About Marlene Hagge
Marlene Hagge, 89, American Hall of Fame golfer, co-founder of the LPGA, complications from a fall.
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Full Biography
|Marlene Hagge (née Bauer; February 16, 1934 – May 16, 2023) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA in 1950. She won one major championship and 26 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Amateur career
Hagge was born in Eureka, South Dakota on February 16, 1934. She had a progressively successful amateur experience, starting to play golf from the age of 3. At age 10, she won the Long Beach City Boys Junior. At age 13, she won the Western and National Junior Championships, the Los Angeles Women's City Championship, the Palm Springs Women's Championship, Northern California Open and the Indio Women's Invitational. In 1947, at age 13, she became the youngest player to make the cut at the U.S. Women's Open and finished 14th. In 1949, at the age of 15, she became the youngest athlete ever to be named Associated Press Athlete of the Year, Golfer of the Year and Teenager of the Year, and she won the U.S. Girls' Junior and the WWGA Junior titles.
Professional career
Hagge was the youngest of the thirteen women who founded the LPGA in 1950, and remains the youngest ever member of the LPGA Tour. Her older sister, Alice Bauer, was also a founder. She won her first tournament in 1952 at the Sarasota Open. She would go on to win a total of 26 events on the LPGA Tour, including one major championship, the 1956 LPGA Championship. That year, she was also the tour's leading money winner and led the tour in wins with eight. In 2002, she was voted into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame through the Veteran's Category and was officially inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Her final competitive appearance on the LPGA Tour came in 1996.
Hagge appeared on the June 18, 1961, episode of the CBS game show What's My Line.
Personal life and death
Marlene Bauer married Bob Hagge, her sister Alice's ex-husband in late 1955. They divorced in 1964.
Hagge was married to former PGA Tour golfer Ernie Vossler from 1995 until his death on February 16, 2013. They lived in La Quinta, California, where she remained until her death.
Hagge was the last survivor of the 13 LPGA Founders. She died in Rancho Mirage, California, on May 16, 2023, at the age of 89, of complications from a fall.
Professional wins
LPGA Tour wins (26)
- 1952 (2) Sarasota Open, Bakersfield Open (tied with Betty Jameson, Betsy Rawls and Babe Zaharias)
- 1954 (1) New Orleans Open
- 1956 (8) Sea Island Open, Babe Zaharias Open, Pittsburgh Open, Triangle Round Robin, LPGA Championship, World Championship, Denver Open, Clock Open
- 1957 (2) Babe Zaharias Open, Lawton Open
- 1958 (2) Lake Worth Open Invitational, Land of Sky Open
- 1959 (2) Mayfair Open, Hoosier Open
- 1963 (1) Sight Open
- 1964 (1) Mickey Wright Invitational
- 1965 (5) Babe Zaharias Open, Milwaukee Open, Phoenix Thunderbirds Open, LPGA Tall City Open, Alamo Open
- 1969 (1) Stroh's-WBLY Open
- 1972 (1) Burdine's Invitational
Sources:
Major championships
Wins (1)
1 Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff.
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Articles & News
- apnews.com"Marlene Hagge-Vossler, last surviving LPGA founder, dies at 89"
- nytimes.com"Marlene Bauer Hagge, Last of the L.P.G.A.'s Founders, Dies at 89"
Reported coverage of Marlene Hagge; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlene_Hagge
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 9 questions
Questions drawn from Marlene Hagge's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which year did Marlene Hagge die?
- A.2016
- B.2010
- C.2014
- D.2023correct
Marlene Hagge died in 2023.
Source: Profile: year of death: "007) Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1934. Archive record: age at death 89. Archive record: place of birth Eureka. Archive record:
2.How old was Marlene Hagge when they died?
- A.78
- B.84
- C.81
- D.89correct
Marlene Hagge was 89 years old at the time of death.
Source: Profile: age at death: "of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins == References == == External links == Marlene Hagge at the LPGA Tour official site Marlene Hagge at golf.about.com at the Wayback
3.In which year was Marlene Hagge born?
- A.1934correct
- B.1922
- C.1925
- D.1928
Marlene Hagge was born in 1934.
Source: Profile: year of birth: "h playoff. == See also == List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins == References == == External links == Marlene Hagge at the LPGA Tour official site Marlene Hagge a
4.In which month did Marlene Hagge die?
- A.June
- B.Maycorrect
- C.July
- D.August
Marlene Hagge died in May.
Source: Archive record: date of death: "8, 2007) Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1934. Archive record: age at death 89. Archive record: place of birth Eureka. Archi
5.On which day of the month did Marlene Hagge die?
- A.16correct
- B.17
- C.18
- D.15
Marlene Hagge died on day 16 of the month.
Source: Archive record: date of death: "y 18, 2007) Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1934. Archive record: age at death 89. Archive record: place of birth Eureka. Ar
6.Where was Marlene Hagge born?
- A.Kraków
- B.Turin
- C.Eurekacorrect
- D.Marseille
Marlene Hagge was born in Eureka.
Source: Biography: place of birth: "ns == References == == External links == Marlene Hagge at the LPGA Tour official site Marlene Hagge at golf.about.com at the Wayback Machine (archived February 18
7.Where did Marlene Hagge die?
- A.Rancho Miragecorrect
- B.Turin
- C.Kraków
- D.Marseille
Marlene Hagge died in Rancho Mirage.
Source: Biography: place of death: "inks == Marlene Hagge at the LPGA Tour official site Marlene Hagge at golf.about.com at the Wayback Machine (archived February 18, 2007) Archive record: year of d
8.In which field was Marlene Hagge known?
- A.chemist
- B.architect
- C.novelist
- D.professional golfercorrect
The biography describes Marlene Hagge as a professional golfer.
Source: Profile: occupation: "fficial site Marlene Hagge at golf.about.com at the Wayback Machine (archived February 18, 2007) Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1934.
9.What nationality was Marlene Hagge?
- A.Argentine
- B.Austrian
- C.Australian
- D.Americancorrect
Marlene Hagge is recorded as American.
Source: Profile: nationality: "the Wayback Machine (archived February 18, 2007) Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1934. Archive record: age at death 89. Archive recor
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