Shirley Spork deserved to be in the LPGA Hall of Fame decades ago. Truth be told, she should’ve been part of the inaugural class in 1967 along with every other LPGA founder. But how wonderful that only two weeks ago, during the Chevron Championship, Spork received word from LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan that she’d finally be in the Hall as an honorary member.
Spork died April 12 at age 94 in California knowing that her name would forever be included among the all-time greats in the game. Exactly as it should be.
While she never won on the LPGA, the witty and wise Spork influenced the game in profound ways, first as one of 13 LPGA founders and then as the woman who championed the LPGA Teaching & Club Pro Division. She taught generations of women how to play and teach the game, specifically tailoring instruction to women.
