At the age of 83, record-breaking former LPGA Tour player Kathy Whitworth passed away.
Whitworth holds the record for the most victories on any professional tour with 88, breaking Sam Snead and Tiger Woods’ 82 on the PGA Tour for men.
She won six major championships, including the 1967 Western Open, the Titleholders Championship in 1965 and 1966, and the Women’s PGA Championship in 1967, 1971, and 1975, the last of which saw her inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Whitworth, who is best known for her rivalry with 13-time major champion Mickey Wright, later served as the first American captain of the Solheim Cup in 1990.
On the organization’s website, LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan issued the following statement: “With the departure of Kathy Whitworth, the golf industry and the world at large both lost one of their most remarkable people.
On the golf course and off it, Kathy was a champion in the best sense of the word.
Bettye Odle, Whitworth’s associate, added: “We like to inform everyone of the demise of Kathy Whitworth, the most successful golf professional in history, with a heart full of love. Kathy died away unexpectedly on Saturday evening while spending Christmas Eve with her family and friends.
Where did Kathy Whitworth go to college and high school?
Whitworth was born and raised in Jal, New Mexico, and at the age of 15, she started playing golf. She spent one semester at Odessa (Texas) Junior College after completing high school in 1957. In 1958, Whitworth became a professional, and four years later, she won her first LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) competition.
