Kansas women's golf legend Marilynn Smith passes away at age 89

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Marilynn Smith, a Kansas Athletics Hall-of-Famer and one of the founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), died Tuesday morning, the LPGA announced. She was four days short of her 90th birthday.

Smith attended the University of Kansas, where she won the 1949 national individual intercollegiate championship after capturing the Kansas State Amateur title from 1946-48.

Following her 1949 title, the Spalding Sporting Goods approached Smith with an exciting proposal to turn pro. She told Kansas Athletics in 2017 that the offer involved a $5,000 salary, a green Dodge and paid travel expenses. She said she wanted to continue learning at KU, but realized opportunity only knocks once.

So Smith turned pro in 1949, and the following year helped found the LPGA, now the oldest women’s professional sports organization in the world. The other founders were golfing icons Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Shirley Spork and Louise Suggs. Smith served as president of the organization from 1958 to 1960.

Her first LPGA victory came at the 1954 Fort Wayne Open.  She won 21 LPGA tournaments, including two majors – the 1963 and 1964 Titleholders Championships in Augusta, Ga. In the 1963 Titleholders she beat the legendary Mickey Wright by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff. She won her last tour victory at the 1972 Pabst Ladies Classic.

As a pro, Smith traveled to all 50 states, 36 countries and met six United States presidents. She won at least one tour event in 14 of the 19 years between 1954 and 1972.

Smith was a pioneer in more ways than one. In 1973 she became the first woman to work a men’s golf event on television. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006.

She created the Marilynn Smith LPGA Charity Pro-Am which, for the last 10 years, has raised scholarship money to help female golfers with college expenses.  Last year, according to the LPGA, her tournament provided $5,000 grants to 30 young women.

Smith was inducted into the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.  She received the inaugural Patty Berg Award in 1979 for distinguished service to women’s golf, and the LPGA Founders Cup in 1983for charitable service off the course.

Smith spoke fondly of her time at KU. “The friendships I’ve made and the people I’ve met all added to my experience,” Smith said. “I had a wonderful time. I also went to a lot of football games. My teachers were terrific and it was a great institution for learning. I wish I could have stayed longer, but it was quite a privilege to attend the University of Kansas. Once a Jayhawk, Always a Jayhawk, am I right?”

Kansas Jayhawks

Her first LPGA victory came at the 1954 Fort Wayne Open.  She won 21 LPGA tournaments, including two majors – the 1963 and 1964 Titleholders Championships in Augusta, Ga. In the 1963 Titleholders she beat the legendary Mickey Wright by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff. She won her last tour victory at the 1972 Pabst Ladies Classic.

As a pro, Smith traveled to all 50 states, 36 countries and met six United States presidents. She won at least one tour event in 14 of the 19 years between 1954 and 1972.

Smith was a pioneer in more ways than one. In 1973 she became the first woman to work a men’s golf event on television. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006.

She created the Marilynn Smith LPGA Charity Pro-Am which, for the last 10 years, has raised scholarship money to help female golfers with college expenses.  Last year, according to the LPGA, her tournament provided $5,000 grants to 30 young women.

Smith was inducted into the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.  She received the inaugural Patty Berg Award in 1979 for distinguished service to women’s golf, and the LPGA Founders Cup in 1983for charitable service off the course.

Smith spoke fondly of her time at KU. “The friendships I’ve made and the people I’ve met all added to my experience,” Smith said. “I had a wonderful time. I also went to a lot of football games. My teachers were terrific and it was a great institution for learning. I wish I could have stayed longer, but it was quite a privilege to attend the University of Kansas. Once a Jayhawk, Always a Jayhawk, am I right?”