Phoenix, AZ – Golf It Forward announces the launch of a new video series, The Ancestry Project: The History of Women in Golf, initiated by the Golf It Forward Board in 2025. This initiative aims to capture and preserve the stories of the pioneers of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the women who continue their legacy.
The project was inspired by conversations between LPGA Professional Jamie Zimron and Shirley Spork, one of the LPGA’s founding members. These discussions, which included stories from the early days of the LPGA, motivated Jamie and the Golf It Forward team to start this project. Along with fellow committee members Debbie Waitkus, Nan Ryan, Cara Glasgow, Tracy Hupko, Pete Goebel, and Karen Skovron, they have worked to compile stories that highlight the experiences of women in golf and the journeys that forged the LPGA.
The first video in the series, honoring LPGA co-founder Louise Suggs, premiered at the Marilynn Smith Sunday Tea on April 25, at Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale. It features stories and insights from her nephew, Joel Suggs, as well as LPGA members and World Golf Hall of Fame members Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon, and LPGA member Carla Glasgow. Their reflections provide a detailed view of Louise and her impact on golf. Moved by the video, Beth Daniel commented, “It made me miss her again.”
The Ancestry Project is designed to preserve history and build a community that recognizes the legacy of women in golf. For more information on the series and participation details, please contact us at 13Founders@golfitforward.org.
ABOUT
GOLF IT FORWARD is the public face of the Marilynn Smith and Founders’ Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation embodies the ingenuity, drive and passion of 13 women who had the foresight to see that there was a future for women in golf and golf in the future of women. For more information on GIF, please go to www.GolfItForward.org
PRESS CONTACT Debbie Waitkus – Foundation Chair
