Judy Bell, the first woman to be president of USGA, dies at 89

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Judy Bell, whose devotion to golf led her to become the first woman to be president of the U.S. Golf Association, died Monday at her home in Colorado after spending 15 months in hospice care, the USGA said. She was 89.

Bell was 15 when she took a train from her native Kansas to California to compete in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. She lost to the great Mickey Wright in the semifinals, her highest finish. But she played on two Curtis Cup teams and was the U.S. captain of two Curtis Cup teams.

What marked her career was volunteering on USGA committees, becoming a rules official and working her way up to become the first woman on the executive committee. She was elected president in 1996.

“Judy Bell was more than a leader, she was a force of nature whose vision and compassion shaped the very soul of the game,” said Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA. “Judy helped open doors for countless young girls to find their place, their confidence and their joy in golf. She broke barriers not for the sake of recognition, but to make the game better and more welcoming for everyone.

“All of us at the USGA mourn her passing and celebrate the extraordinary life of a woman whose impact will continue to be felt for generations.”

Bell was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001, and she was among the first women to receive honorary lifetime membership in the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in 2015 when it voted to allow female members.

She showed her quick wit when asked how it felt to be the first woman to be USGA president.

“I don’t know yet how it feels to be president because I’ve only been one for a few hours, but I know how it feels to be a woman because I’ve been one for 59 years,” she replied.

It was during Bell’s two-year presidency that the USGA created a grants program that now has contributed more than $65 million to golf programs for juniors, players with disabilities and other diverse groups.

“I’m passionate about the game of golf, which has given me so much sheer joy and pleasure that I have always wanted to give something back to it,” Bell once said about devoting so much time to the USGA. “Without question that’s really what my volunteer efforts have been about.”