Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Women’s Open attendees will have the opportunity to watch some of golf’s greatest players at the Patty Berg Swing Parade at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club on Tuesday, June 26 at 1 p.m. Donna Andrews, Peggy Kirk Bell and Kathy Whitworth will join the festivities in Southern Pines, N.C., during the week of the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Conversations with the legendary golfers, an autograph session and a tribute to the late Patty Berg will follow the event.
Patty Berg was a founding member and leading player on the LPGA Tour during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. She won twenty-nine amateur titles before turning professional in 1940. In 1946, she won the first U.S. Women’s Open at Spokane Country Club in Spokane, Wash. Berg was recognized as the Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year in 1938, 1942, and 1955, and won the USGA’s prestigious Bob Jones Award in 1963. Throughout her career, Berg was committed to introducing the game to anyone she came in contact with; she claimed to have taught over 16,000 clinics in her lifetime. Berg passed away in 2006 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
Donna Andrews joined the LPGA Tour in 1990 and, along with her six victories on tour, has 77 top-10 finishes. Three of her six victories came in the 1994 season, including her first major championship at the Nabisco Dinah Shore. She played on the 1994 and 1998 Solheim Cup USA teams, contributing to victories each year, and has been selected to captain the PING Junior Solheim Cup USA team in 2007.
Peggy Kirk Bell joined the tour in 1950. She was a member of the 1950 USA Curtis Cup team and won the 1949 Titleholders Championship, then an LPGA major title, as an amateur. For her many contributions to the game, she has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 1990 Bob Jones Award and the 2007 PGA First Lady of Golf Award. Bell is in four Halls of Fame, is a master professional, and holds three honorary doctorate degrees. Bell is the owner of the host site of this year’s Women’s Open, Pine Needles, as well as Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club, also in Southern Pines.
Kathy Whitworth has 88 career victories, more than any other professional player, male or female. Whitworth was the LPGA leading money winner eight times (1965-1968, 1970-1973), LPGA Player of the Year seven times (1966-1969, 1971-1973) and winner of the Vare Trophy seven times
(1965-1967, 1969-1972). She became the first LPGA player to record $1 million in career winnings after her third-place finish at the 1981 U.S. Women’s Open. Whitworth was inducted into the
LPGA Hall of Fame in 1975 and was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1965 and 1967. She served as captain of the USA Solheim Cup team in 1990 and 1992.
The exhibition is part of the Catch the Spirit program, which began in 1991 as an effort to attract more kids and families to the game of golf by watching USGA championships. The goal of the program is to provide exposure to the game its rich history, heroes, and lessons to a new generation of golfers. This is the 17th consecutive year this program has been part of the U.S. Women’s Open.
As a part of Catch the Spirit, kids ages 17 and under receive complimentary admission to the U.S. Women’s Open when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Juniors are encouraged to stop by the Catch the Spirit Junior Tent where they will receive a lunch voucher, golf cap, Rules publications and other items. The tent will also feature a display highlighting Berg’s many accomplishments throughout her career. Other activities during the week include the Dennis Walters Golf Show on Wednesday, June 27 at 1 p.m., practicing on a juniors-only putting course, an Inside the Ropes Course Tour of Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, and a scavenger hunt, focusing on educational aspects of the game.
The times for daily activities at the Catch the Spirit Junior Tent and practice putting green are: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Catch the Spirit is part of the USGA’s ongoing commitment to support initiatives that make the game of golf more affordable and accessible. For more information about Catch the Spirit, contact Amanda Wilson at the USGA Grants and Fellowship office at (719) 471-4810 ext. 22.
For tickets and more information about the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, visit the Web site atwww.2007uswomensopen.com.
Contact:
Beth Murrison (bmurrison@usga.org)
