In honor of 2027 Arnold Palmer Cup coming to Cherry Hills, we note all the World Golf Hall of Famers who have won significant tournaments in Colorado — and it’s A LOT
By Gary Baines – 3/16/2026
With the 2027 Arnold Palmer Cup coming to Cherry Hills Country Club — where Palmer famously claimed his only U.S. Open title — the news brought to mind how many of the greatest golfers in history (both men and women) have won prominent tournaments in Colorado.
Spoiler alert: It’s A LOT.
And, in the case of quite a few of them, they own more than one such title in the Centennial State. In addition, a significant portion of those accomplishments by golf’s biggest names has come in USGA championships.
For instance, specifically in Colorado, Jack Nicklaus won his first and last USGA titles; Phil Mickelson won his only one; Palmer (as noted) claimed his only U.S. Open; and Annika Sorenstam won her first one.
But the success golf’s most prominent players have enjoyed in the Centennial State certainly isn’t limited to USGA events.
Among those who have captured significant titles in Colorado are some of the very best golfers of all-time. Think Nicklaus, Sorenstam, Palmer, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Kathy Whitworth, Babe Zaharias and Mickelson.
And beyond them, the overall number of World Golf Hall of Famers who have won in the state is astonishing.
Arnold Palmer’s stirring victory at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills is one of the top sports moments in Colorado history.
The list of significant victories for those Hall of Famers in Colorado spans well over a century, from Chick Evans in the 1912 Western Amateur at Denver Country Club to Padraig Harrington in the 2025 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
In honor of Palmer — the “King” who passed away a decade ago — and one of the tournaments named for him coming to Colorado next year, below is a list of World Golf Hall of Famers who have won big-time golf competitions in Colorado.
One note about this group: Fifteen of them have claimed at least two significant golf titles in the Centennial State. Among the most prolific Colorado winners out of that bunch are Zaharias, Mickelson, Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Judy Bell and JoAnne Carner. Of course, Zaharias, Irwin and Bell were Colorado residents during at least parts of their careers.
Annika Sorenstam won the first of her 72 LPGA Tour titles at the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor. (Photo: USGA)
WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAMERS WHO HAVE WON SIGNIFICANT TOURNAMENTS IN COLORADO
Chick Evans — Won 1912 Western Amateur at Denver CC. (Note: Though he also won a U.S. Open and two U.S. Amateurs, Evans is perhaps most famous for founding the wildly successful Evans Scholarship for caddies.).
Lawson Little — Won 1932 Broadmoor Invitation, an elite-level amateur championship, and the 1933 CGA Match Play.
Ralph Guldahl — Won 1938 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills CC, successfully defending his title.
Babe Zaharias — Won 1945, 1946 and 1948 Broadmoor Ladies Invitation and the 1946 Women’s Trans Miss at Denver CC, both elite-level amateur events. She also won the 1950 Western Open — an LPGA major at the time — at Cherry Hills CC.
Ben Hogan made the 1948 Denver Open title at Wellshire his sixth straight victory on the PGA Tour.
Ben Hogan — Won 1948 Denver Open at Wellshire GC, marking his sixth straight victory on the PGA Tour — though he famously missed the trophy ceremony as he’d left the site earlier, thinking he had no chance at the title.
Betsy Rawls — Won 1950 Broadmoor Ladies Invitation, an elite-level amateur championship.
Marilynn Smith — Won 1955 LPGA Mile High Open at Lakewood CC.
Marlene Hagge — Won 1956 LPGA Denver Open at Lakewood CC.
Jack Nicklaus — Won 1959 U.S. Amateur at East Course at The Broadmoor and 1993 U.S. Senior Open at Cherry Hills CC. Also won 1977 Jerry Ford Invitational in Vail.
Arnold Palmer — Won 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills CC and 1982 Denver Post Champions of Golf at Pinehurst CC.
JoAnne Carner — Won 1962 Curtis Cup team event at The Broadmoor, and the 1977 (LPGA) National Jewish Hospital Open and 1981 Columbia Savings LPGA Classic at Columbine CC.
Judy Bell — Won 1957, 1958 and 1960 Broadmoor Ladies Invitation, and the 1963 Women’s Trans National at Pinehurst CC, both elite-level amateur events. Also won the 1962 Curtis Cup team event at The Broadmoor. (Note: Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame primarily due to accomplishments in golf administration, including being the first female president of the USGA.).
Chi Chi Rodriguez — Won 1963 Denver Open Invitational at Denver CC.
Hale Irwin — Won 1967 Broadmoor Invitation, an elite-level amateur championship, along with three CGA Amateurs, one CGA Match Play and a state high school individual title.
Sandra Haynie — Won 1972 and 1974 (LPGA) National Jewish Hospital Open at Green Gables CC.
Sandra Palmer — Won 1973 and 1976 (LPGA) National Jewish Hospital Open at Green Gables CC.
Judy Rankin — Won 1975 (LPGA) National Jewish Hospital Open at Pinehurst CC.
Kathy Whitworth — Won 1978 (LPGA) National Jewish Hospital Open at Green Gables CC.
Beth Daniel — Won 1980 and 1982 Columbia Savings LPGA Classic at Columbine CC.
Hubert Green — Won 1980 Jerry Ford Invitational in Vail and 1985 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills CC.
Carol Semple Thompson — Won 1982 Curtis Cup team event at Denver CC.
Juli Inkster won three straight U.S. Women’s Amateur titles, the last of which came at The Broadmoor. (Photo: USGA)
Juli Inkster — Won 1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur (her third in a row) at The Broadmoor’s South Course and 1982 Curtis Cup team event at Denver CC.
Tom Weiskopf — Won 1982 Jerry Ford Invitational in Vail.
Pat Bradley — Won 1983 (LPGA) Columbia Savings Classic at Columbine CC and 1985 LPGA National Pro-Am at Lone Tree GC and Meridian GC.
Betsy King — Won 1984 (LPGA) Columbia Savings Classic at Green Gables CC.
Gary Player — Won 1986 Denver Post Champions of Golf at TPC Plum Creek.
Amy Alcott — Won 1986 LPGA National Pro-Am at Lone Tree GC and Glenmoor CC.
Greg Norman — Won 1989 International at Castle Pines GC.
Phil Mickelson’s 1990 U.S. Amateur victory at Cherry Hills marked the beginning of a decade of success in Colorado, (Photo: USGA)
Phil Mickelson — Won 1990 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills CC, 1990 CU Fox Acres Invitational at Fox Acres CC; and the 1993 and 1997 International at Castle Pines GC.
Davis Love III — Won 1990 and 2003 International at Castle Pines GC.
Jose Maria Olazabal — Won 1991 International at Castle Pines GC.
Annika Sorenstam — Won 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at the East Course at The Broadmoor.
Vijay Singh — Won 1998 Sprint International at Castle Pines GC.
Ernie Els — Won 2000 International at Castle Pines GC.
Retief Goosen — Won 2005 International at Castle Pines GC.
Padraig Harrington — Won 2025 U.S. Senior Open at East Course at The Broadmoor
If you’re keeping track, that’s 36 different World Golf Hall of Famers who have tasted significant tournament success in Colorado.
That’s what you might call a Rocky Mountain High.
The first of Nicklaus’ eight USGA titles came at the 1959 U.S. Amateur at The Broadmoor. (Photo: USGA)
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com