Patty Berg

Patricia Jane Berg (February 13, 1918 – September 10, 2006) was an American professional golfer. She was a founding member and the first president of the LPGA. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

In winter times she was also a speed skater.

Early life In 1918, Berg was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She expressed an interest in football at an early age. At one point, she played quarterback on a local team that included future Oklahoma Sooners head football coach Bud Wilkinson. At the age of 13, Berg took up golf in 1931 at the suggestion of her parents; by 1934, she began her amateur career and won the Minneapolis City Championship.

Amateur career Berg attended the University of Minnesota where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She came to national attention by reaching the final of the 1935 U.S. Women's Amateur, losing to Glenna Collett-Vare in Vare's final Amateur victory. Berg won the Titleholders in 1937. In 1938, she won the U.S. Women's Amateur at Westmoreland and the Women's Western Amateur. With a victory in the 1938 Titleholders Championship and a spot on the winning Curtis Cup team as well, Berg was selected as the Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year, the first of three times she earned the honor.

Professional career After winning 29 amateur titles, she turned professional in 1940.

Berg was sponsored on the LPGA Tour her entire career by public golf patriarch Joe Jemsek, owner of the famous Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois, site of the PGA Tour's Western Open from 1991 to 2006. Berg represented another of Jemsek's public facilities, St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, Illinois, on the women's circuit for over 60 years.

Berg told Chicagoland Golf magazine she taught over 16,000 clinics in her lifetime – many of which were sponsored by Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods and were called "The Patty Berg Hit Parade." In that interview, Berg figured she personally indoctrinated to the game of golf over a half-million new players. She was a member of Wilson's Advisory Staff for 66 years, until her death.

Personal life In December 2004, she announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Berg died in Fort Myers, Florida from complications of the disease 21 months later at the age of 88.

Awards and honors

In 1938, Berg earned the Associated Press Athlete of the Year award in the female category. She also earned honors in 1943 and 1955. She was the recipient of the LPGA's Vare Trophy three times: in 1953, 1955, and 1956. The trophy is bestowed to the LPGA golfer with the lowest scoring average. In 1963, Berg was voted the recipient of the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. In 1986, she received the Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honor. In 1978, the LPGA established the Patty Berg Award, bestowed to an individual who "exemplifies diplomacy, sportsmanship, goodwill and contributions to the game of golf." In her later years, Berg teamed-up with PGA Tour player and fellow Fort Myers, Florida resident Nolan Henke to establish the Nolan Henke/Patty Berg Junior Masters to promote the development of young players.

Professional wins (63)

LPGA Tour wins (60) 1937 (1) Titleholders Championship (as an amateur) 1938 (1) Titleholders Championship (as an amateur) 1939 (1) Titleholders Championship (as an amateur) 1941 (3) Women's Western Open, North Carolina Open, New York Invitational 1943 (2) Women's Western Open, All American Open 1945 (1) All American Open 1946 (4) Northern California Open, Northern California Medal Tournament, Pebble Beach Open, U.S. Women's Open 1947 (3) Northern California Open, Pebble Beach Open, Northern California Medal Tournament 1948 (3) Titleholders Championship, Women's Western Open, Hardscrabble Open 1949 (3) Tampa Open, Texas PGA Championship, Hardscrabble Open 1950 (3) Eastern Open, Sunset Hills Open, Hardscrabble Women's Invitational 1951 (5) Sandhills Women's Open, Pebble Beach Weathervane, New York Weathervane, 144 Hole Weathervane, Women's Western Open 1952 (3) New Orleans Women's Open, Richmond Open, New York Weathervane 1953 (7) Jacksonville Open, Titleholders Championship, New Orleans Women's Open, Phoenix Weathervane (tied with Louise Suggs), Reno Open, All American Open, World Championship 1954 (3) Triangle Round Robin, World Championship, Ardmore Open 1955 (6) St. Petersburg Open, Titleholders Championship, Women's Western Open, All American Open, World Championship, Clock Open 1956 (2) Dallas Open, Arkansas Open 1957 (5) Havana Open, Titleholders Championship, Women's Western Open, All American Open, World Championship 1958 (2) Women's Western Open, American Women's Open 1960 (1) American Women's Open 1962 (1) Muskogee Civitan Open

LPGA majors are shown in bold.

Sources:

Other wins (3) 1944 Pro-Lady Victory National (with Johnny Revolta) 1950 Orlando Two-Ball (with Earl Stewart) 1954 Orlando Two-Ball (with Pete Cooper)

Major championships

Wins (15) YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner(s)-up 1937 Titleholders Championship +3 (80-87-73=240)3 strokes Dorothy Kirby (a) 1938 Titleholders Championship −5 (78-79-77-77=311)14 strokes Jane Cothran (a) 1939 Titleholders Championship +19 (78-78-83-80=319)2 strokes Dorothy Kirby (a) 1941 Women's Western Open 7 & 6 Mrs. Burt Weil 1943 Women's Western Open 1 up Dorothy Kirby (a) 1946 U.S. Women's Open 4 & 3 Betty Jameson 1948 Titleholders Championship +8 (80-74-78-76=308)1 stroke Peggy Kirk, Babe Zaharias 1948 Women's Western Open 37 holes Babe Zaharias 1951 Women's Western Open 2 up Pat O'Sullivan (a) 1953 Titleholders Championship +6 (72-74-73-75=294)9 strokes Betsy Rawls 1955 Titleholders Championship +3 (76-68-74-73=291)2 strokes Mary Lena Faulk 1955 Women's Western Open E (73-75-71-73=292)2 strokes Fay Crocker, Louise Suggs 1957 Titleholders Championship +8 (78-71-78-69=296)3 strokes Anne Quast (a) 1957 Women's Western Open −1 (72-70-75-74=291)1 stroke Wiffi Smith 1958 Women's Western Open +1 (75-72-71-75=293)4 strokes Beverly Hanson

Results timeline

NYF = tournament not yet founded NT = no tournament CUT = missed the half-way cut R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play "T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary Starts – 97 Wins – 15 2nd-place finishes – 10 3rd-place finishes – 10 Top 3 finishes – 35 Top 5 finishes – 47 Top 10 finishes – 57 Top 25 finishes – 78 Missed cuts – 12 Most consecutive cuts made – 79 Longest streak of top-10s – 32

Team appearances Amateur Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 1936 (tie, Cup retained), 1938 (winners)