Judy Bell was a gifted golfer whose devotion to the sport led her to become the first female president of the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Born in Kansas, Bell was just 15 when she took a train to California to compete in the US Girls’ Junior, making it all the way to the semifinals.
Bell also played on two Curtis Cup teams (the amateur women’s equivalent to the Ryder Cup) and was twice captain of US Curtis Cup teams.
Bell moved into administration, volunteering on USGA committees and became a rules official, before working her way up to become the first woman on the executive committee.
She was elected president in 1996.
During Bell’s two-year presidency the USGA created a grants programme that now has contributed more than $US65 million ($NZ112.8m) to golf programmes for juniors, players with disabilities and other diverse groups.
A World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Judy Bell died on November 3 aged 89. — Agencies/Allied Media
