Golf It Forward drives the future of professional women, spirited by the history of women’s golf.
WELCOME TO GOLF IT FORWARD™
Today GOLF IT FORWARD is the public face of the Marilynn Smith and Founders’ Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation embodies the ingenuity, drive and passion of 13 women who had the foresight to see that there was a future for women in golf and golf in the future of women. Over the past seven decades, events such as the Marilynn Smith Pro-Am and Shirley Spork Golf Tournament provided funds to promote opportunities for women in golf. The spirit of the Founders lives on in the special events presented by Golf It Forward. Events include the annual Silent Auction, Sunday Tea and Marilynn Smith Scholarship Pro-Am. With these cornerstone fundraising events, we are able to continue to grant $5,000 scholarships to high school female golfers looking to attend college.
Your support of the foundation helps us secure a brighter future for the young women who will follow in the footsteps of the 13 trailblazing women who founded the LPGA (pictured below are Shirley Spork and Marilynn Smith).
Alice Bauer
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Marlene Bauer Hagge
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Patty Berg
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Bettye Mims Danoff
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Helen Dettweiler
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Helen Hicks
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Opal Hill
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Betty Jameson
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Sally Sessions
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Marilynn Smith
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Shirley Spork
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Louise Suggs
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Babe Didrikson Zaharias
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Alice Bauer 〰️ Marlene Bauer Hagge 〰️ Patty Berg 〰️ Bettye Mims Danoff 〰️ Helen Dettweiler 〰️ Helen Hicks 〰️ Opal Hill 〰️ Betty Jameson 〰️ Sally Sessions 〰️ Marilynn Smith 〰️ Shirley Spork 〰️ Louise Suggs 〰️ Babe Didrikson Zaharias 〰️
Today the foundation continues in the spirit of Marilynn, Shirley and the 11 other founders of the LPGA to continue to GOLF IT FORWARD™ by providing 30 scholarships each year.
For more information on applying for a scholarship click here.
THE MARILYNN SMITH
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
It was in 1949 when collegiate golfer Marilynn Smith had the opportunity to play in the Women’s National Intercollegiate Golf Tournament. Her father approached Mr Phog Allen, the Athletic Director at Kansas University, to ask for travel expense money for Marilynn who would be representing KU. “Mr Smith, “ he replied, “it’s too bad your daughter is not a boy.”
In 1949 there was no money for female athletes. This was the catalyst for Marilynn to establish a scholarship program to provide young women with the support that was not available to her. Founded as the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund, the program has served more than 200 young women with more than $1 million in scholarships.
DID YOU KNOW?
Many have heard of or played in a pro-am. Most do not realize the first LPGA Pro-Am took place in 1959, during Marilynn’s presidency of the LPGA. In her book HAVE CLUBS WILL TRAVEL Marilynn mentions that by 1965 a pro-am was part of almost every tour stop.
In 1999, the same year Marilynn was inducted into the Kansas University Sports Hall of Fame, she launched the Marilynn Smith Scholarship Fund followed years later by the Marilynn Smith LPGA Charity Golf Classic pro-am to raise money for scholarships. This annual event continues to take place in Arizona, and brings together LPGA Players and LPGA Professionals from around the world.
You can help make a difference in the lives of female athletes by participating or partnering with event.
For more information on participation and or sponsorship at this year’s events click here or on the MS Pro-Am tab at the top of this page.