World Golf Hall of Fame member Jan Stephenson has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, her Crossroads Foundation announced.
Stephenson, 71, will begin a treatment of chemotherapy and radiation in the next two weeks.
"It means so much to me for all my friends and family to lend so much support," Stephenson said in a statement. "I have had some negative challenges in my career and managed to survive. This is just another tough hole that is 'uphill and against the wind.' See you on my next downhill and downwind hole!"
Known for her sex appeal as well as her golf, Stephenson recorded 16 victories on the LPGA Tour -- including three majors. The Australian won the 1981 Peter Jackson Classic (Canadian Women's Open), the 1982 LPGA Championship and the 1983 U.S. Women's Open.
Stephenson received the Order of Australia Medal in 2018 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
"It's impossible to overstate what Jan has meant to golf in not only Australia, but around the world, with all the effort she has put into developing young golfers through her charitable foundations," said Michael Vandiver, executive vice president of the Crossroads Foundation.
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