FORT MYERS, Fla., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Ladies Professional Golf Association founder and 15-time champion Patty Berg has died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Fort Myers, Fla., at 88.
Berg, who founded the LPGA with 13 other women in 1950 and went on to capture 60 victories -- including 15 championship titles -- died Sunday in a hospice, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
"Patty was a wonderfully talented woman who was dedicated to golf, to growing the game and to making the sport fun for golfers of all ages," said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. "She was a pioneer, an athlete, a mentor, a friend and an entertainer."
Berg, born in Minneapolis on Feb. 13, 1918, began playing golf at 13. She took home 28 amateur titles from 1934 to 1940, turned professional in 1940, and continued to play golf while serving in the Marine Corps during World War II.
After signing the LPGA's first articles of incorporation in 1950, Berg was elected the tour's first president.
"As a founder of the LPGA, Patty took the LPGA to new heights, and it was the work, passion and dedication that she and her fellow co-founders exhibited that has allowed the LPGA to grow and prosper for so many years," Bivens said.
