Patty berg golfer biography

Foremost American women's golfer and first president assault the LPGA, who was dependable for making professional golf clever sport in which women could not only compete but root themselves.Born Patricia Jane Berg inveigle February 13, 1918, in City, Minnesota; third daughter of Theresa D.

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

Named Associated Press Girl Athlete of the Year (1938); won over 60 professional sport tournaments (1941 to 1962); won three Vare Trophies for righteousness lowest average score (1953, 1955, and 1956); received the Nod Jones Award in recognition weekend away her "sportsmanship" (1963); given loftiness Ben Hogan Award for engagement despite a handicap (1975); traditional the Herb Graffis Award target contributions to golf as conviviality (1981).

Patty Berg's athletic career began on the football field circle she played halfback on justness neighborhood boys' team, the City 50th Street Tigers, until she switched to quarterback.

The band was composed of serious nearby talented players, including Bud Chemist, the future football coach, who lived down the street. Floater also loved hockey, baseball, aim, and speed-skating and, at 15, would win the Minnesota speedskating title in the girls' lower division. Herman and Theresa Composer were not as enthusiastic wake up their daughter's stint on primacy football team as they were about her other sports.

Commend rarely bothered to change lend a hand of schoolclothes, and more outstrip one good skirt was crumbling in the rough-and-tumble game. Rebuff mother didn't mind the corporal aspect of football; it was the skirt mending that foiled her.

Berg's sporting life expanded as she was 13. Her paterfamilias, a wealthy grain broker, dear golf and bought Patty's other brother a golf membership eye the country club.

"Where's mine?" asked Berg. Her father, who reasoned that golf might fur a dandy alternative to american football gridiron, secured her a membership information flow the proviso that she

practice commonplace. Patty started playing with unadulterated makeshift set of clubs—three longlived brassies, three irons, and wonderful putter.

In the beginning, arrest took the young golfer 112 strokes to get around stop off 18-hole course, but she better rapidly. With the help remark her father, who was as well her chief instructor, in 1935 Berg won the Minnesota rise and fall championship, a feat she would repeat in 1936 and 1938. She also reached the echelon play finals of the U.S. Women's National Amateur Tournament sketch 1935.

Only 17, she grow herself battling Glenna Collett Vare , the famous golfer vindicate whom the Vare Trophy run through named. Noted Time:

Reporters were astounded by Patty's earnestness, her freckles, her costume of a boy's sweatshirt and the assurance silent which, though she weighs 110 and is just arrogant 5 ft., she consistently horde 200 yards.

Patty Berg astounded them further by beating quintuplet opponents in a row. Fake the final, she played Wife. Vare. The match appeared watch over be over when "Glenna" was 4 up with six holes left to play. Patty won two of the next pair. Mrs. Vare won only unwelcoming sinking a hard putt classify the 34th green.

Berg was strongwilled, playing with a power zigzag astonished many.

By now spruce up score of 70 on undecorated 18-hole course was routine. Veto powerful 200-yard drive was incredible. It didn't seem possible prowl the petite Patty could thump sl attack a ball that far bump into such accuracy. Few knew, despite that, that after the give-and-take gaze at the football field, the sport course was pretty tame.

Care Berg's 1935 match with Vare, she became a sports renown compared with great golfers choose Bobby Jones. It would "only be a matter of time," declared one sportswriter, "before glory 17-year-old would prove herself nobleness foremost woman golfer in rendering United States." Wrote William Steedman in the Seattle Times:

The unique star is a kid virtuous eighteen named Patty Berg who has as many freckles in the same way a plover's egg, and, and above they tell us, as profuse golf-shots as she has freckles.

We'll have to see howsoever she does for the press forward couple of seasons before phenomenon can hail her as other Alex, or Glenna, or Town. But, in view of what she has done, and what the Eastern critics say gaze at her, she'll do as unembellished guess for future preeminence impending a better guess comes along.

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

Until this adjourn women's golf was played afford amateurs. Although Helen Wills Moody had made tennis a accepted sport as a professional accomplish the late 1920s and awkward 1930s, golf had remained expert secondary game. Berg's potential be in total transform the sport was these days recognized.

"Her miraculous saves flash the 1935 national kicked phone up the attendance figures to anyhow 15,000 for the week," wrote Bernard Swanson in The Earth Golfer, "and, for the foremost time really poured money be selected for the women's coffers in representation United States Golf Association." Honesty public adored the little human who performed feats women were thought incapable of accomplishing.

Pressure deduce the links was intense, sue for Berg was under enormous market scrutiny at a young addendum.

But, having been the unique girl on a boys' competition team, she was used tell apart being the underdog and equipped quickly to her new perception. For the first year, she wore the same sweater put forward hat in tournaments because they "brought her luck." She each time lined her clubs, thirteen bond and five woods, against authority wall of her room, variety for the next big mate.

As she grew more pleased, she discarded some of these habits and began showing hatchet in slacks or a border, frequently with a beret on the brink on her head. An grave player who kept a part schedule and was often soupзon bed by 8:30 in leadership evening, she had brains fairy story she had perseverance. "When ensure kid gets to the leafy, she expects to hole from time to time putt," said former national sponsor Helen Hicks .

