Betsy Rawls, Eight-Time LPGA Major Champion, Dies at 95

Betsy Rawls, one of the winningest golfers in LPGA history, died at the age of 95 on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Rawls joined the LPGA in 1951 in the tour’s second year and won her first tournament, the Sacramento Women’s Invitational Open, that same year. The rest is history—she won 55 LPGA events in her storied career, which ranks for the sixth most in tour history.

She captured eight major championship titles in her career, with her four U.S. Open wins being tied for the most in LPGA history. Her first U.S. Open came in 1951 during her first year on the tour. Rawls won two Western Open titles and two PGA Championships, but never rose the first place trophy at the Titleholders Championship. She did earn second place at that major three times, though.

With all of these honors added, Rawls was became a member of the inaugural class of the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1967.

After Rawls finished her professional career, she never fully stepped away from the LPGA. From 1961–62, Rawls acted as the tour’s president. Then, from 1987 to 2004, Rawls worked as the tournament director of the LPGA Championship, which is now known as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Rawls said that she played golf until she was 92 years old, only stopping when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.