Patty Berg made time for others. Her concept of "shake a hand, make a friend" was a heartwarming habit. If people waited in line for an autograph, she was known to stand, shake each person's hand, and repeat each name as if she was placing it in permanent storage. She showed great respect and connected with people everywhere she went.
Patty Berg's Early Days
Patricia Jane Berg learned the game of golf at the age of thirteen in 1931 and won her first amateur title in 1934. She earned national attention when she reached the finals of the 1935 U.S. Women's Amateur. After winning 29 amateur titles, she turned professional in 1940. Her strong will and determination led her to succeed in the game of golf. Not even an auto accident in 1941 could keep her down. In World War II she proudly served as an officer in the Marines from 1942-45. She won the very first U.S. Women's Open in 1947.
The Ladies Pro Golf Association (LPGA)
In 1950 she helped establish the LPGA as a founding member and served as their first president. She had sixty career victories and was voted Woman Athlete of the Year in 1938, 1942, and 1955. She ranks fourth on the all-time LPGA Tour victory list and has won more major championships than any woman in history.
The LPGA established the Patty Berg Award in 1978, awarded annually to an athlete who makes outstanding contribuitions to the game of golf.
Patty Berg's Later Years
In her later years, Patty Berg teamed up with PGA Tour player and fellow Fort Myers resident, Nolan Henke, to establish the Nolan Henke-Patty Berg Junior Master to promote the development of young players. Golf Digest named her as one of the 50 greatest golfers of all time. Berg became known for her golf clinics, which she conducted with a sharp sense of humor and a quick wit. She entertained the crowds with her jokes and trick shots along with invaluable lessons on the game that she loved.
She told the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis in 1988, "Golf was the greatest challenge for me. So much to do with tempo, rhythm, balance. I learned so much about patience. That's the key, patience. Then concentration and confidence." When she was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame, Berg quipped: "I'm very happy I gave up football."
Patty announced in 2004 that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She died in Fort Myers, Florida, twenty-one months later at the age of 88.
On a current TV program called, "Inside the Actor's Studio," a set of questions is posed to each actor at the end of the hour. One of the final questions asked is, "When you arrive at the Pearly Gates, what would you like to hear God say to you?" We can only imagine that Patty Berg's answer might have been something along the lines of, "Welcome home. Here are your clubs."
She was a lady and a legend and we'll remember her the way she'd have liked it; with a club in her hand and a twinkle in her eye.
References:
Patty: The Sports Career of Patricia Berg, James Hahn, 1981
International Herald Tribune, 9-12-06, Obituaries
Chicken Soup for the Woman Golfer's Soul: Stories about Trailblazing Women Who've Changed the Game Forever, 2007
Women's Eastern Golf Association, LPGA/2007 Player Bios/Berg-07.pdf
