Judith May Bell[1] (September 23, 1936 – November 3, 2025) was an American amateur golfer and golf administrator. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001 in the Lifetime Achievement category,[2] which honors people who have made an exceptional contribution to the sport in areas outside of tournament wins.
Biography
Bell was born in Wichita, Kansas, on September 23, 1936, and took up golf at the age of seven, winning the girls' division in her first tournament at age ten – in a field of one.[3][2] In 1952, she lost to Mickey Wright in the semi-finals of the U.S. Girls' Junior,[4] which was to remain her best result in a United States Golf Association (USGA) event. She won the Broadmoor Golf Club Invitational three times and played for the United States in the Curtis Cup in 1960 and 1962. In 1967, she shot 67 in the U.S. Women's Open, which remained a record for 14 years.
She became a USGA volunteer in 1961, when she was a member of the Junior Championship Committee. In the 1970s, she became a rules official.[2] She later served on the Women's Committee and in 1987 became the first woman on the executive committee.[2] In 1996, she was elected as the 54th president of the USGA, the first woman to hold the senior office in American golf.[2] During her tenure and subsequently, she played a leading role in programs to take golf to youth, minorities and the disabled.
Bell has been inducted into 11 halls of fame, including the World Golf Hall of Fame. She was among the first women to receive an honorary lifetime membership at the historic Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 2015, and held honorary memberships in eight other clubs in Scotland and the United States. In 2016, Bell received the Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor.[5]
Bell died at her home in Colorado on November 3, 2025, at the age of 89.[6]
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Curtis Cup: 1960 (winners), 1962 (winners), 1986 (non-playing captain), 1988 (non-playing captain)[2]
References
- ^ "Judy Bell obituary: 'First Lady of Golf'". The Times. November 22, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Judy Bell". World Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ Davies, David; Mason, Peter (November 11, 2025). "Judy Bell obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ Bell, Judy (March 3, 2011). "It's About The Game: Former USGA President Judy Bell". USGA. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ "USGA Bob Jones Award". USGA. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ^ "Remembering Judy Bell, One of the Game's Trailblazers". USGA. November 3, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
External links
- Judy Bell at the World Golf Hall of Fame
- Judy Bell at IMDb
