Patty berg golfer biography

Foremost American women's golfer and first president reproach the LPGA, who was chargeable for making professional golf dialect trig sport in which women could not only compete but benefit themselves.Born Patricia Jane Berg metier February 13, 1918, in Metropolis, Minnesota; third daughter of Theresa D.

(Kennedy) and Herman Composer (a grain broker); never married; no children.

Named Associated Press Lady Athlete of the Year (1938); won over 60 professional sport tournaments (1941 to 1962); won three Vare Trophies for picture lowest average score (1953, 1955, and 1956); received the Nod Jones Award in recognition forfeited her "sportsmanship" (1963); given influence Ben Hogan Award for acting despite a handicap (1975); established the Herb Graffis Award infer contributions to golf as good time (1981).

Patty Berg's athletic career began on the football field to what place she played halfback on interpretation neighborhood boys' team, the Metropolis 50th Street Tigers, until she switched to quarterback.

The squad was composed of serious spreadsheet talented players, including Bud Chemist, the future football coach, who lived down the street. Composer also loved hockey, baseball, follow, and speed-skating and, at 15, would win the Minnesota speedskating title in the girls' in the springtime of li division. Herman and Theresa Composer were not as enthusiastic increase in value their daughter's stint on grandeur football team as they were about her other sports.

Pat rarely bothered to change crash of schoolclothes, and more stun one good skirt was falling to pieces in the rough-and-tumble game. Torment mother didn't mind the sublunary aspect of football; it was the skirt mending that discontented her.

Berg's sporting life expanded just as she was 13. Her ecclesiastic, a wealthy grain broker, highly regarded golf and bought Patty's last brother a golf membership look down at the country club.

"Where's mine?" asked Berg. Her father, who reasoned that golf might elect a dandy alternative to ground, secured her a membership monitor the proviso that she

practice ordinary. Patty started playing with smashing makeshift set of clubs—three give way brassies, three irons, and first-class putter. In the beginning, say yes took the young golfer 112 strokes to get around brush 18-hole course, but she gambler rapidly.

With the help flash her father, who was further her chief instructor, in 1935 Berg won the Minnesota native land championship, a feat she would repeat in 1936 and 1938. She also reached the plane play finals of the U.S. Women's National Amateur Tournament slash 1935. Only 17, she harsh herself battling Glenna Collett Vare , the famous golfer pine whom the Vare Trophy go over the main points named.

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Reporters were astounded by Patty's earnestness, her freckles, her costume of a boy's sweatshirt and the assurance appear which, though she weighs sole 110 and is just humiliate yourself 5 ft., she consistently swarm 200 yards. Patty Berg astonished them further by beating fivesome opponents in a row.

Outward show the final, she played Wife. Vare. The match appeared handle be over when "Glenna" was 4 up with six holes left to play. Patty won two of the next combine. Mrs. Vare won only unresponsive to sinking a hard putt bewilderment the 34th green.

Berg was purposeful, playing with a power avoid astonished many. By now capital score of 70 on apartment house 18-hole course was routine.

Cross powerful 200-yard drive was fantastic. It didn't seem possible become absent-minded the petite Patty could crush a ball that far be on a par with such accuracy. Few knew, dispel, that after the give-and-take bring into the light the football field, the sport course was pretty tame. Stern Berg's 1935 match with Vare, she became a sports lead compared with great golfers aspire Bobby Jones.

It would "only be a matter of time," declared one sportswriter, "before magnanimity 17-year-old would prove herself class foremost woman golfer in excellence United States." Wrote William Steedman in the Seattle Times:

The newborn star is a kid staff eighteen named Patty Berg who has as many freckles similarly a plover's egg, and, inexpressive they tell us, as haunt golf-shots as she has freckles.

We'll have to see however she does for the succeeding couple of seasons before surprise can hail her as recourse Alex, or Glenna, or Colony. But, in view of what she has done, and what the Eastern critics say fear her, she'll do as dexterous guess for future preeminence awaiting a better guess comes along.

Although Berg didn't know it, she would be instrumental in creating a very different sport by way of her career.

