The golfing world lost a legend.
Betsy Rawls, who is one of only two golfers to win at least four U.S. Women’s Opens, died Saturday. She was 95. Rawls recorded 55 LPGA victories in her career, a number that included eight major championships. She was enshrinement into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987 and given the USGA’s Bob Jones Award in 1996.
She won her first U.S. Women’s Open in 1951, her rookie season on the LPGA, at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta.
Her second Women’s Open triumph came in 1953 in a playoff over Jacqueline Pung at the Country Club of Rochester in New York. She won by six strokes to win the 1957 U.S. Women’s Open at Winged Foot and edged Joyce Ziske by a stroke to claim her final Women’s Open title in 1960 at Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts.
Here’s a look at photos of Rawls through the years.
Betsy Rawls
Golfers Betsy Rawls, right, and Jackie Pung pose with the winner’s trophy at the Country Club…
Golfers Betsy Rawls, right, and Jackie Pung pose with the winner’s trophy at the Country Club of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. on June 28, 1953. Rawls won the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship by 6 strokes. Pung finished second.
Betsy Rawls
Golfers Betty Hicks, Babe Zaharias and Betsy Rawls pose together before starting round in the U.S.…
Golfers Betty Hicks, Babe Zaharias and Betsy Rawls pose together before starting round in the U.S. Women’s Open National Golf Championship at the Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass., on July 1, 1954. A total of 21 pros and 32 amateurs started play today in the three-day event.
Betsy Rawls
1960: Betsy Rawls (left) won eight major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. (Getty Images)
1960: Betsy Rawls (left) won eight major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. (Getty Images)
Betsy Rawls
DATE TAKEN: 5/18/97— Chris Johnson holds the LPGA Championship Trophy with Betsy Rawls (left) after defeating…
DATE TAKEN: 5/18/97— Chris Johnson holds the LPGA Championship Trophy with Betsy Rawls (left) after defeating Leta Lindley in two holes of playoff at the McDonalds LPGA Championship, at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, DE . ORG XMIT: EB929
Betsy Rawls
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship to…
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship to be held at the DuPont Country Club, near Wilmington, DE. The tournament is to be held June 22-25, 2000.
Betsy Rawls
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship to…
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship to be held at the DuPont Country Club, near Wilmington, DE. The tournament is to be held June 22-25, 2000.
Betsy Rawls
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship marks…
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship marks the tee box at the 10th hole in preparation for the upcoming LPGA Championship to be held at DuPont Country Club, near Wilmington, DE, June 22-25, 2000.
Betsy Rawls
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship walks…
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Betsy Rawls, Executive Director of the LPGA Championship walks to a tee box at the DuPont Country Club to mark the tee area for the pros in preparation for the upcoming LPGA Championship to be held at DuPont Country Club, near Wilmington, DE, June 22-25, 2000.
Betsy Rawls
SPECIAL TO USA TODAY–FILE–Betsy Rawls of Spartanburg,S.C. autographs program for 10-year-old Janice Gannon of Lynn,Mass., July…
SPECIAL TO USA TODAY–FILE–Betsy Rawls of Spartanburg,S.C. autographs program for 10-year-old Janice Gannon of Lynn,Mass., July 2,1954. Program signing came after Miss Rawls completed her second round in the National Women’s Open at Salem Country Club ,Peabody,Mass. (AP Photo/FCC) ORG XMIT: NY923
Betsy Rawls
SPECIAL TO USA TODAY–FILE–Betsy Rawls, Spartanburg,S.C. golfer, balsts from sand trap to 18thg green of Conoe…
SPECIAL TO USA TODAY–FILE–Betsy Rawls, Spartanburg,S.C. golfer, balsts from sand trap to 18thg green of Conoe Brook Country Club Course June 4,1959 as she ends opening round of pro women’s ro;und robing golf tourney. She shotd a medal score of 72, but ended the first round at Summit,N.J. with plus 14 score. (AP photo/JR) ORG XMIT: NY924
Betsy Rawls
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Golf legend Betsy Rawls chats with college intern Dan…
ROCKLAND, DE 5-30-2000 — BETSY RAWLS — Golf legend Betsy Rawls chats with college intern Dan Sarkissian of Wilmington, DE as Ms. Rawls was marking tee boxes at the DuPont Country Club near Wilmington, DE, in preparation for the LPGA Championship tournament which is to be held there June 22-25, 2000. Ms. Rawls is the Executive Director of the tournament. (ED NOTE: Betsy is not giving Dan a lesson, he is an intern who was driving the cart for Eileen Blass and he was chatting with her on the tees)
Betsy Rawls
Betsy Rawls smiles after charging from behind with a final round to win the $36,000 Ladies…
Betsy Rawls smiles after charging from behind with a final round to win the $36,000 Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association’s tournament at Kiamesha Lake, New York, July 28, 1969. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)