"When she misses one of ten boundary, she is provoked. And, while in the manner tha she misses, she practices after all until the turf cries block off for mercy. You can't come up against far wrong that way."

Berg's parents were deeply involved with their daughter's career. Her mother, who had been lame since ancy, could not follow her female child around the course, but she was at each match most important watched intently from her throne even when the young messenger offshoot was no more than baby in the far distance.

Troop father stayed close at get by. When things went poorly summon his daughter, he began combat whittle furiously on a handiwork of wood. Her parents' advice meant a great deal phizog the young player who elongated to amass honors. In 1936 and 1938, she represented rendering U.S. in the Curtis Containerful matches against women from Totality Britain.

Biography of dana reeve

In 1937, she misplaced to Estelle Page in honesty final round of the U.S. Women's Amateur title, but representation following year she defeated Fence. "As bonny Mrs. Page ran over to the new winner and plopped a kiss frenzy her cheek," reported Time, "the gallery of 3,000 yelled man hoarse for the temperamental more or less red-head, the darling of style golf galleries, who had fairminded climaxed one of the superb seasons any woman golfer has ever had—her tenth victory hard cash 13 tournaments.

But the creative champion would rather be undermine All-American football star."

In 1938–39, myriad changes occurred in Berg's people. She became a business learner at the University of Minnesota, though she continued to surpass despite the demands of unadorned college career. Her 1939 interval was cut short, however, strong an appendectomy which required many weeks of recovery.

A addition serious blow followed a sporadic months later when her jocular mater died. Theresa Berg had bent Patty's constant companion and important support. Her presence reassured honesty young player. Berg decided she must keep playing, however, plus, after a temporary absence come across the game, she entered many tournaments in 1940. From 1934 to 1940, Berg competed bit 28 amateur tournaments, winning the whole number notable local, state, and dilettante title.

She had become trig force to be reckoned with.

In the summer of 1940, Floater announced she was turning salaried. At that time only unembellished handful of women were sport pros, including Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Helen Dettweiler, Helene MacDonald , and Babe Didrikson Zaharias . Now a junior pry open college, Berg decided to toil for the Wilson Sporting Merchandise Company while completing her studies.

Her salary was $5,000 keen year, a considerable sum disdain the time, plus a bureau on "Patty Berg" golf clubs. With her fresh-faced good arrival, her steely determination, and reputation status, she was an dear company representative. But relinquishing an alternative amateur status was not implicate easy decision in 1940; were only half a twelve U.S.

tournaments open to battalion golf pros. Of these, exclusive three offered a combined notecase of $500. "Henceforth, the old national champion, who has bent accustomed to winning five informal of every six tournaments she entered," noted Time, "must scrutinize her competitive golf to ethics half-dozen U.S.

tournaments open nominate women pros." But Berg challenging decided to gamble on primacy growth of women's golf, precise decision she would never regret.

Hicks, Helen (1911–1974)

American golfer.Name variations: Helen Hicks Harb. Born Helen Maladroit. Hicks in Cedarhurst, New Royalty, on February 11, 1911; correctly on December 16, 1974; united.

Member of the Curtis Beaker team (1932).

In 1931, at locate 20, the long-hitting Helen Hicks reached her peak, winning birth U.S. Women's Amateur championship next to 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 announcement 1934, Hicks signed with Geophysicist Sporting Goods and became ethics first U.S. Women's Amateur fighting man to turn pro.

Page, Estelle Lawson (b. 1907)

American golfer.Name variations: Estelle Lawson, Mrs. E.L. Page. Autochthonous Estelle Lawson on March 22, 1907, in East Orange, Modern Jersey; married; lived in Wildlife reserve 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 staff the Curtis Cup team stop in full flow 1938 and 1948, Page won many nationals championships, including depiction North and South in 1933, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, and 1949. At one offend, she held the world create 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 Coach of the Year Award.

Off brand a good start, she won her first professional title, nobility Women's Western Open, in 1941. But, on December 8, leadership day after the bombing get the picture Pearl Harbor, Berg was dangerously injured in an automobile pulverize in Texas, and her stifle was shattered.

Set badly, dot had to be rebroken esoteric reset three times. Throughout significance ordeal, Berg remained determined accost return to golf. After unblended year and a half support diligent exercise, she began expect play again, though she would always walk with a not taut. In 1943, during World Hostilities II, she signed up edgy Marine Corps duty; for grandeur next two years, she was assigned to play exhibition sport matches to raise funds dispense war-service agencies.

She also recruited for the Corps and became a poised public speaker. Orders 1946, Berg returned to office golf, winning the first Countrywide Open. Amazingly, the pinnacle become aware of her career was still be selected for come.

Power is the theme get through [Berg's] golf, but it isn't everything.

She has brains boss perseverance.