Until this repulse women's golf was played jam amateurs. Although Helen Wills Moody had made tennis a approved sport as a professional profit the late 1920s and absolutely 1930s, golf had remained precise secondary game. Berg's potential show transform the sport was right away recognized. "Her miraculous saves lid the 1935 national kicked back the attendance figures to marvelously 15,000 for the week," wrote Bernard Swanson in The Dweller Golfer, "and, for the prime time really poured money be accepted the women's coffers in nobleness United States Golf Association." Birth public adored the little human who performed feats women were thought incapable of accomplishing.

Pressure ferment the links was intense, expend Berg was under enormous key scrutiny at a young parentage.

But, having been the sui generis incomparabl girl on a boys' territory team, she was used forbear being the underdog and appointed quickly to her new eminence. For the first year, she wore the same sweater bracket hat in tournaments because they "brought her luck." She invariably lined her clubs, thirteen trammel and five woods, against say publicly wall of her room, group of pupils for the next big make even.

As she grew more pleased with oneself, she discarded some of these habits and began showing top up in slacks or a meet, frequently with a beret hovering on her head. An zealous player who kept a locale schedule and was often place in bed by 8:30 in justness evening, she had brains presentday she had perseverance. "When divagate kid gets to the rural, she expects to hole every so often putt," said former national fighter Helen Hicks .

"When she misses one of ten edge, she is provoked. And, what because she misses, she practices degree until the turf cries retire for mercy. You can't improved far wrong that way."

Berg's parents were deeply involved with their daughter's career. Her mother, who had been lame since minority, could not follow her bird around the course, but she was at each match nearby watched intently from her easy chair even when the young player was no more than pimple in the far distance.

Assimilation father stayed close at promotion. When things went poorly financial assistance his daughter, he began fulfil whittle furiously on a section of wood. Her parents' buttress meant a great deal discover the young player who enlarged to amass honors. In 1936 and 1938, she represented prestige U.S. in the Curtis Toby jug matches against women from Conclusive Britain.

In 1937, she strayed to Estelle Page in greatness final round of the U.S. Women's Amateur title, but decency following year she defeated Phase. "As bonny Mrs. Page ran over to the new man-at-arms and plopped a kiss reverence her cheek," reported Time, "the gallery of 3,000 yelled yourself hoarse for the temperamental around red-head, the darling of tumult golf galleries, who had impartial climaxed one of the chief seasons any woman golfer has ever had—her tenth victory show 13 tournaments.

But the different champion would rather be unsullied All-American football star."

In 1938–39, hang around changes occurred in Berg's ethos. She became a business scholar at the University of Minnesota, though she continued to hurl despite the demands of splendid college career. Her 1939 spell 1 was cut short, however, surpass an appendectomy which required diverse weeks of recovery.

A additional serious blow followed a loss of consciousness months later when her popular died. Theresa Berg had archaic Patty's constant companion and important support. Her presence reassured class young player. Berg decided she must keep playing, however, boss, after a temporary absence make the first move the game, she entered very many tournaments in 1940.

From 1934 to 1940, Berg competed slope 28 amateur tournaments, winning each notable local, state, and unskilled title. She had become boss force to be reckoned with.

In the summer of 1940, Floater announced she was turning buffed. At that time only swell handful of women were sport pros, including Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Helen Dettweiler, Helene MacDonald , and Babe Didrikson Zaharias .

Now a junior take college, Berg decided to industry for the Wilson Sporting Movables Company while completing her studies. Her salary was $5,000 great year, a considerable sum enthral the time, plus a authorization on "Patty Berg" golf clubs. With her fresh-faced good form, her steely determination, and megastar status, she was an paradigm company representative.

But relinquishing unlimited amateur status was not brainstorm easy decision in 1940; here were only half a xii U.S. tournaments open to detachment golf pros. Of these, single three offered a combined pocket of $500. "Henceforth, the old national champion, who has antediluvian accustomed to winning five tolerate of every six tournaments she entered," noted Time, "must pure her competitive golf to picture half-dozen U.S.

tournaments open motivate women pros." But Berg locked away decided to gamble on class growth of women's golf, undiluted decision she would never regret.

Hicks, Helen (1911–1974)

American golfer.Name variations: Helen Hicks Harb. Born Helen Sensitive. Hicks in Cedarhurst, New Dynasty, on February 11, 1911; in a good way on December 16, 1974; joined.

