Margaret Anne "Peggy" Kirk Bell (October 28, 1921 – November 23, 2016) was an American professional golfer and golf instructor. She was known for her strong advocacy of women's golf. She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, class of 2019, in the lifetime achievement category.[1]
| Peggy Kirk Bell | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||
| Full name | Margaret Anne Kirk Bell | ||||||
| Nickname | Peggy | ||||||
| Born | October 28, 1921 Findlay, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | November 23, 2016 (aged 95) | ||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7.5 in (1.71 m) | ||||||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||||||
| Residence | Southern Pines, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Spouse | Warren "Bullet" Bell | ||||||
| Career | |||||||
| College | Rollins College | ||||||
| Turned professional | 1950 | ||||||
| Former tour | LPGA Tour | ||||||
| Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 1) | |||||||
| Western Open | 2nd: 1950 | ||||||
| Titleholders C'ship | Won: 1949 | ||||||
| Women's PGA C'ship | T3: 1958 | ||||||
| U.S. Women's Open | T5: 1952 | ||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career
editKirk was born in Findlay, Ohio in 1921. She 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.[2] She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Kirk played the ladies amateur tour in the 1940s before the development of a professional tour, winning three Ohio Amateurs and the 1949 Titleholders Championship and North and South Women's Amateur. She was also a member of the 1950 U.S. Curtis Cup team.
In the 1940s and 1950s, she competed as Peggy Kirk.
Late in her career, Bell owned the Pine Needles Resort in Southern Pines, North Carolina.[3]
Personal life
editIn 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, Warren "Bullet" Bell, who had played professional basketball with the Fort Wayne Pistons before turning to business. Warren died in 1984. Her older daughter, Bonnie, is married to former PGA Tour member Pat McGowan.
Bell died Southern Pines, North Carolina in November 2016 at the age of 95.[4][5]
Awards and honors
edit- In 1990, she was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.
- In 2002, she became the first woman voted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.
- In 2013, she earned the LPGA's Patty Berg Award, bestowed to a individual who exhibits good sportsmanship
- In 2019, she was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the lifetime achievement category.[1]
Amateur wins
edit- 1947 Ohio Women's Amateur
- 1948 Ohio Women's Amateur
- 1949 North and South Women's Amateur, Ohio Women's Amateur
Professional wins
editMajor championships
editWins (1)
edit| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Titleholders Championship | −1 (76-75-76-72=299) | 2 strokes |  Patty Berg, Dorothy Kirby (a) |
Team appearances
editAmateur
- Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 1950 (winners)
References
edit- 1 2 "World Golf Hall of Fame introduces the Class of 2019: Peggy Kirk Bell, Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson and Dennis Walters to be enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame on June 10, 2019 in Pebble Beach". PGA Tour. October 10, 2018.
- ↑ Rollins women's golf history Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Peggy Kirk Bell - North Carolina's First Lady of Golf Archived August 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ DeCock, Luke (November 24, 2016). "A titan of the Sandhills, Peggy Kirk Bell was a golf original". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina.
- ↑ "Longtime top amateur Peggy Kirk Bell, a proponent for women's golf, dies at 95". ESPN. Associated Press. November 24, 2016.
External links
edit- Peggy Kirk Bell at the LPGA Tour official site (archived)
- Tribute to Peggy Kirk Bell. pineneedles-midpines.com. at the Wayback Machine (archived July 23, 2008)
- Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour. pkbgt.org.