ANA Inspiration Winners and History

ANA Inspiration Winners and History.

The ANA Inspiration is the latest incarnation of the “Dinah Shore,” a major on the LPGA Tour since 1983.

ANA is All Nippon Airways.

The 2020 ANA Inspiration will be played in September, rather than the usual April date due to the COVID pandemic.

The ANA Inspiration began as a 54 hole tournament in 1972, and was known as the Colgate Dinah Shore Tournament. It has always been held at the Old Course at Mission Hills Country Club. The inaugural event was won by Jane Blalock.

Nabisco became the sponsor in 1982. That year, the Dinah Shore was the first LPGA event to have all four rounds broadcast on national television (by ABC—always a friend to golf). The tournament was designed a “Major” by the LGPA the following year.

For those who are not old enough to remember, Dinah Shore was a singer, actress and pioneering television talk show host. Beginning her career in radio as a singer, she had her own program by 1943. During the Second World War, Shore was the first woman to visit troops at the front. After the war, she recorded more than 70 songs, including one called “Dinah”, which gave her the nickname (her real name was Frances Rose). She had her own television variety and talk show starting in 1951. In the late ‘60s and ‘70s, the show was called “Dinah!” and was enormously popular (my mother watched it religiously). She certainly was the pioneer who made Oprah! possible. Shore died in 1994.

For the LPGA, Shore was a tireless promoter—kind of the Bob Hope of women’s golf. Dinah Shore is the first—and only—honorary member of the LPGA Hall of Fame. She was awarded the Patty Berg Award for her contributions to women’s golf. It’s a shame that Dinah Shore’s name no longer is associated with the tournament she started.

Shore also left her mark in the traditional celebratory swim after the event. In 1991, she joined Amy Alcott for the dunk—the “swim at the Shore.” ANA Inspiration winners now make it an annual tradition.

The “Dinah Shore” was also for many years (and may still be) known as the “Lesbian Spring Break.  Read the full story at the link.

Over the years, the tournament has been sponsored by Colgate, Nabisco, Kraft, and now, ANA.

Years	Tournament name
1972–1980	Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle
1981	Colgate-Dinah Shore
1982	Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational
1983–1999	Nabisco Dinah Shore
2000–2001	Nabisco Championship
2002–2014	Kraft Nabisco Championship
2015–present	ANA Inspiration

The tournament has played at Mission Hills. It will play as a 6,569 yard par 72 for the tournament. The course was designed by Desmond Muirhead. The signature is the 531 yard par 5, with an island green sitting right in front of the clubhouse.

The list of ANA Inspiration Winners follows:

Year	Champion	Score	Total	To par	Margin
2019	Ko Jin-young	69-71-68-70	278	-10	3 Strokes
2018	Pernilla Lindberg	65-67-70-71	273	−15	Playoff
2017	Ryu So-yeon	68-69-69-68	274	−14	Playoff
2016	Lydia Ko	70-68-69-69	276	−12	1 stroke
2015	Brittany Lincicome (2)	72-68-70-69	279	−9	Playoff
2014	Lexi Thompson	73-64-69-68	274	−14	3 strokes
2013	Inbee Park	70-67-67-69	273	−15	4 strokes
2012	Sun-Young Yoo	69-69-72-69	279	−9	Playoff
2011	Stacy Lewis	66-69-71-69	275	−13	3 strokes
2010	Yani Tseng	69-71-67-68	275	−13	1 stroke
2009	Brittany Lincicome	66-74-70-69	279	−9	1 stroke
2008	Lorena Ochoa	68-71-71-67	277	−11	5 strokes
2007	Morgan Pressel	74-72-70-69	285	−3	1 stroke
2006	Karrie Webb (2)	70-68-76-65	279	−9	Playoff
2005	Annika Sörenstam (3)	70-69-66-68	273	−15	8 strokes
2004	Grace Park	72-69-67-69	277	−11	1 stroke
2003	Patricia Meunier-Lebouc	70-68-70-73	281	−7	1 stroke
2002	Annika Sörenstam (2)	70-71-71-68	280	−8	1 stroke
2001	Annika Sörenstam	72-70-70-69	281	−7	3 strokes
2000	Karrie Webb	67-70-67-70	274	−14	10 strokes
1999	Dottie Pepper (2)	70-66-67-66	269	−19	6 strokes
1998	Pat Hurst	68-72-70-71	281	−7	1 stroke
1997	Betsy King (3)	71-67-67-71	276	−12	2 strokes
1996	Patty Sheehan	71-72-67-71	281	−7	1 stroke
1995	Nanci Bowen	69-75-71-70	285	−3	1 stroke
1994	Donna Andrews	70-69-67-70	276	−12	2 strokes
1993	Helen Alfredsson	69-71-72-72	284	−4	2 strokes
1992	Dottie Mochrie	69-71-70-69	279	−9	Playoff
1991	Amy Alcott (3)	67-70-68-68	273	−15	8 strokes
1990	Betsy King (2)	69-70-69-75	283	−5	2 strokes
1989	Juli Inkster (2)	66-69-73-71	279	−9	5 strokes
1988	Amy Alcott (2)	71-66-66-71	274	−14	2 strokes
1987	Betsy King	68-75-72-68	283	−5	Playoff
1986	Pat Bradley	68-72-69-71	280	−8	2 strokes
1985	Alice Miller	70-68-70-67	275	−13	3 strokes
1984	Juli Inkster	70-73-69-68	280	−8	Playoff
1983	Amy Alcott	70-70-70-72	282	−6	2 strokes

ANA Inspiration Winners Prior To Major Status

Year	Champion	Score	Total	To par	Margin
1982	Sally Little	76-67-71-64	278	−10	3 strokes
1981	Nancy Lopez	71-73-69-64	277	−11	2 strokes
1980	Donna Caponi	71-67-66-71	275	−13	2 strokes
1979	Sandra Post (2)	68-70-68-70	276	−12	1 stroke
1978	Sandra Post	65-75-72-72	283	−5	Playoff
1977	Kathy Whitworth	76-70-72-71	289	1	1 stroke
1976	Judy Rankin	74-72-71-68	285	−3	3 strokes
1975	Sandra Palmer	70-70-70-73	283	−5	1 stroke
1974	Jo Ann Prentice	71-71-74-73	289	1	Playoff
1973	Mickey Wright	71-74-71-68	284	−4	2 strokes
1972	Jane Blalock	71-70-72	213	−3	3 strokes