Shirley Spork facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shirley Spork |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 14, 1927 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 2022 (aged 94) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) |
| Turned professional | 1950 |
| Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour (co-founder) |
| Best results in LPGA Major Championships |
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| LPGA Championship | 2nd: 1962 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T8: 1962 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Patty Berg Award | 2015 |
Shirley G. Spork (born May 14, 1927 – died April 12, 2022) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the people who helped start the LPGA Tour. Shirley Spork finished second in the 1962 LPGA Championship. She also taught golf for many years. She was even named LPGA Teacher of the Year twice.
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Shirley Spork's Early Life and Golf Journey
Shirley Spork grew up near Detroit, in Redford, Michigan. Her home was right across from a golf course. As a child, she collected and cleaned old golf balls. She sold them to earn money. When she was 13, she used this money to buy her own golf clubs.
How Shirley Started Playing Golf
Shirley began practicing golf after hours. She played in tournaments in Detroit when she was only 14. In 1941, a newspaper called the Detroit Free Press said she would be a "future star." She later attended a golf school run by the Free Press. One of her first big wins was in 1944 at a Red Cross golf event.
Shirley Spork's College and Professional Career
Shirley wanted to play golf after high school. However, her parents wanted her to go to college. So, in 1945, she started at Michigan State Normal College. This school is now known as Eastern Michigan University.
College Golf Achievements
In June 1946, she won "top honors" at a Women's District Golf Association tournament. While in college, she won the national individual intercollegiate golf championship in 1947. She played this tournament between her final exams! In 1948, she was the runner-up in the same championship. Shirley graduated from college in 1949.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
Soon after college, Shirley became a professional golfer. She started playing in professional events in 1950. In the fall of 1950, she was hired to work at Bowling Green State University. She worked in their health and physical education department.
Founding the LPGA Tour
Shirley Spork was one of the 13 people who started the LPGA in 1950. The LPGA stands for Ladies Professional Golf Association. It is a major golf tour for women.
Teaching Golf Around the World
In 1951, Shirley traveled to the United Kingdom and France to play golf. In 1954, she began teaching golf at Tamarisk Country Club in Palm Springs, California. She also helped create a teaching part of the LPGA. This part is now called the Teaching and Club Professional Membership. In 1962, she earned second place in the LPGA Championship. For a few years in the 1970s, Shirley worked as an educator for the National Golf Foundation.
Awards and Later Life
Shirley Spork continued to play golf even into her 90s. She was given the LPGA Teacher of the Year Award in 1959 and again in 1984.
Recognitions and Honors
- In 1968, she joined the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
- She was added to the Eastern Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.
- In 2017, she received the Heritage Award from the SCPGA.
- Shirley Spork was put into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2019.
- She is also in a documentary about the LPGA called The Founders (2016).
- She wrote a book about her life in golf called From Green to Tee in 2017.
Shirley Spork passed away on April 12, 2022, when she was 94 years old.
