She made her debut on the Ladies Professional Golf Association ( LPGA ) Tour in 1982 and, five years later, grabbed her first victory at the Rail Charity Golf Classic.
Rosie Jones' pro career spanned 24 years, with 13 LPGA victories and four second-place finishes in prestigious major championships, such as the Kraft Nabisco ( in 2005 ) , the LPGA Championship ( 1990 ) and the U.S. Women's Open ( 1984 ) .
Jones spent the vast majority of her career as a popular player hidden in the closet, afraid of the backlash coming out as a lesbian would have on the LPGA and her oh-so-important sponsorship deals.
In 2004 she came out … and nothing negative happened.
In fact, she added two new sponsors after coming out: Ecco shoes and Yes putters.
'Coming out was a very hard decision because I'm a very public person and I was still playing. But I thought it was important for people to know that the same person who they had been cheering for was, in fact, gay and I wasn't afraid to say so,' Jones said. 'After coming out, I had a lot of people come up to me and say, 'You are very brave and, by coming out, it will give other people confidence if they want to come out.'
'I don't think there was another way for me to have come out. I did it on my terms, on my time, when it was right, timing-wise, for me.'
It was, she said, an offensive move, 'and I think that makes it better because you're doing it in a more positive manner. I'm proud of the way I came out.'
Jones, 47, is now retired from full-time play, though she still competes on the Legends Tour. Plus, she is a commentator for The Golf Channel.
'I had a very loyal fan base with a strong history in my sport,' she said. 'I think people admired me for my golf and my accomplishments more than for my ability to come out.
'When I ultimately came out, there was no negative response at all, from anyone—media, fans, anyone. And, yeah, that surprised me. I was kind of expecting, uh, a little more hoopla in a negative sense, yet I was pleasantly surprised that people didn't make a big deal out of it.
'It seems as though America has come around. I think some of the gay shows, such as Will & Grace, and [ gay-themed ] movies, have contributed to America's view of what gay and lesbian is. That's helped. It was a lot easier for me to come out than it was for Martina [ Navritalova ] . And hopefully by me coming out, I made it easier for others.'
Jones said she does not know how many lesbians are now competing on the LPGA Tour, though she speculated it's about 25 percent.
'I think [ being gay or lesbian ] is less of a topic these days. And it shouldn't be [ an issue ] . It really doesn't make that much of a difference,' she said.
Jones is one of the main spokeswomen for Olivia, the California-based travel company that caters to the lesbian community. She and her partner in life and business, Carrie Sexton, have been together for three years and live in Atlanta.
'I'm sure I'm a role model to some, and I take that [ title ] seriously,' Jones said.
Jones appeared in Chicago last July for a Gay Games kick-off party. And though she likely would not compete in a future Games in golf, she hasn't ruled out playing softball or basketball.
'We didn't get to enjoy any of the [ Chicago ] Games,' Jones said. 'Ya know, I would think about [ playing at the next Games in 2010 in Cologne, Germany ] ; I definitely would.'
Getting To Know … Rosie Jones
Age: 47
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
College: Ohio State University
Hobbies: Fishing and woodworking. 'You know, regular lesbian stuff. I have the Home Depot credit card,' she said, laughing.
It's a fact: The Rosie Jones Golf Getaway, presented by Olivia, makes its debut in 2007, where 16 women get to play golf with and against Jones and also receive golf tips from her. The October Getaway in Hilton Head, S.C., is already sold out. Jones is planning four such getaways in 2008, including one in the United Kingdom. See www.rosiejones.com .
