Betty Dodd
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Elizabeth Hobart Dodd (April 11, 1931 – July 8, 1993) was an American
professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
who played on the
LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...
. Dodd was born in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, in 1931 to General Francis and Margaret Dodd. She began the game of golf at age 11 in 1942. On her first 9 holes, she shot a 42 at the age of 11. At age 16, she won her first tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Her father was in command of the lower area in southern Germany during this time. After the war, the family settled in San Antonio and Dodd soon began dominating ladies amateur golf in San Antonio until she turned professional, joining the LPGA in 1952. At age 19, she won the San Antonio driving contest with a 310-yard drive. From 1952 until 1964, Dodd was an active member of the LPGA tour. During her professional career, Robert Mayer, Warren Smith, and
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (; Didrikson; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the ...
instructed Dodd. Dodd won twice on the LPGA Tour, in 1956 and 1957.LPGA Tournament Chronology 1950-59
She claimed the San Antonio Women's City Championship from 1941 to 1951, the Oak Hills Club Championship in 1951, and the Brackenridge Club Championship in 1950–51. Soon after turning professional, Dodd was the first woman professional to earn an endorsement contract with Hillerich & Bradsby Co. She retired in 1960 because of a recurring ankle injury she originally broke playing high school basketball. Dodd later taught for many years in the San Antonio area and was a golf instructor at Oak Hills Country Club and Ft. Sam Houston Country Club. Her prominent students at the time, included touring professionals Shirley Furlong, Cindy Lincoln, and Wendy Ward. Dodd was elected national LPGA "Teacher of the Year" in 1980 and attained Master Professional status in 1987. In 2004, she was inducted posthumously into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame along with NBA star
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
, MLB All-Star Gary Bell, MLB pitcher Joel Horlen, and high school baseball coach Robert Zamora. Dodd was a close friend and pupil of fellow golfer
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (; Didrikson; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She won two gold medals and a silver in track and field at the ...
. According to Susan Cayleff's biography ''Babe'', Dodd was quoted as to saying "I had such admiration for this fabulous person aharias I loved her. I would have done anything for her." They met in a 1950 amateur golf tournament in Miami and became friends almost immediately despite the 20-year age difference. This was most likely due to their brash personalities. Both liked to be on the stage, and they often entertained the other women golfers, with Zaharias playing the harmonica and Dodd singing and playing the guitar. They even performed on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'' together. In Zaharias' 1955 autobiography ''This Life I've Led'', she talks about how she enjoyed helping Dodd, as a talented teenager, get started in pro golf and her overall fondness for Dodd; "She's like a daughter to me." Dodd appreciated Zaharias's help and friendship. When Zaharias was losing her battle to cancer, Dodd joined Babe and George in Florida to help take care of Zaharias. She looked up to Zaharias and never forgot how someone of Zaharias's athletic stature was willing to help a promising teenager learn the ropes of professional golf. This was a great influence on why Dodd went into teaching after she retired.


Professional wins


LPGA Tour wins

*
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
Lawton Open *
1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
Colonial Open


Other wins

*1951 Hollywood Four-Ball (with
Betsy Rawls Elizabeth Earle Rawls (May 4, 1928 – October 21, 2023) was an American professional golfer who played on LPGA Tour. She won eight women's major golf championships, major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. She was a member of the Worl ...
)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Betty American female golfers LPGA Tour golfers 1931 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen