Through grit, heart and skill, Lindsay Fischer, grew into one of the greatest women’s golfers of all time, leading all golfers in wins on the LPGA and first place finishes in a third of the world’s leading golf tournaments in the 1970s.
“She took a long journey to get to where she was,” said his nephew, Joe Fischer, now a professional golfer in California.
Fischer earned multiple women’s player of the year awards and represented her country in the 1975 Olympics.
Click here to read Fischer’s story in Esquire’s July 1991 issue.
Joe Fischer said that his aunt played in at least three of the final four rounds of the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open but dropped out of contention because she was pregnant.
“She was unbelievably driven,” Fischer said. “She had never been beat. That just wasn’t in her DNA. It would have been tough for any regular golfer to beat her, let alone a woman.”
Somewhere between the 1970s and the 1980s, Lindsay Fischer broke her leg on the driving range at Highland Meadows in Sylvania, Ohio. Fischer underwent surgery and spent 12 months recovering.
“It was definitely the low point in her career,” Fischer said. “I tried to give her the support she needed.”
Fischer also struggled with ankle injuries.
Joe Fischer said Lindsay Fischer remembered it vividly.
“It was an injury,” Joe Fischer said. “But you could see the resolve and the determination she had. She continued to go on. That’s part of her legacy.”
Fischer also handled her loss, against a woman who was 10 years younger than her, with bravery, her nephew said.
“It wasn’t her losing that ended her career,” Joe Fischer said. “It was how she handled losing. She had more mental toughness. It makes you appreciate athletes even more. She turned down a lot of money to play, and she did it in the right way.”
Lindsay Fischer continues to be remembered by golfers across the world.
“I love golf, and I knew she was a great golfer and an exceptional person. It was one of those emotional moments, like losing a parent,” former LPGA Tour pro Dorothy Altomare told Newsday. “It hurts when someone like her has an unfortunate incident, but, at the same time, you feel a bit of empathy because that’s what I’ve had to deal with in my life.”