Louise Suggs

Mae Louise Suggs (September 7, 1923 – August 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer, as well as one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.

Amateur career Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager. She won the Georgia State Amateur in 1940 at age 16 and again in 1942, was the Southern Amateur Champion in 1941 and 1947, and won the North and South Women's Amateur three times (1942, 1946, 1948). She won the 1946 and 1947 Women's Western Amateur,

She also won a number of professional tournaments during this era. These include the 1946 and 1947 Women's Western Open, which was designated as a major championship when the LPGA was founded. She also won the 1946 Titleholders Championship which was also subsequently designated as a women's major.

She won the 1947 U.S. Women's Amateur and the next year won the British Ladies Amateur.

Professional career In 1948, she turned professional. She went on to win 58 additional professional tournaments, with a total of 11 majors. Her prowess on the golf course is reflected in the fact that from 1950 to 1960 she was only once out of the top 3 in the season-ending money list. Suggs' victory in the 1957 LPGA Championship made her the first LPGA player to complete a career Grand Slam.

She was one of the co-founders of the LPGA in 1950, which included her two great rivals of the time, Patty Berg and Babe Zaharias. Suggs served as the organization's president from 1955 to 1957.

Personal life Suggs never married; she often said, "All the women golfers are my children." She was a member of Cherokee Town and Country Club, located north of Atlanta.

Awards and honors In 1966, she was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. In 1967, Suggs was an inaugural inductee into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. In 1979, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award, given annually to the most accomplished first-year player on the LPGA Tour, is named in her honor. In 2006 Suggs was named the 2007 recipient of the Bob Jones Award, given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. In February 2015, she became one of the first female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Amateur wins 1940 Georgia Women's Amateur, Southern Women's Amateur 1942 Georgia Women's Amateur, North and South Women's Amateur 1946 North and South Women's Amateur, Women's Western Amateur 1947 Southern Women's Amateur, Women's Western Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur 1948 North and South Women's Amateur, British Ladies Amateur

Professional wins (61) LPGA Tour wins (61) 1946 (3) Titleholders Championship, Women's Western Open (as an amateur), Pro-Lady Victory National Championship (as an amateur, with Ben Hogan) 1947 (1) Women's Western Open (as an amateur) 1948 (1) Belleair Open 1949 (4) U.S. Women's Open, Women's Western Open, All American Open, Muskegon Invitational 1950 (2) Chicago Weathervane, New York Weathervane 1951 (1) Carrollton Georgia Open 1952 (6) Jacksonville Open, Tampa Open, Stockton Open, U.S. Women's Open, All American Open, Betty Jameson Open 1953 (9) Tampa Open, Betsy Rawls Open, Phoenix Weathervane (tied with Patty Berg), San Diego Open, Bakersfield Open, San Francisco Weathervane, Philadelphia Weathervane, 144 Hole Weathervane, Women's Western Open 1954 (5) Sea Island Open, Titleholders Championship, Betsy Rawls Open, Carrollton Georgia Open, Babe Zaharias Open 1955 (5) Los Angeles Open, Oklahoma City Open, Eastern Open, Triangle Round Robin, St. Louis Open 1956 (3) Havana Open, Titleholders Championship, All American Open 1957 (2) LPGA Championship, Heart of America Invitational 1958 (4) Babe Zaharias Open, Gatlinburg Open, Triangle Round Robin, French Lick Open 1959 (3) St. Petersburg Open, Titleholders Championship, Dallas Civitan Open 1960 (4) Dallas Civitan Open, Triangle Round Robin, Youngstown Kitchens Trumbull Open, San Antonio Civitan 1961 (7) Naples Pro-Am, Royal Poinciana Invitational, Golden Circle of Golf Festival, Dallas Civitan Open, Kansas City Open, San Antonio Civitan, Sea Island Open 1962 (1) St. Petersburg Open

LPGA majors are shown in bold.

Major championships Wins (11) YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner(s)-up 1946 Titleholders Championship +14 (80-77-77-80=314)2 strokes Eileen Stulb 1946 Women's Western Open 2 up Patty Berg 1947 Women's Western Open 4 & 2 Dorothy Kirby (a) 1949 U.S. Women's Open −9 (69-75-77-70=291)14 strokes Babe Zaharias 1949 Women's Western Open 5 & 4 Betty Jameson 1952 U.S. Women's Open +8 (70-69-70-75=284)7 strokes Marlene Hagge, Betty Jameson 1953 Women's Western Open 6 & 5 Patty Berg 1954 Titleholders Championship +5 (73-71-76-73=293)7 strokes Patty Berg 1956 Titleholders Championship +14 (78-75-75-74=302)1 stroke Patty Berg 1957 LPGA Championship +5 (69-74-74-68=285)3 strokes Wiffi Smith 1959 Titleholders Championship +9 (78-73-75-71=297)1 stroke Betsy Rawls (a)=Amateur

Team appearances Amateur Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 1948 (winners)