ...
,
Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship
Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship was founded in 1969 by the Ladies' Golf Union (now merged into The R&A) of Great Britain.
A stroke play
Stroke play is a scoring system in the sport of golf. In the regular form of stroke pl ...
*1983
Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Stroke Play Championship
Professional wins
Ladies European Tour wins (5)
*
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
(1)
Colt Cars Jersey Open
*
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
(2)
British Olivetti Tournament,
415/Vantage WPGA Matchplay Championship
*
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
(1)
British Olivetti Tournament
*
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
(1)
Ladies European Open
Source:
Team appearances
Amateur
*Girl's Home Internationals (representing Scotland): 1976 (winners), 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
*
Women's Home Internationals
The Women's Home Internationals were an amateur team golf championship for women contested between the four Home Nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, where Ireland was represented by the whole island of Ireland on an All-Ireland basi ...
(representing Scotland): 1979 (winners), 1980, 1981 (winners), 1982, 1983
*
Curtis Cup
The Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match. It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and The R&A and is contested by teams representing the United States and " ...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1980, 1982
*
Espirito Santo Trophy
The Espirito Santo Trophy (World Women's Amateur Team Championships) is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for women organised by the International Golf Federation.
The inaugural event was held in 1964. It was instituted by the Fren ...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland):
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
,
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
*
Vagliano Trophy
The Vagliano Trophy is a biennial women's amateur golf tournament. It is co-organised by The R&A and the European Golf Association and is contested by teams representing "Great Britain and Ireland" and the "Continent of Europe". It is played in o ...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1981, 1983 (winners)
*
European Ladies' Team Championship
The European Ladies' Team Championship is a European amateur team golf championship for women organised by the European Golf Association. The inaugural event was held in 1959.
It was played in odd-numbered years from 1959 to 2007 and has been pl ...
(representing Scotland):
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
*
Commonwealth Trophy (representing Great Britain): 1983
Source:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connachan, Jane
Scottish female golfers
Ladies European Tour golfers
People educated at Preston Lodge High School
Sportspeople from Prestonpans
Golfers from East Lothian
1964 births
Living people
20th-century Scottish sportswomen