No golfer has ever been able to top the standards set by Kathy Whitworth, whether Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Mickey Wright, or Annika Sorenstam. She holds the record for the most victories on a single professional tour with 88.
According to her lifelong boyfriend, Whitworth passed away on Christmas Eve. Her LPGA Tour victories stretched over a quarter of a century, and she was the first woman to earn $1 million on tour. It was an 83-year-old woman.
Whitworth passed away unexpectedly Saturday night while celebrating with family and friends, Bettye Odle said, declining to provide a cause of death.
What happened to Kathy Whitworth?
Golf legend Kathy Whitworth, who earned a record 88 victories on the LPGA Tour throughout her career, passed away on Saturday at 83, according to the Associated Press.
Whitworth has 88 professional golf victories, six more than Sam Snead and Tiger Woods, tied for first place among men.
Kathy Whitworth cause of death
She joined the Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame, the World Golf Hall of Fame, and the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1981 and became the first woman to collect $1 million in lifetime LPGA earnings.
According to a statement from her girlfriend, Bettye Odle, who did not specify the cause of death, Whitworth “passed suddenly” while celebrating Christmas Eve with loved ones. There is also no evidence of a history of chronic sickness or disease.
Odle claimed that Kathy “leaves this world the way she lived it—loving, laughing, and creating memories.”
Bettye Odle: Statement
We want to inform everyone of the passing of Kathy Whitworth, the most successful golf professional in history. While spending Christmas Eve with family and friends, Kathy died abruptly on Saturday night. When Kathy passed away, she did so, having loved, laughed, and made memories. – Bettye Odle, Kathy Whitworth’s longtime partner.
Kathy Whitworth: Biography
Kathrynne Ann Whitworth, an American professional golfer, passed away on December 24, 2022. (she was born on September 27, 1939). With 88 tournament victories during her playing career, she was the most successful player on the LPGA Tour. She earned $1 million over her career in 1981, becoming the first female player on the LPGA Tour to do so. She has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On September 27, 1939, Whitworth was born in Monahans, Texas. Her father’s hardware store was in Jal, New Mexico, where Whitworth lived. She began playing golf at the age of 15. In 1957 and 1958, she took home the title of New Mexico State Amateur Champion. She was a student at Odessa College. She joined the LPGA and became a professional when she was 19.
Kathy Whitworth Career
In 1962, Whitworth took first place at the Kelly Girls Open. She totalled six significant victories. Between 1965 and 1972, she won the Vare Trophy seven times. She also received seven LPGA Player of the Year awards between 1966 and 1973. She was admitted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975.
She won the Female Athlete of the Year from the Associated Press in 1965 and 1967. She received the title of “Golfer of the Decade” from 1968 to 1977 from Golf Magazine, commemorating the 100th anniversary of golf in America in 1988.
She received the William Richardson Award from the Golf Writers Association of America in 1985 for her outstanding golf contributions.
Whitworth won the Orange Blossom Classic in 1974. At one point, she had won five times in that competition, which had also been called the St. Petersburg Open. Three other LPGA golfers have only won the same tournament five times. At the 1990 inaugural Solheim Cup game, Whitworth led the American team.
Whitworth made her competitive golf retirement announcement in 2005 after participating in the BJ’s Charity Classic, a Women’s Senior Golf Tour match.
She is an inductee into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and the New Mexico Hall of Fame. She is also a fellow of the Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. Whitworth passed away on December 24, 2022, at 83.
Tributes poured in social media to express their grieves for Kathy Whitworth
“No one has ever surpassed the benchmark that Kathy Whitworth set in golf, regardless of who she was compared to: Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Mickey Wright, or Annika Sorenstam. She holds the record for the most victories on a single professional tour with 88. “Whitworth, whose LPGA Tour triumphs stretched over a quarter of a century, passed away on Christmas Eve, according to her longtime companion. She was the first woman to win $1 million on the LPGA. 83 was her age. Whitworth passed away unexpectedly on Saturday night while partying with family and friends, according to Bettye Odle, who omitted to mention the cause of death.
You can never be sure of when it will be YOUR turn. For your final day, possibly tomorrow, do what is most important. Whitworth passed away unexpectedly Saturday evening while spending Christmas Eve with family and friends, according to her longtime lover Bettye Odle. Kathy passed away “the way she lived her life, loving, laughing, and making memories,” according to a statement from Odle.
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