1997 McDonald's LPGA Championship: Christa Johnson wins at DuPont Country Club
Christa Johnson won the 1997 McDonald's LPGA Championship at DuPont Country Club, Wilmington, Delaware, United States with 281 (−3), beating Leta Lindley in a playoff.
Updated October 23, 2026
Every year is on the KPMG Women's PGA Championship winners list.
- Dates
- May 15, 1997 to May 18, 1997
- Course
- DuPont Country Club, Wilmington, Delaware, United States
- Edition
- 43rd edition
- Counted as a major
- yes
- Format
- stroke play, 4 rounds
- Par
- 71 · 6,386 yards
- Cut
- 150
- Purse
- $1,200,000 · winner's share $180,000
- Champion
- Christa Johnson · age 39 · United States · born Arcata, California, United States
- Champion's title
- 1st title at this event · 1st major
- Winning score
- 68-73-69-71 = 281 (−3)
- Runner-up
- Leta Lindley (281)
- 54-hole leader
- Christa Johnson, Leta Lindley
- Playoff
- sudden death; 2 holes; beat Leta Lindley; 10 (2nd playoff hole; playoff began on the 18th)
- Caddie
- Rob Caliolo
Winner and runner-up
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christa Johnson | 68 | 73 | 69 | 71 | 281 | −3 |
| 2 | Leta Lindley | 281 |
What happened at the 1997 McDonald's LPGA Championship
On the first playoff hole (18) Johnson bunkered her approach and bogeyed, but Leta Lindley missed a four-foot par putt to win; on the 10th Johnson chipped to eight feet and made par as Lindley bogeyed from the dogwoods.
Annika Sorenstam missed a two-foot putt on the 72nd hole that would have put her in the playoff, finishing third alone.
How this was built
Every value is shown as recorded in GNN's KPMG Women's PGA Championship data. A value no source confirmed is left out; nothing is estimated. Where sources disagree, the organizer's own record is used.
Data: womens-golf-majors_dataset_2026-10-20.json (GNN's women's majors research set, "master" row for this year, research dated October 20, 2026).
Sources
- Wikipedia: 1997 LPGA Championship
- Wikipedia: Women's PGA Championship
- kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com: kpmg womens pga championship winners
- kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com: a look back at the history of the kpmg womens pga…
- Wikipedia: Christa Johnson
- vault.si.com: major league chris johnson left no doubt that shes a big…