Golf is a simple game that is played on pristine grassy green acres of land with plenty of water, trees and sand. For some, being able to play the game was easy, all they needed to do was show up, pay and play. The journey was a little more difficult for women and even harder for Black women especially on the professional level.
In the book, Right On Cue,
the story began in 1950, when 13 brave and bold women launched the LPGA with a dream of providing a platform for women to play professional golf. The 13 included the likes of: Alice Bauer; Marlene Hagge Bauer; Patty Berg; Bettye Danoff; Helen Dettweiler; Helen Hicks; Opal Hill; Betty Jameson; Sally Sessions; Marilyn Smith; Shirley Spork; Louise Suggs; and Babe Zaharias. Just nine years later, that same bold spirit and focus on women’s opportunities led to the start of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals.
Since then, so many people have been instrumental in keeping the LPGA soaring to new heights. In the ‘60s two women Mickey Wright and Kathy Whitworth won a combined 121 events (1960-1969). Wright won 68 and Whitworth captured 53. Wright also set the record with 13 wins in a single season, a record that stills stands to this day.
The color barrier in women’s professional golf was broken in 1963 when two-time Wimbledon champion Althea Gibson became the first African American to join the LPGA Tour. Gibson used her presence to encourage others to follow in her footsteps; four years later Renee Powell of East Canton, Ohio joined the tour.
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