Thompson still first lady of amateur golf

No female amateur in American golf history has achieved as much and been honored as often as Sewickley’s Carol Semple Thompson. So when former LPGA star Betsy King decided to host a clinic/dinner in the Pittsburgh area for her Golf Fore Africa project, it made perfect sense for her to ask Semple Thompson to help out.

Semple Thompson, an amateur throughout her career, has played in more USGA tournaments than anyone else. She’s tied for fifth on the all-time USGA wins list with seven. With 32 appearances in the U.S. Women’s Open, only one woman has played in it more often. She and the late Arnold Palmer are the only two golfers from western Pennsylvania in the World Golf Hall of Fame. She holds the record for most appearances (12) in the Curtis Cup, a biennial match pitting a team of U.S. women against a team from Great Britain/Ireland. She was the 2003 winner of the Bob Jones Award, golf’s highest honor.