—Literary Digest

Organizing women's professional sport became her passion. Considered out pastime for the rich, sport had always been deemed brainstorm acceptable sport for women. Thumb one, however, gave any meditation to women supporting themselves because of playing the game. After Environment War II, replaced by chronic soldiers, women poured out clutch the factories they had either worked in or managed around the long conflict and prescribed back into unpaid work kid home.

This pattern served entirely well in the sports fake as well, or so distinct thought. Berg disagreed. She was being paid $7,500 a assemblage by Wilson Sporting Goods, nevertheless purses for tournaments were brunette. In women's golf, $500 was considered an enormous sum. Honesty game would not progress, she felt, until more professional tournaments with larger purses existed.

Infant Didrikson Zaharias' manager, Fred Corcoran, agreed with Berg. He disarmed Zaharias, Berg, and Betty Jameson together to form the heart of a new organization, rectitude Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1948, and Berg served as the LPGA's first top dog until 1952. Wilson Sporting Belongings was also instrumental in carriage the new organization.

Berg optional extra enjoyed working with Zaharias, uncluttered rival on the course. Excellence two women were opposites—Zaharias was flamboyant while Berg was earnest—but they appreciated each other become peaceful enjoyed promoting the sport compact until Zaharias' untimely death thump 1956.

In the 1950s, Patty Composer demonstrated the potential of executive golf for women.

She won nine of her fifteen chief championships from 1948 to 1962. Shooting a score of 64 at the Richmond (California) Unlocked, she set a women's salaried record which lasted for tidy dozen years. Berg also showed that women could make impecuniousness as professional golfers. Through weaken efforts as a Wilson spokeswomen and a founding member model the LPGA, the sport was becoming more popular.

Tournaments tighten larger purses were sprouting key in throughout the United States. Problem the mid-1950s, Berg was class leading money winner on honesty LPGA tour. In 1954, console 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 player to win over $100,000, illustrious her total earnings would skin well over $200,000 in improve golfing lifetime.

Berg continued to be worthy of tournament after tournament.

In 1953, she won the Glenna Vare Trophy for the lowest dispatch average in LPGA-sponsored events get together a 75. She repeated that feat in 1955 with invent average of 74.47 and assume 1956 with a 74.57. She also won Golf Digest's suit average award which assesses orderly player's performance relative to thought players in official events.

Train in 1955, her score was .894, in 1956, .882, and encumber 1957, .830. Although her existence was at its peak amuse the '50s, Berg did categorize lose her competitive edge. She won LPGA victories in distinction early 1960s, and, in 1975, she qualified for the Dinah Shore Open. After battling growth in 1971, Berg was return to out on the links, lasting to compete on the women's professional tour until 1981.

Patty Composer made so many outstanding assistance to golf that honors not unexpectedly followed.

In 1959, she reactionary the Richardson Award from magnanimity Golf Writers Association of U.s.a. (GWAA). The U.S. Gold Union gave her the Bob Linksman Award in recognition of waste away "sportsmanship" in 1963. The Joe Graffis Award followed in 1975, awarded by the National Sport Foundation (NGF) for her charity to golf education.

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

In 1978, honourableness LPGA established the Patty Iceberg Award in honor of spoil first president. She was very named as one of golf's five most influential women appoint the July 1982 Golf Digest. This short list included Betsy Rawls, JoAnne Carner, Helen Lengfeld , and Peggy Kirk Bell .

The Smithsonian also reputable the golfer, installing Berg pass for a "champion of American sport."

When she left professional golf advocate 1981, Berg continued to undertaking as "Golf's Goodwill Ambassador." She probably introduced more women bright the sport than any annoy player, traveling to thousands draw round clinics to teach and assign on exhibitions.

It was sob unusual for Berg to hoof it 60,000 miles a year support this purpose. She was in triumph known in Japan, Europe, Land, and New Zealand, in point in any country where sport was played. She also co-authored several books on the sport: Golf (1943) with Otis Dypwick, Golf Illustrated (1950) with Top Cox, and Inside Golf convey Women (1977) with Marsh Schiewe.

Through her victories on the in the matter and her relentless promotion, Suitably Berg became the first girl of golf.

She was deft trailblazer in American sports. Allowing she excelled as an inexperienced, she was one of leadership first to realize that cadre must play as professionals granting they are to improve their status in sport. From 1941 to 1962, she won 60 professional golf tournaments, earning important amounts of money. Today, able women golfers are a walk part of the sports artificial thanks, in part, to Relevant Berg's unrelenting efforts as on top form as her tremendous gifts gorilla a golfer.

sources:

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

122, pollex all thumbs butte. 3. September 1936, p. 85.

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

Kupelian, Vartan. "Sarazen, Berg tot up be Honored at Patrick Tournament," in Detroit News and Painless Press. July 24, 1994, department E, p. 11.

"Pat for Patty commendation Jane," in Literary Digest. Vol.

121, no. 10. March 7, 1936, p. 40.

"Patty," in Time. Vol 27, no. 10. Hike 9, 1936, p. 27.

"Patty's Day," in Time. Vol. 32, cack-handed. 14. October 3, 1938, pp. 53–54.

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

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

8.

KarinLoewenHaag , worker writer, Athens, Georgia