Newport, Nebraska
2022, Honorary Category Member
Two
Two
2020 LPGA Commissioner's Award
NA
Nebraska native Opal Hill took up golf at 31 years old after her doctor prescribed light activity to help her recover from a kidney infection. It turned out to be pretty good advice. Hill won the Trans-Mississippi Women's Amateur in 1928, 1929, 1931, and 1934 and the 1928 North and South Women's Amateur. Opal also captured the Women's Western Amateur in 1929, 1931, and 1932 as well as the Missouri Women's Amateur from 1935-1937. She won the Women’s Western Open, formerly recognized as a major championship, in 1935 and 1936.
Hill played on the United States Curtis Cup team in 1932, 1934, and 1936, helping the U.S. to the Cup each time. She turned professional in 1938 and though she never won the U.S. Women’s Open, she was a medalist three times and a finalist once. Opal was one of the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour when it was created in 1950.
Hill was the first recipient of the National Golf Foundation’s Joe Graffis Award and is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Along with her fellow Founders, she received the 2000 LPGA Commissioner’s Award.
Tune in to watch as the LPGA Tour tees it up for their first major championship of the 2024 season. The Club at Carlton Woods plays host to The Chevron Championship. The 132-player field, highlighted by 10 of the top 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, will compete for a $7.9 million purse.
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