University of Minnesota Athletics
Legendary Golfer Patty Berg Passes Away Sunday at 88
9/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Patty Berg, one of the University of Minnesota’s most influential and highly decorated student-athletes, died Sunday in Florida at the age of 88. Berg played golf at the University during the late 1930’s and was recently named to the list of the NCAA’s “100 Most Influential Student-Athletes” of all-time. Berg eventually received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus.
Berg was one of the founders and the first president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1948. Two years prior, she was captured the title at the first U.S. Women’s Open. An amazing career followed, including an LPGA record 15 victories in majors. Overall, Berg won 29 amateur events and 57 professional tournaments.
"The Golden Gopher Athletics Family is truly saddened by the loss of Patty Berg." Director of Athletics Joel Maturi said. "She was a pioneer for girls and women in sport. We, in our society, are still working on accepting women as sports figures, and here was Patty, more than 50 years ago excelling in this country as a female athlete. She was a remarkable woman. I think Patty would have liked to have seen more progress in her lifetime for women in sport, but we need to remember Patty Berg and how she truly paved the way for women in sports."
Honoring her great accomplishments, the University of Minnesota created the Patty Berg Fund in 1976 to provide scholarships for female student-athletes. When Golden Gopher Athletics were separate men’s/women’s departments, the women’s department honored their athletes each year at the Patty Berg Banquet. Last fall, the Patty Berg Legacy Scholar-Athlete Award was created with the recipient begin basketball’s Shannon Bolden.
Berg was enshrined in over a dozen halls of fame, including the University of Minnesota Women’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995. Berg is also a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame. Rising to the rank of lieutenant, Berg was enlisted for 2 1/2 years during World War II.
