Betty Jameson
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth May "Betty" Jameson (May 9, 1919 – February 7, 2009) was an American
professional golf
er and one of the founders of the LPGA
.
. She attended the University of Texas at Austin
and in 1939 and 1940 won back-to-back U.S. Women's Amateurs. She won the Women's Western Amateur
in 1940 and 1942.
Jameson turned professional in 1945 and was one of the thirteen women who founded the LPGA
in 1950.
The first of her three major championship wins came at the 1942 Women's Western Open while she was still an amateur. The other two were the 1947 U.S. Women's Open and the 1954 Women's Western Open. In total she won twelve individual professional tournaments between 1947 and 1955. She also won two four-ball professional events with Mary Lena Faulk
.
Jameson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf in 1951. She became one of the first six members of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame on its inauguration in 1967 and is now a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
.
Jameson died in Boynton Beach, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and one of the founders of the LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
.
Biography
Jameson was born in Norman, OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
. She attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and in 1939 and 1940 won back-to-back U.S. Women's Amateurs. She won the Women's Western Amateur
Women's Western Amateur
The Women's Western Amateur is an amateur golf tournament for women. It is organized by the Women's Western Golf Association, which also organized the Women's Western Open from 1930 to 1967. It is one of the oldest women's amateur tournaments in the United States, having been played since 1901...
in 1940 and 1942.
Jameson turned professional in 1945 and was one of the thirteen women who founded the LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
in 1950.
The first of her three major championship wins came at the 1942 Women's Western Open while she was still an amateur. The other two were the 1947 U.S. Women's Open and the 1954 Women's Western Open. In total she won twelve individual professional tournaments between 1947 and 1955. She also won two four-ball professional events with Mary Lena Faulk
Mary Lena Faulk
Mary Lena Faulk was an American professional golfer.Faulk was born in Chipley, Florida but at the age of 14 moved to Thomasville, Georgia where she won three consecutive Georgia Women's Amateur Matchplay Championships from 1946 to 1948.In 1953, Faulk won the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1954 she was...
.
Jameson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf in 1951. She became one of the first six members of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame on its inauguration in 1967 and is now a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
.
Jameson died in Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research...
.
LPGA Tour wins (13)
- 1942 (1) Women's Western Open (as an amateur)
- 1947 (2) U.S. Women's Open, Women's Texas Open
- 1948 (1) Tampa OpenTampa Women's OpenThe Tampa Women's Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1947 to 1960. It was played at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Florida. The 1950 event was the first official event on the LPGA Tour...
- 19521952 LPGA TourThe 1952 LPGA Tour was the third season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 24 official money events. Betsy Rawls and Louise Suggs won the most tournaments, six each...
(3) Corpus Christi TournamentCorpus Christi TournamentThe Corpus Christi Tournament was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played only in 1952. It was played in Corpus Christi, Texas. Betty Jameson won the event....
, Bakersfield OpenBakersfield Open (LPGA Tour)The Bakersfield Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1952 to 1953. It was played in Bakersfield, California-Winners:*1953 Louise Suggs*1952 Marlene Hagge, Betty Jameson, Betsy Rawls, Babe Zaharias...
(tie with Marlene HaggeMarlene HaggeMarlene Hagge , also known as Marlene Bauer before her marriage, is an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002....
, Betsy RawlsBetsy RawlsElizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls is an American professional golfer.Rawls was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After attending the University of Texas, Rawls joined the LPGA Tour in its second season in 1951. She won 55 tournaments on the tour, including eight major championships...
, and Babe ZahariasBabe ZahariasMildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
), World ChampionshipWorld Championship (LPGA Tour)The World Championship was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1958 to 1957. It was played at the Tam O'Shanter Country Club in Niles, Illinois. It was played concurrently with the men's World Championship of Golf on the PGA Tour as well as World Amateur events... - 19531953 LPGA TourThe 1953 LPGA Tour was the fourth season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 15 to October 18. The season consisted of 25 official money events. Louise Suggs won the most tournaments, eight. She also led the money list with earnings of $19,816.This season also...