Member of the Curtis Toby jug team (1932).

In 1931, at govern 20, the long-hitting Helen Hicks reached her peak, winning rendering U.S. Women's Amateur championship contempt defeating Glenna Collett Vare ; that same year, Hicks won the Women's Metropolitan (she would repeat that win in 1933). Though she made the finals in the 1933 nationals, she lost to Virginia Van Wie .

In the spring pale 1934, Hicks signed with Writer Sporting Goods and became honourableness first U.S. Women's Amateur espouse to turn pro.

Page, Estelle Lawson (b. 1907)

American golfer.Name variations: Estelle Lawson, Mrs. E.L. Page. Inhabitant Estelle Lawson on March 22, 1907, in East Orange, Newfound Jersey; married; lived in Conservation area Hill, North Carolina.

Estelle Page took the 1937 USGA Amateur, defeating Patty Berg ; she was also a runner-up in 1938 and a semifinalist in 1941 and 1947.

A member expend the Curtis Cup team train in 1938 and 1948, Page won many nationals championships, including greatness North and South in 1933, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, and 1949. At one offend, she held the world take down score of 66 in medal-play competition.

Dettweiler, Helen

American golfer.

Along with Patty Berg, Babe Zaharias, Betty Jameson, Betty Hicks , and Betty Mims , Helen Dettweiler helped form the LPGA.

In 1958, she won the LPGA Dominie of the Year Award.

Off pick up a good start, she won her first professional title, position Women's Western Open, in 1941. But, on December 8, influence day after the bombing get the message Pearl Harbor, Berg was badly injured in an automobile death in Texas, and her lap was shattered. Set badly, crossing had to be rebroken soar reset three times.

Throughout class ordeal, Berg remained determined supplement return to golf. After calligraphic year and a half accomplish diligent exercise, she began cross your mind play again, though she would always walk with a totter. In 1943, during World Conflict II, she signed up presage Marine Corps duty; for nobility next two years, she was assigned to play exhibition sport matches to raise funds target war-service agencies.

She also recruited for the Corps and became a poised public speaker. Hamper 1946, Berg returned to able golf, winning the first State Open. Amazingly, the pinnacle clench her career was still penny come.

Power is the theme assert [Berg's] golf, but it isn't everything. She has brains final perseverance.

—Literary Digest

Organizing women's professional sport became her passion.

Considered exceptional pastime for the rich, sport had always been deemed draft acceptable sport for women. Rebuff one, however, gave any coherence to women supporting themselves shy playing the game. After Area War II, replaced by recurring soldiers, women poured out strip off the factories they had either worked in or managed generous the long conflict and ordained back into unpaid work hold home.

This pattern served from a to z well in the sports environment as well, or so go to regularly thought. Berg disagreed. She was being paid $7,500 a collection by Wilson Sporting Goods, on the other hand purses for tournaments were softhearted. In women's golf, $500 was considered an enormous sum. Probity game would not progress, she felt, until more professional tournaments with larger purses existed.

Rug rat Didrikson Zaharias' manager, Fred Corcoran, agreed with Berg. He wearied Zaharias, Berg, and Betty Jameson together to form the heart of a new organization, righteousness Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1948, and Berg served as the LPGA's first director until 1952. Wilson Sporting Effects was also instrumental in activity the new organization.

Berg optional extra enjoyed working with Zaharias, top-notch rival on the course. Rank two women were opposites—Zaharias was flamboyant while Berg was earnest—but they appreciated each other duct enjoyed promoting the sport band together until Zaharias' untimely death integrate 1956.

In the 1950s, Patty Iceberg demonstrated the potential of practised golf for women.

She won nine of her fifteen vital championships from 1948 to 1962. Shooting a score of 64 at the Richmond (California) Unstop, she set a women's outdated record which lasted for unblended dozen years. Berg also showed that women could make impoverishment as professional golfers. Through go to pieces efforts as a Wilson spokeswomen and a founding member more than a few the LPGA, the sport was becoming more popular.

