Iowan Wins LPGA Championship: Iowa Time Machine October 6, 1962

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 6, 1962, Sioux City’s Judy Kimball finished off a Saturday round with a 71 at the LPGA Championship at the Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas. The Iowan finished out the tournament at -2 to capture the LPGA Championship by four strokes.

Kimball started golfing at 16 but quickly rose among Iowa’s amateur golfers. In 1957, she placed third before capturing the state’s amateur title the following year at the Cedar Rapids Country Club. After graduating from Kansas, Kimball turned pro.

In her first tournament, at Sea Island, Kimball made $95 for a 16th-place finish. Kimball went on to capture her first tour win just fifteen events later, winning the 1961 American Women’s Open in Minneapolis and netting $1,247.35 while putting only 21 times in her final round.

The following year, Kimball won the LPGA Championship, smashing the previous tournament record by three strokes. Kimball continued as a member of the tour from 1961 to 1988, going on to capture five total professional wins, including the 1966 Yankee Women’s Open, the 1971 O’Sullivan Ladies Open, and the 1971 LPGA Four-Ball Championship. #Iowa #OTD #History #Golf #WomensGolf