Last surviving LPGA Tour founder dies at 89

Marlene Hagge-Vossler, the last of the LPGA Tour’s 13 founders, has died at the age of 89.

The Hall of Fame player, who won 26 events on the Ladies’ professional circuit, passed away in Rancho Mirage, California, on Tuesday morning.

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In a statement, the LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said: “Marlene will be missed dearly, but I can guarantee she’ll never be forgotten.

“She was an impressive athlete, a fiery competitor and at a young age showed women and girls that they could achieve greatness in all areas of life.

“She will be remembered for both her talent and her longevity, competing in each of the LPGA Tour’s first five decades. We’re incredibly grateful for her contributions to the LPGA, women’s golf and women’s sports at large.”

In a professional career spanning over five decades, Hagge-Vossler lifted her first title at the 1952 Sarasota Open but had already become a monumental part of the LPGA Tour before then.

At Starmount Forest Country Club in North Carolina, 13-year-old Hagge-Vossler earned a USGA record that still stands, as the youngest player to make the cut, at the 1947 US Women’s Open.

She had already dominated the amateur scene, so turned professional in 1950, becoming a founder of the Tour at just 15, and won her last tournament in Miami at the 1972 Burdine’s Invitational.

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Hagge-Vossler was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame in 2002, while her sister, Alice Bauer, joined her in the LPGA Hall of Fame last year.

The association has witnessed massive growth since it was founded 73 years ago, with players competing for $100 million in prize money this year.

Former LPGA Commissioner Charlie Mechem told the Desert Sun: “Marlene had a very special place in the tour. She was not only a fine player, but she was beautiful, charismatic and popular.

“The tour and golf as a whole will miss her.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.