Alice Ritzman

{{short description|American professional golfer (born 1952)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Alice Ritzman | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|3|1}} | birth_place = Kalispell, Montana, U.S. | death_date =  | death_place = | height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}} | weight = | nationality = {{USA}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = Eastern Montana College | status = Professional | yearpro =  | tour =  | extour = LPGA Tour (1978–1998) Legends Tour | prowins =  | otherwins =  | majorwins =  | nabisco = T9: 1983 | lpga = 2nd: 1994 | wusopen = T15: 1987, 1991 | dumaurier = T11: 1986 | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 =  | year1 =  | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Alice Ritzman''' (born March 1, 1952) is an American professional golfer. She played on the LPGA Tour from 1978 to 1998.

==Early life and amateur career== Ritzman was born in Kalispell, Montana, on March 1, 1952.<ref name=ritzman2>{{cite book |last=Alliss |first=Peter |title=The Who's Who of Golf |year=1983 |publisher=Prentice Hall |location=Saddle River, New Jersey |isbn=978-0-13-958489-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofgolf00alli/page/153 153] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofgolf00alli/page/153 }}</ref> Ritzman was coached by Harvey Penick in Austin, Texas, where he worked as the golf coach at the University of Texas. Penick wrote a book on golf<ref>Harvey Penick with Bud Shrake (1997). "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book"</ref> in which he refers to Ritzman as "little Alice Ritzman".

According to the LPGA, "Ritzman dominated amateur golf in her home state of Montana before joining the Tour."<ref name="ritzman" /> She won the Montana Junior Championship three times. She also won the Montana State Women's Amateur Championship in 1972 and 1973.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.msgagolf.org/champions/ |title=Champions – Women's State Amateur Champions |publisher=Montana State Golf Association |access-date=October 11, 2018}}</ref> In 1973, she graduated from Eastern Montana College in Billings, Montana. She earned a degree in physical education.<ref name="ritzman">{{cite web |url=http://www.lpga.com/content/oldplayerbios/RitzmanAliceFinal.pdf |title=Alice Ritzman |publisher=LPGA |accessdate=August 4, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629110214/http://www.lpga.com/content/oldplayerbios/RitzmanAliceFinal.pdf |archivedate=June 29, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Professional career == In 1979, during her first full year on tour, Ritzman established an LPGA all-time record, which still stands, by carding three eagles in one round at the 1979 Colgate European Open. Overall, her best results were three playoff losses she suffered: to Kathy Whitworth at the 1981 Coca-Cola Classic, to Hollis Stacy at the 1981 West Virginia Bank Classic, and to Betsy King at the 1986 Rail Charity Classic. In 1986, she also posted her career-low round of 64 at the Rochester International.

Ritzman crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings in 1992. When she retired in 1998, she had the highest ranking on the career money list (43) as a non-winner with $1,490,016.<ref name="ritzman" /> She became a golf commentator for ESPN. She stills plays golf on the Legends Tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelegendstour.com/ |title=Home |website=thelegendstour.com}}</ref>

Ritzman subsequently worked as a realtor.<ref name="ritzman2" /> She teaches golf to the boys and girls at Flathead High School. Ritzman is also a member of the Board of Trustees of School District 5 of the Kalispell Public Schools.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/brd/mtgmins/08_09/090430_min.htm |access-date=June 26, 2009 |df=mdy-all |title=Archived copy |archive-date=September 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929203508/http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/brd/mtgmins/08_09/090430_min.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> She has a tournament named after her at Buffalo Hill Golf Club:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.golfbuffalohill.com/events/ |title=Buffalo Hill Golf Club – Events |access-date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012014532/https://www.golfbuffalohill.com/events/ |archive-date=October 12, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Alice Ritzman Golf Tournament.

== Awards and honors == In 1991, she was inducted in the Montana State Women's Golf Association's Hall of Fame.

==Playoff record== '''LPGA Tour playoff record (0–3)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result |-style="background:#F5DEB3;" |1 |1981 |Coca-Cola Classic |{{flagicon|USA}} Kathy Whitworth |Lost to birdie on second extra hole |-style="background:#F5DEB3;" |2 |1981 |West Virginia Bank Classic |{{flagicon|USA}} Susie McAllister {{flagicon|USA}} Kathy Postlewait {{flagicon|AUS}} Penny Pulz {{flagicon|USA}} Hollis Stacy |Stacy won with birdie on first extra hole |-style="background:#F5DEB3;" |3 |1986 |Rail Charity Classic |{{flagicon|USA}} Cathy Gerring {{flagicon|USA}} Betsy King |King won with birdie on second extra hole |}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == *{{official website|http://www.aliceritzman.com/index.php}}  *{{Legends Tour player|old_id=28}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritzman, Alice}} Category:American female golfers Category:LPGA Tour golfers Category:Golfers from Montana Category:Sportspeople from Kalispell, Montana Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American women Category:20th-century American sportswomen