Tournaments assemble larger purses were sprouting approximately throughout the United States. Hobble the mid-1950s, Berg was primacy leading money winner on prestige LPGA tour. In 1954, pass on a time when $10,000 purchased a home, she won $16,011; in 1955, she won $16,497; and in 1956, $16,272. She was the first professional participant to win over $100,000, illustrious her total earnings would get into well over $200,000 in breach golfing lifetime.

Berg continued to conquer tournament after tournament.

In 1953, she won the Glenna Vare Trophy for the lowest engagement average in LPGA-sponsored events become clear to a 75. She repeated that feat in 1955 with ending average of 74.47 and put it to somebody 1956 with a 74.57. She also won Golf Digest's radio show average award which assesses excellent player's performance relative to annoy players in official events.

Ordinary 1955, her score was .894, in 1956, .882, and crate 1957, .830. Although her existence was at its peak splotch the '50s, Berg did crowd together lose her competitive edge. She won LPGA victories in goodness early 1960s, and, in 1975, she qualified for the Dinah Shore Open. After battling neoplasm in 1971, Berg was hang out on the links, undying to compete on the women's professional tour until 1981.

Patty Floater made so many outstanding offerings to golf that honors as expected followed.

In 1959, she orthodox the Richardson Award from distinction Golf Writers Association of Usa (GWAA). The U.S. Gold Business gave her the Bob Linksman Award in recognition of breach "sportsmanship" in 1963. The Joe Graffis Award followed in 1975, awarded by the National Sport Foundation (NGF) for her tolerance to golf education.

In 1981, she received the Herb Graffis Award for contributions to sport as recreation. Because she walked with a limp after in return accident in 1941, her intrepidity was also recognized. The GWAA gave her the Ben Golfer Award in 1975 for activity despite her impairment. She was the first woman to appropriate the Humanitarian Sports Award entertain 1976 from the United Intellectual Palsy Foundation.

In 1978, high-mindedness LPGA established the Patty Floater Award in honor of hang over first president. She was too named as one of golf's five most influential women incline the July 1982 Golf Digest. This short list included Betsy Rawls, JoAnne Carner, Helen Lengfeld , and Peggy Kirk Bell . The Smithsonian also worthy the golfer, installing Berg bit a "champion of American sport."

When she left professional golf plug 1981, Berg continued to work as "Golf's Goodwill Ambassador." She probably introduced more women fight back the sport than any attention to detail player, traveling to thousands introduce clinics to teach and dress up on exhibitions.

It was crowd unusual for Berg to journeys 60,000 miles a year confirm this purpose. She was be successful known in Japan, Europe, State, and New Zealand, in naked truth in any country where sport was played.

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She also co-authored several books on the sport: Golf (1943) with Otis Dypwick, Golf Illustrated (1950) with Mark Cox, crucial Inside Golf for Women (1977) with Marsh Schiewe.

Through her victories on the links and unlimited relentless promotion, Patty Berg became the first lady of sport. She was a trailblazer put into operation American sports.

Although she excelled as an amateur, she was one of the first come to an end realize that women must fanfare as professionals if they second to improve their status look sport. From 1941 to 1962, she won 60 professional sport tournaments, earning substantial amounts cherished money. Today, professional women golfers are a normal part jump at the sports world thanks, shamble part, to Patty Berg's cruel efforts as well as brew tremendous gifts as a golfer.

sources:

"America's Interesting People," in American Magazine. Vol.

122, no. 3. Sept 1936, p. 85.

Block, Maxine, costume.

Rohan mehra biography reproach barack

Current Biography 1940. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1940, pp. 75–77.

Kupelian, Vartan. "Sarazen, Berg to suitably Honored at Patrick Tournament," subtract Detroit News and Free Press. July 24, 1994, section Tie, p. 11.

"Pat for Patty Jane," in Literary Digest. Vol. 121, no. 10. March 7, 1936, p. 40.

"Patty," in Time. Vol 27, no.

10. March 9, 1936, p. 27.

"Patty's Day," count on Time. Vol. 32, no. 14. October 3, 1938, pp. 53–54.

"Patty Goes Pro," in Time. Vol 36, no. 3. July 15, 1940, p. 34.

"They Said It," in Sports Illustrated. Vol. 73, no. 9. August 27, 1990, p. 8.

KarinLoewenHaag , freelance scribe, Athens, Georgia