The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women's Golf legend Betsy Rawls dies at age 95
10.21.2023 | Women's Golf
From 1977-2020, Texas Women’s Golf held an annual invitational in honor of Rawls.
AUSTIN, Texas — A 1950 University of Texas graduate and one of the most prolific golfers of her day, Betsy Rawls passed away at the age of 95 on Saturday.
Rawls won more than 50 tour championships between 1951 and 1975, including four U.S. Opens, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1977 and into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
"Betsy Rawls was an extraordinary person who led an extraordinary life," Texas Women's Golf head coach Ryan Murphy said. "Her record was Hall of Fame worthy and her legacy is one that helped shape women's golf as we know it today. We lost a giant and we lost a Longhorn legend today. Our prayers and condolences go out to the Rawls family and to all of Betsy's friends around the country."
In 1977, the Texas Invitational golf tournament was renamed to honor Betsy Rawls. The last tournament to date was held in 2020, the 47th edition of the event. The tournament champions' list reads like a "who's who" of women's golf. Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel, Jody Rosenthal, Val Skinner, Michiko Hattori and Annika Sorenstam are just a few of the past winners who made the Betsy Rawls tournament one of the marquee events in women's golf.Texas winners included: Nancy Hager, Michiko Hattori, Kate Golden, Kristin Dufour, Janice Olivencia, Jessica Reese, Nicole Vandermade, Sophia Schubert and Hailee Cooper.
Rawls won 55 times on the LPGA and transitioned from a playing career to a tournament administrator in 1975.
We mourn the loss with Betsy's family and the entire golf world.