Patty Berg Passes At The Age of 88

Patty Berg, one of the founding members of the LPGA died Sunday, September 10 at the age of 88 from complications of Alzheimers.

Berg, with 60 LPGA victories to her credit, is a member of the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame. She also was inducted in to the All-American Collegiate Hall of Fame, and the University of Minnesota Women’s Athletic Department Hall of Fame.

The LPGA created the Patty Berg award in 1978 for outstanding to women’s golf. Berg was herself given the award in 1990. She won the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in 1963. The Bob Jones is the USGA’s highest honor and is given in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.

She won 15 women’s majors while dominating the tour from 1948 to 1962. Berg also served as the LPGA’s first president from 1950 to 1952.

She led the money list in 1954, 1955 and 1957.

Berg was named to Golf Digest’s list of Top 50 players of all time.

Patricia Jane Berg was born Feb. 13, 1918 in Minneapolis, Minesota. She attended the University of Minnesota.

Berg started playing golf in 1931 and began her amateur career in 1934, capturing the Minneapolis City Championship. The next year, she reached the finals of the US Women’s Amateur.She won the Titleholders in 1937 and the Anateur in 1938.

In all, she won twenty nine amateur titles, before turning professional in 1940. That makes a total of 89 combined amateur and professional titles.

During World War II, Berg served in the US Marine Corps for three years.

Berg also had a signature line of clubs, which were made by Wilson and first released in 1941. I have a set of the irons with distinctive blue grips that are flat on one side. The heads of the woods also are blue. Wilson reports that one million of the sets were sold.