Kathy Whitworth

Whitworth claimed more tour victories than Tiger Woods before retiring from competitive golf in 2005.

"Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on the golf course and off." At 15, she won the New Mexico Women's Amateur, a feat she would repeat the following year. 27, 1939, in the tiny town of Monahans, Texas, and grew up playing the local 9-hole course with her grandfather's clubs.

Kathy Whitworth, who has the most trophies in professional golf, has died at the age of 83.

She loved her sport, and was a trailblazer and a true champion. Tennis legend Billie Jean King paid tribute to Whitworth, saying on Twitter: “Kathy Whitworth, who had 88 career wins and was the winningest golfer in history, has died. In total she won 88 titles over the course of a career that spanned decades.

Kathy Whitworth, professional golf's all-time wins leader, died suddenly on Christmas Eve at the age of 83. Whitworth was a giant in professional golf and ...

Her 88 wins are the most of any professional golfer, giving her six more than both Tiger Woods and Sam Snead. Whitworth was a giant in professional golf and one of the most dominant players ever. [Follow Yardbarker on MSN to get our exclusive content in your Microsoft News feed](https://www.msn.com/en-us/community/channel/vid-cj9pqbr0vn9in2b6ddcd8sfgpfq6x6utp44fssrv6mc2gtybw0us)

LPGA legend Kathy Whitworth passed away suddenly, according to her family, at the age of 83 years old while celebrating Christmas Eve.

Kathy passed suddenly Saturday night celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends,” Odle said in a statement. We all mourn with Bettye, her family and the entire golf world.” The LPGA Tour and her longtime partner, Bettye Odle, announced the news on Sunday.

Whitworth, whose LPGA Tour victories spanned nearly a quarter-century, died on Christmas Eve. Her 88 victories are the most by any player on a single ...

"I don't think about the legacy of 88 tournaments," she once said. "I was really fortunate in that I knew what I wanted to do," Whitworth once told Golf Digest. Whitworth won eight times in 1963 and 1965, and she had 11 victories in 1968. "I think Mickey had the best swing, and was probably the greatest golfer," Betsy Rawls once told Golf Digest. She was the LPGA player of the year seven times in an eight-year span (1966 through 1973). Whitworth was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982. She won six majors during her career and broke Mickey Wright's record of 82 career wins when Whitworth captured the Lady Michelob in the summer of 1982. She started at age 15 in Jal, New Mexico, on the nine-hole course built for the El Paso Natural Gas employees. I was just fortunate to be so successful. Wright won 82 times on the LPGA Tour, while Sorenstam had 72 wins when she retired after the 2006 season at age 36. All that was missing from her career was the U.S. Her 88 victories are the most by any player on a single professional tour.

Kathy Whitworth won 88 titles, the most on any professional tour and Sweden's Annika Sörenstam said: 'A total class act, she will be sorely missed'

Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing and creating memories.” Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on the golf course and off.” The American’s 88 LPGA wins are the most on any professional tour, exceeding the men’s PGA Tour record of 82 shared by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods.

Kathy Whitworth, America's most decorated professional golfer, died at the age of 83, according to the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Whitworth turned professional in 1958, at the age of 18, and won her first professional tournament, the Amarillo Open, in 1959. [Whitworth](/topic/whitworth), the first woman golfer to earn $1 million, was 83. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). She founded the [Kathy Whitworth](/topic/kathy-whitworth), who won on the LPGA Tour for nearly a quarter-century, died on Christmas Eve, confirmed by her longtime partner. The only thing missing from her career was the U.S open.

The headline read: “Winningest golfer ever.” “Jack Nicklaus, of course,” I thought to myself. I'd been doing research for a new project, clicking through ...

In addition to competing, Whitworth served as the president of the LPGA, as well as on the pairings committee, tournament committee and she was the treasurer. On one end of the room was a photo of her mother at her old course in Jal. Like Penick, Whitworth developed a love of teaching, and her meticulousness is evident from the care she takes arranging her grip. It was clear the club respected and loved Whitworth. 1, people look to you to be the leader. “When I became leading money winner, the hard part was staying there. There was a humbleness engrained in her way of speaking. Back in the Trophy Lake clubhouse, I sat down with Whitworth. I headed to the “trophy room,” a long room flanked by black wood in the clubhouse. Then in 1962, she got her first professional win at the Kelly Girls Open outside Baltimore. Penick wouldn’t let Whitworth swing the club until her grip was right. After Whitworth's frustrating foray into the game, she was determined to get better.

Whitworth died on Christmas Eve, according to an announcement from the LPGA. She died "suddenly," however the cause of death is unknown. She was born in 1939.

[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/) "Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on the golf course and off. [Christmas Eve](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/christmas), according to an announcement from the LPGA. [WHOOPI GOLDBERG RENEWS CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS ON HOLOCAUST DURING HANUKKAH](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/whoopi-goldberg-controversial-comments-holocaust-hanukkah) "We all mourn with Bettye, her family, and the entire golf world.” Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing, and creating memories,”