A Salute to Bettye Danoff

This past week, Bettye Danoff – one of the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour – passed away at the age of 88.

Though she barely passed the five-foot mark, Bettye earned the nickname “Mighty Mite” for her tenacity and undeniable spirit both on and off the course. Before the LPGA was even formed, Bettye beat Babe Zaharias 1-up as an amateur in the final of the 1947 Texas Women’s Open, shutting down Zaharias’ 17-tournament winning street.

Between 1945 and 1948, Bettye won four straight Dallas Women’s Golf Association Championships, the women’s division of the Texas PGA in 1945 and 1946, and the Texas Women’s Amateur in 1947 and 1948.

For her efforts in bringing women into the sport of Golf, Bettye was awarded the Commissioner’s Award in 2000. She is survived by a lasting legacy in the world of golf.