Rizzo was born in Hollywood, Florida. A collegiate All-American at the University of Miami, among her significant victories as an amateur were the Eastern Women's Amateur and Mexican Amateur in 1980, a year when she was also runner-up to Juli Inkster at the U.S. Women's Amateur. Golf Digest ranked her the No.1 female amateur in the U.S. Golf Magazine ranked her the No. 1 collegiate player for 1981. In 1982, Rizzo joined the LPGA Tour where she earned Rookie of the Year honors. She stopped playing the LPGA Tour in 1991 and accepted a one-year exemption to play the LPGA of Japan Tour. Rizzo won three tournaments in Japan in 1992, bringing her total victories there to nine. Rizzo was the head coach of the Barry University women's golf program from 2004 until 2010 when she became coach at the University of Miami.