September 7, 1923 – August 7, 2015
By Dr. Tony Parker, Official Historian to the World Golf Hall of Fame
Today, the golf world said goodbye to Louise Suggs, 91, a humanitarian and beloved Hall of Fame member. While Suggs will forever be remembered for her significant contributions to golf – mainly her co-founding of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950 – it was Suggs’ character and lively personality for which her friends will remember her most.
She was born into a golf environment on September 7, 1923 in Lithia Springs, Georgia. Her father owned and managed a golf course where she learned to love the game and developed a passion for winning. Fellow Hall of Fame member Ben Hogan once said of Louise, “She was bound to be a winner. And she was.”
During a dazzling eight-year amateur career, she won 15 amateur championships including the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the British Amateur Championship and the Women’s Western Open, which was considered a Major Championship at the time.
Suggs would go on to win 11 Major Championships and 50 additional LPGA wins during her career. She took the crown at two U.S. Women’s Open Championships, an LPGA Championship and won both the Women’s Western Open and the Titleholders Championship four times.
In addition to her stellar golfing accomplishments, Louise was also one of the founding members of the LPGA and served as its president from 1955 to 1957. Suggs was the inaugural female inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and was among three World Golf Hall of Fame members to be recognized as honorary female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club earlier this year.
Louise spent the last several years living in the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida and maintained her sense of humor and the mischievous glint in her eyes. From her personalized license plate on her car “Teed Off,” to the naming of her dog “Damit,” Louise’s fun-loving personality was perhaps her biggest gift.
Suggs was generous with her time and took a special interest in helping to grow junior girls’ golf and was also a tireless supporter of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Thanks to her personal contributions, her member locker is proudly displayed with unique memorabilia, books and trophies from her playing days.
While we say goodbye to one of golf’s great champions, her legacy is sure to live on forever inside the Museum and in the hearts of everyone who knew her. She will be greatly missed and is much appreciated for her contributions to the game.
As Louise herself said, “It’s been a trip – and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
