Betsy Rawls was a professional golfer who won the U.S. Women’s Open four times, among dozens of other career wins on the LPGA Tour.
- Died: October 21, 2023 (Who else died on October 21?)
- Details of death: Died in Lewes, Delaware, at the age of 95.
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Betsy Rawls’ legacy
In 1951, not long after she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in physics, Rawls came in second at the U.S. Women’s Open, playing as an amateur. She joined the LPGA Tour the following year and registered her first of four U.S. Women’s Open wins. She would go on to win again in 1953, 1957, and 1960. She was one of only two women to date who have won four U.S. Women’s Opens, the other being Mickey Wright (1935–2020). Upon Rawls’ second win in 1953, she became the first winner to be presented with a new sterling silver trophy that debuted in that year and was used until 1992.
Rawls had eight major wins in all. In addition to her four U.S. Women’s Open wins, she also took the titles at the 1952 and 1959 Western Open and at the 1959 and 1969 Women’s PGA Championship. Those eight major wins were among 55 total PGA Tour victories over a career that lasted nearly a quarter century. Rawls retired as a player in 1975, becoming a tournament director for the LPGA Tour.
In 1967, Rawls was among the inaugural inductees to the LPGA Hall of Fame. She was also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1996, Rawls was honored with the prestigious Bob Jones Award from the United States Golf Association.
Tributes to Betsy Rawls
Full obituary: Golf Digest