(1) Serbin Miami Beach Open - 19541954 LPGA TourThe 1954 LPGA Tour was the fifth season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 15 to October 31. The season consisted of 21 official money events. Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias won the most tournaments, five each...
(1) Women's Western Open - 19551955 LPGA TourThe 1955 LPGA Tour was the sixth season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 6 to October 9. The season consisted of 27 official money events. Patty Berg won the most tournaments, six. She also led the money list with earnings of $16,492.The season saw the first...
(4) Sarasota OpenSarasota Open (LPGA Tour)The Sarasota Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1952 to 1956. It was played in Sarasota, Florida at the Sarasota Bay Country Club from 1952 to 1954 and at the Bobby Jones Golf Club from 1955 to 1956.-Winners:*1956 Betsy Rawls*1955 Betty Jameson...
, Babe Zaharias OpenBabe Zaharias OpenThe Babe Zaharias Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1953 to 1967. It was played at in Beaumont, Texas at the Beaumont Country Club from 1953 to 1964 and at the Bayou Din Golf Club from 1965 to 1967. Babe Zaharias, LPGA co-founder and Beaumont resident, hosted the tournament until her...
, White Mountain OpenWhite Mountain OpenThe White Mountain Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played only in 1955. It was played in Bethlehem, New Hampshire at three different courses: Bethlehem Country Club, Maplewood Country Club, and Mount Washington Golf Club. Betty Jameson won the event....
, Richmond OpenRichmond Open (LPGA Tour)The Richmond Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour in 1951, 1952, and 1955. It was played at the Richmond Golf Club in Richmond, California.-Winners:*1955 Betty Jameson*1953-54 No tournament*1952 Patty Berg*1951 Babe Zaharias...
Other wins
- 1938 Women's Texas Open (as an amateur)
- 1952 Hardscrabble OpenHardscrabble OpenThe Hardscrabble Open, also known as the Hardscrabble Women's Invitation, was a golf tournament played at the Hardscrabble Golf Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas from 1945 to 1953...
- 1955 Virginia Hot Springs 4-Ball (with Mary Lena FaulkMary Lena FaulkMary Lena Faulk was an American professional golfer.Faulk was born in Chipley, Florida but at the age of 14 moved to Thomasville, Georgia where she won three consecutive Georgia Women's Amateur Matchplay Championships from 1946 to 1948.In 1953, Faulk won the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1954 she was...
) - 1958 Homestead 4-Ball (with Mary Lena FaulkMary Lena FaulkMary Lena Faulk was an American professional golfer.Faulk was born in Chipley, Florida but at the age of 14 moved to Thomasville, Georgia where she won three consecutive Georgia Women's Amateur Matchplay Championships from 1946 to 1948.In 1953, Faulk won the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1954 she was...
)
Wins (3)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 1942 Women's Western Open The 1942 Women's Western Open was a golf competition held at Elmhurst Country Club, which was the 13th edition of the event. Betty Jameson won the championship in match play competition by defeating Phyllis Otto in the final match, 9 and 7.... |
Women's Western Open | 9 & 7 |  Phyllis Otto |
|
| 1947 1947 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship The 1947 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship was contested from June 26 to 29 at Starmount Forest Country Club. It was the second edition of the U.S. Women's Open.This event was won by Betty Jameson.-Final leaderboard:-External links:****... |
U.S. Women's Open | −9 (76-75-74-70=295) | 6 strokes | Polly Riley Polly Riley Polly Ann Riley was an American amateur golfer.Riley won over 100 tournaments in her career. Although she remained an amateur throughout her career, she won the first LPGA Tour event, the 1950 Tampa Open.... (a), Sally Sessions (a) |
| 1954 1954 Women's Western Open The 1954 Women's Western Open was a golf competition held at Glen Flora Country Club, which was the 25th edition of the event. Betty Jameson won the championship in match play competition by defeating Louise Suggs in the final match, 6 and 5.... |
Women's Western Open | 6 & 5 | Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager... |
|