Althea Gibson

Most people know Althea Gibson for her extraordinary accomplishments on the tennis court—most notably for winning Wimbledon consecutively in 1958 and 1959.

However, she also became a significant player on the fledgling LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tour when she gained membership in 1963.

Her significance was derived not from her success on the tour, as she wasn’t, but from what she was trying to achieve and what her presence represented.  

“Being a Champion is all well and good, but you can’t eat a crown.” – Althea Gibson

Gibson’s career on the LPGA spanned 14 years from 1963 to 1977. Her best finish was a playoff loss in the 1970 Buick Open. Career earnings totaled $19,250.25, which pales in comparison to the $100,000 she received for exhibition tennis matches played prior to Harlem Globetrotter basketball games. 

Despite being a long driver off the tee, a lack of a short game and poor putting drove Gibson’s lack of success on the tour. However, her presence led to an increase in notoriety for the upstart women’s golf league.  Formed in 1950, the LPGA was only in its 13th year of existence when she joined in 1963.

LPGA Founding member Shirley Spork noted:

“We viewed her as a positive. She didn’t really have the game to compete, she had the desire, and she was a very good athlete, but she wasn’t trained enough and hadn’t played golf long enough to be very successful. … She was a singer, and entertainer, she could really sing.  And she was well liked by the players. She was a Wimbledon tennis champion, so the gallery would come to see her try to play golf.  That was an asset to us because she was a tennis star. Having her out there helped us go forward, to gain more galleries and gain more interest in getting sponsors.”

Gibson’s willingness to jump into a new sport at the height of her tennis prime showed the lengths she was willing to take for financial security.

Though individually unsuccessful, she contributed to the growth of a league that was dedicated to promoting racial equality. Renee Powell, the second woman to play on the LPGA tour, noted the inclusive environment promoted on the tour: 

“At that time, some of the tournaments were called invitationals. That meant they could invite everybody on the tour if they wanted but they didn’t have to invite who they didn’t want to invite. And they didn’t have to invite Althea. But our tournament director, Lenny Wirtz, took a stand and so did the officers of the LPGA at the time.

They sent a clear message: either everybody played, or nobody played.”

Deteriorating health and finances plagued Gibson later in life. After filing for bankruptcy, she received monetary support through donations after her situation was made public.

One million dollars was raised, which helped pay for medical expenses, and housing.

​She died September 28, 2003.

Further Reading:  The lesser-known history of Althea Gibson the golfer