| Bettye Danoff | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Bettye Jane Mims Danoff |
| Nickname | Mighty Mite |
| Born | May 21, 1923 Dallas, Texas |
| Died | December 22, 2011 (aged 88) McKinney, Texas |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Nationality | United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1949 |
| Retired | 1961 |
| Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour (founding member) |
| Professional wins | 2 |
| Best results in LPGA Major Championships |
|
| U.S. Women's Open | 15th: 1952 |
Bettye Danoff (May 21, 1923 – December 22, 2011) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the 13 founding members of the LPGA tour in 1950.[1]
Born Bettye Jane Mims, she began playing golf at age 6. Her parents had opened a driving range and nine-hole golf course in Grand Prairie Texas.[2] She also played under the names Bettye Mims White and Bettye Mims Danoff.
The LPGA Tour wasn't founded until 1950. Before then, she four straight Dallas Women's Golf Association Championships in addition to two Texas Women's Amateur Championship. In 1947, she defeated Babe Zaharias, 1 up, in the Texas Women's Open. Zaharias had won 17 consecutive tournaments before losing to Danoff.[3] Also before her LPGA days, Danoff played exhibitions with PGA Tour stars.
Danoff was a mother to three daughters who traveled with her as she played off the LPGA Tour. After the death of her husband in 1961, Danoff played in a limited amount of tournaments. She was the LPGA Tour's first grandmother.
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