First Women's Golf Tournament

When we look back into history, sometimes we have to go away back into sports history to learn about the events that changed the sporting world. And on January ninth, eighteen eleven, the first ever documented women's golf tournament took place in Scotland. Here's the story behind this iconic event. Welcomed back to daily sports history. I'm eatin Ree's your guide to a quick deep dive every day into sports history. Golf is one of our most storied sports around, very simple, the concept had been played for centuries. Back on January ninth, eighteen eleven, history was made in the first ever documented women's golf tournament took place in mussel Borough, Scotland. Their participants were local fishermen wives who took their course with determination and skill. It's incredible to think about how these women were breaking barriers in golf over a century before other sports. But our journey into the women's golf history doesn't start in eighteen eleven. It dates back further into the fifteen hundreds. The legendary married Queen of the Scots, known for her reign from fifteen forty two to fifteen sixty seven, was a trailblazing woman on the golf course. Golf was created at least the basics of the sport in Scotland that it makes sense Quick would take to the sport, and she was an avid golfer, even credited for coining the term caddie by referencing her assistance as cadets. But her passion for golf was strong and drew criticism from taking away from her royal duties during her reign. Saint Andrew's golf course was constructed and is still in use today. But the women of her time did not enjoy the same opportunity that she got. The world was dominated by men at the time. We fast forward to eighteen eleven, the Musselboro Golf Club in Scotland hosted an eighteen whole tournament for women. The winner would receive a fishing basket as a prize, second and third place a silk handkerchief from Barcelona. It's amazing to think how far women's golf has come, and women have played a significant role in golf throughout his even though their contributions are not always recognized or celebrated. The next couple of centuries were marked by anonymity of women's golfers. Saint Andrews appears to have the first ladies club established back in eighteen sixty seven. However, women were often confined to courses that were shorter and entire they had to be expected to wear with the men thinking the longer holes which require longer swings that were not graceful enough for traditional women's dress. In the United States, the emergence of golf for women was also noticeable. Records show golf equipment being shipped to William Wallace and South Carolina in seventeen thirty nine. The South Carolina Golf Club was established in seventeen eighty seven. Still, it wasn't till the nineteenth century when women's golf firmly established itself. Golf for women became increasingly more popular, with British amateur champion may Heslitt stating in seventeen o seven golf is a game par excellence for women. The sport provided excellent exercise without violent nature found in other sports like hockey and tennis. The USGA held its first women's Amateur championship in eighteen ninety five, which is thirteen entries and the winner was Missus Charles S. Brown took an unconventional route shooting one hundred and thirty two strokes on a nine whole course played twice. The British Ladies Championship followed few years later in eighteen ninety three, showing the continuance for the growth of the sport the nineteen twenties. In the nineteen thirties witnessed an emergence of the first women professional golfers. Helen MacDonald was the first woman to sign an equipment deal in nineteen twenty four, and in nineteen thirty four Helen Hicks became the first to promote a manufacturer's product and give golf clinics. In nineteen forty one, Patty Burke made history waiting a check for the Women's Western Golf Association. This event had a purse of one hundred thousand dollars. The LPGA continued to grow and grow, with many of it dathletes reaching beyond just the golf course and into mainstream pulp culture, such as Michelle Weid or an Akas Ornstein. Now l p g A is a thriving organization with over thirty four tournaments a year an average purse of over a million dollars per event. Thank you for listening to to day's daily sports history. If you like this, go tell your friends where they can learn more about sports every day, and we look forward to having you come back tomorrow