Renee Powell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Renee Powell |
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Powell in 2018
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| Personal information | |
| Born | May 4, 1946 Canton, Ohio |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | East Canton, Ohio |
| Career | |
| College | Ohio University Ohio State University |
| Turned professional | 1967 |
| Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Best results in LPGA Major Championships |
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| Western Open | T33: 1967 |
| Titleholders C'ship | DNP |
| LPGA Championship | T20: 1969, 1976 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T33: 1966 |
| du Maurier Classic | 78th: 1980 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| National Afro-American Golfers Hall of Fame |
1986 |
| National Black Golf Hall of Fame |
2006 |
| African American Golfers Hall of Fame |
2007 |
| PGA of America Hall of Fame |
2017 |
Renee Powell (born May 4, 1946) is an American professional golfer. She played on the US-based LPGA Tour. Today, she is the head professional at her family's Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Renee Powell was the second African-American woman to play on the LPGA Tour.
Renee's father, Bill Powell, was a golf course owner. Renee grew up in Ohio and started playing golf very young. She won many youth amateur trophies as a teenager. She also led the women's golf teams at Ohio University and Ohio State University. In 1967, she became a professional golfer.
In the 1970s, she moved to the UK to improve her career. She joined the British PGA. In 1977, she made history as the first woman to play in a men's golf tournament. After she retired in 1980, she worked as a television commentator. In 1995, she became the head professional of the Clearview Golf Club. Powell is a member of the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame. In 2017, she was added to the PGA of America Hall of Fame.
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Growing Up with Golf
Renee Powell was born in East Canton, Ohio. She started playing golf when she was just three years old. Her father, Bill Powell, was the first African American to build his own golf course in the US. He made small golf clubs for Renee when she was a child. He was also her golf teacher.
Renee's early life was calm. She played many different sports, like archery, ballet, and basketball. She also helped take care of the Clearview golf course. She even drove a tractor!
Early Tournament Success
Powell played in her first amateur tournament at age 12. She won her division. By 1960, she had won 30 youth tournament trophies. In 1961, she had 50 trophies and played golf every day. She won many local and regional tournaments. The Akron Beacon Journal newspaper called her the "Queen of the Bantam Golf Show."
In 1962, she was the first African American to enter the U.S. Girls' Junior championship. She surprised everyone by winning the first round. In 1963, she won the Akron Tire Town open for the third time. She also won the amateur title at the United Golf Association (UGA) National Open in 1964.
College Golf and Breaking Barriers
Powell finished Central Catholic High School in 1964. She then went to Ohio University (OU) and later to Ohio State University (OSU). At both universities, Powell was the captain of the women's golf team. At OSU, she became the first African American to lead a major university golf team. When she wanted to play in the Ohio State Golf Association tournament, OSU supported her. They said they would leave the organization if she was not allowed to play.
Professional Golf Career
Renee Powell played in over 250 professional golf tournaments. In 1967, she joined the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). She was the second African American player to join the LPGA. When she was a new player, she faced many challenges. Some people did not want a Black woman playing golf.
Sometimes, she was not allowed to stay in the official tournament hotels. When she traveled with Canadian golfer Sandra Post, they worked together to find a room for Renee. There were also times when Renee and Sandra were not served at restaurants. Despite these difficulties, Powell kept playing. She also worked at Wilson Sporting Goods and gave golf lessons. Her parents also helped her financially. By 1969, the LPGA made it clear that their tour was open to everyone.
International Play and Service
Powell won the 1973 Kelly-Springfield Tournament in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. She set a course record with a final score of 67 strokes. She visited Africa 25 times, teaching golf to leaders and other people. In 1971, she went on a USO Tour. She met troops in Vietnam during the war. She was friends with fellow golfer Patty Berg, who encouraged her career.
In the 1970s, Powell moved to the UK to play more golf. She played her first round at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1975. She was briefly the first female head professional at Silvermere Golf Club. Powell joined the British PGA. In 1977, she became the first woman to play in a British men's tournament. She also designed golf clothes for Harrods. She called herself "the lone ranger" because she was the only important Black female professional golfer.
After Retirement
In 1980, Renee Powell retired from the LPGA. She had played in over 250 professional golf events. After retiring, she became a television commentator for ABC and CBS. In 1995, she became the head professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Her father started this club in 1948. It was a place free of unfair treatment based on race or social class.
In 2000, the LPGA recognized her work at Clearview. They named the course one of 75 Girls Golf Club sites. She also runs a program called Clearview HOPE. This program helps female war veterans. Clearview HOPE is a free golf program for veterans in Northern Ohio. It helps them relax and heal. In 2019, Powell was chosen to be the first at-large member of the PGA of America board of directors.
Awards and Honors
In 1992, Powell and her family received the Jack Nicklaus Golf Family Award. This award came from the National Golf Foundation (NGF). She became a member of the PGA of America in 1996. The LPGA gave her a Service Award in 1999. In 2003, she received the First Lady of Golf Award from the PGA.
In 2013, Powell was added to the Stark County Amateur Hall of Fame. She won a Black Enterprise Women of Power award in 2016. Powell was inducted into the PGA America Hall of Fame in 2017. Her father had also been inducted. This made them the only father and daughter to both receive this award. Powell said it was "extremely special" to be inducted alongside her father.
In 2008, Powell received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of St Andrews. In 2015, she was invited to be one of the first women members of Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. In 2016, the women's golf team at the university named their tournament after Powell. In 2018, Powell returned to St Andrews for a ceremony. Two new student dorms were opened, and one was named after her. In 2019, Powell and her family received the Old Tom Morris Award. This award came from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
