CNN
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Kathy Whitworth, the winningest golfer in history, has died aged 83, the Ladies Professional Golf Association announced on Sunday.
Whitworth died suddenly on Saturday night while celebrating Christmas Eve with family and friends, longtime partner Bettye Odle said.
“Kathy left this world as she lived her life, loving, laughing and making memories,” Odle said in a statement.
Odle did not reveal any details about the cause of death.
Whitworth is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. She has won 88 LPGA Tour victories, including six major LPGA championships. His 88 wins are six more than Sam Snead and Tiger Woods, who hold the men’s match record.
In 1981, Whitworth became the first LPGA golfer to earn $1 million in career earnings. A year later, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
“Kathy was a true champion, both on and off the golf course. In the short time I have spent with Kathy, I have been truly blown away by her and her approach to the game and to life,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan added in the statement.
“Her strength, insight and drive were evident from the minute you met her! She inspired me as a young girl and now as Commissioner and I know she has done the same for so many others. We all grieve with Bettye, her family and everyone in golf.”
