Nickname Mighty Mite Role Golfer Professional wins 1 Name Bettye Danoff Former tours LPGA | U.S. Women's Open 15th: 1952 Retired 1961 Nationality United States Height 1.57 m Turned professional 1949 | |
 | ||
Full name Bettye Jane Mims Danoff Born May 21, 1923
Dallas, Texas ( 1923-05-21 ) Died December 22, 2011, McKinney, Texas, United States | ||
Bettye danoff june 21 2009 sports sunday channel 4
Bettye Jane Danoff (née Mims; May 21, 1923 – December 22, 2011) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the 13 founding members of the LPGA tour in 1950.
Contents
Danoff began playing golf at age 6. Her parents had opened a driving range and nine-hole golf course in Grand Prairie Texas. She also played under the names Bettye Mims White and Bettye Mims Danoff.
The LPGA Tour wasn't founded until 1950. Before then, she four straight Dallas Women's Golf Association Championships in addition to two Texas Women's Amateur Championship. In 1947, she defeated Babe Zaharias, 1 up, in the Texas Women's Open. Zaharias had won 17 consecutive tournaments before losing to Danoff. Also before her LPGA days, Danoff played exhibitions with PGA Tour stars.
Danoff was a mother to three daughters who traveled with her as she played off the LPGA Tour. After the death of her husband in 1961, Danoff played in a limited amount of tournaments. She was the LPGA Tour's first grandmother.