Margaret Anne "Peggy" Kirk Bell (October 28, 1921 – November 23, 2016) 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 ...

and golf instructor known for her strong advocacy of women's golf. She was elected to the

World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame was, until recently, located at World Golf Village between Jacksonville, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States. It is unusual amongst sports halls of fame in that a single site honored both men ...

, class of 2019, in the lifetime achievement category. Born in

Findlay, Ohio Findlay ( ) is a city in Hancock County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. Its population was 40,313 at the 2020 United Sta ...

, Peggy started playing golf at age 17. She took to the game immediately and quickly won a number of titles. She played college golf at

Rollins College Rollins College is a Liberal arts college, private liberal arts college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several master's programs. Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institut ...

. She was a member of

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than ...

. She played the ladies amateur tour in the 1940s before the development of a professional tour, winning three Ohio Amateurs and the 1949

Titleholders Championship The Titleholders Championship was a women's golf tournament played from in 1937 to 1966 and again in 1972. It was later designated a major championship by the LPGA Tour. History The Titleholders Championship was founded in 1937. Like the Maste ...

and

North and South Women's Amateur The North and South Women's Amateur Golf Championship is an annual golf tournament held since 1903 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. An invitational tournament, participants are chosen based upon their performance in national ama ...

. She was also a member of the 1950 U.S.

Curtis Cup The Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match. It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and The R&A and is contested by teams representing the United States and " ...

team. At that time she competed as Peggy Kirk, and in 1953 she married her high school sweetheart, Warren "Bullet" Bell, who had played professional basketball with the

Fort Wayne Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at ...

before turning to business. Warren died in 1984. In 1990, she was voted the

Bob Jones Award The Bob Jones Award is the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. It is named in honor of Bobby Jones (golfer), Bobby Jones. Winners *1955 Francis Ouimet *1956 William C. C ...

, the highest honor given by the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rule ...

in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. She became the first woman voted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame in 2002. Bell owned the Pine Needles Resort in

Southern Pines, North Carolina Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,545 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 12,334 in 2010 United States census, 2010. History Founde ...

. Her older daughter, Bonnie, is married to former PGA Tour member

Pat McGowan Patrick Ray McGowan (born November 27, 1954) is an American professional golf instructor and former PGA Tour player. Early life and amateur career McGowan was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He attended Brigham Young University. He played ...

. Bell died there in November 2016 at the age of 95.

Major championships

Wins (1)

Team appearances

Amateur *

(representing the United States):

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

(winners)

References

External links

* *
Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour. ''pkbgt.org''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk Bell, Peggy American female golfers Rollins Tars women's golfers LPGA Tour golfers Winners of LPGA major golf championships World Golf Hall of Fame inductees Golfers from Ohio Golfers from North Carolina Sportspeople from Findlay, Ohio People from Southern Pines, North Carolina 1921 births 2016 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen