Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational Tournament Central

Sept. 20, 2012

At age 73, Marilynn Smith remains an influential figure in the world of women’s golf. Smith, who resides in Richardson, Texas, continues to actively teach at the Firewheel Golf Club in Dallas. A native of Kansas, Smith was one of the original 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950. She is a charter member of the organization and remains active today in a variety of areas related to the LPGA.

Smith won 22 times on the LPGA tour, including the 1963 Titleholders, one of the major women’s events at the time, in an 18-hole playoff over Mickey Wright. Before creating the LPGA tour, Smith won the Kansas Women’s Amateur Championship from 1946 to 1948. She arrived on the Kansas golf scene from Wichita. Her two-year career at Kansas was highlighted by a 1949 National Collegiate Individual title. Following the title, Smith accepted an offer from Spaulding to turn pro at $5,000 a year. From 1954-72, she won at least one tour event in 14 of 19 years.

Smith’s contributions and honors include serving as the two-year president of the organization she helped found. She was the first ever female television commentator for a men’s professional golf tournament in 1973. In 1979, Smith received the inaugural Patty Berg Award for distinguished service to women’s golf. Golf Digest presented her the LPGA Founders Cup for charitable service off the course in 1983. She was selected as one of the Distinguished Champions of the Vincent T. Lombardi Tournament in 1987. The award recognized leadership in sports and demonstration of high ideals of public good. Smith was inducted into the Women’s Sports Foundation International Hall of Fame in 1991.

• UALR
• Arkansas St.
• FGCU
• Illinois St.
• KU
• K-State
• MTSU
• UMKC
• New Mexico St.
• NDSU
• UNI
• Wichita State

Located in scenic Lawrence, Kansas, Alvamar features two acclaimed golf courses. The private Members Course consists of the Hidden Valley and Sunflower nines; the public Championship Course consists of the Jayhawk and Quail Creek nines.

The Championship Course was named one of America’s top 75 public courses by Golf Digest and the Members Course was included in the “Best in State” ranking by the Kansas Golf Association. Both are considered among the most popular courses – public or private – in the greater Topeka and Kansas City area.

Alvamar
1800 Crossgate Drive
Lawrence, KS 66047

www.Alvamar.com/

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