Jenny Lee Smith

Who is Jenny Lee Smith?

Jennifer Constance "Jenny" Lee Smith is an English golfer, known for winning the inaugural Women's British Open in 1976 and later winning the Order of Merit on the Women's Professional Golf Association tour in 1981 and 1982.

Lee-Smith was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne and started playing golf at a relatively young age. After some success in regional tournaments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, she began to play in international tournaments. She was a member of the Great Britain Curtis Cup team in both 1974 and 1976, represented England in the 1975 European Team Championships, and played for Great Britain & Ireland in the 1976 Espirito Santo Trophy.

In 1976, while still an amateur, Lee-Smith won the inaugural Ladies' British Open. There were only a handful of professional women golfers in the United Kingdom at the time, and the field was mostly made up of amateurs. At the end of the year, she was voted Daks Woman Golfer of the Year along with Tegwen Perkins.

Lee-Smith turned professional in 1977, and qualified for the LPGA Tour that year. The Women's Professional Golf Association was formed in 1978, and Lee-Smith joined the tour for its first year in 1979.