Women’s golf star Susie Maxwell Berning dies at age 83

Susie Maxwell Berning (YouTube)

According to Ryan Herrington of Golf Digest on Wednesday, women’s golf star Susie Maxwell Berning of Pasadena, California passed away at the age of 83 of lung cancer. Maxwell Berning was a four-time major champion, as she won the 1965 Women’s Western Open in Chicago, the 1968 United States Women’s Open in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, the 1972 United States Women’s Open at the famous Winged Foot Golf Club in Westchester County, New York, and the 1973 United Women’s Open in Rochester, New York.

Maxwell Berning won 11 times on the LPGA Tour. She also won the 1965 Muskogee Civitan Open in Oklahoma, the 1967 Louise Suggs Invitational in Boynton Beach, Florida, the 1967 Milwaukee Jaycee Open, the 1969 Lady Carling Open in Baltimore, the 1969 Pabst Ladies Classic in Columbus, the 1973 Heritage Village Open in Southbury, Connecticut, and the 1976 Lady Keystone Open in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

At the 1965 Women’s Western Open, Maxwell Berning only posted a score of -2, but was the only golfer to post a score under par as she won by three strokes over 1956 LPGA Championship winner Marlene Hagge of Eureka, South Dakota. At the 1968 US Women’s Open, Maxwell Berning beat 13-time major champion Mickey Wright of San Diego, California by three strokes despite shooting a score of +5. At the 1972 United States Women’s Open, Maxwell Berning had a poor score of +11, but still beat the American trio of Judy Rankin of St. Louis, Missouri, 1972 LPGA Championship winner Kathy Ahern of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Pam Barnett of Charlotte, North Carolina. Then at the 1973 United States Women’s Open, Maxwell Berning had a score of -3, and beat 1966 LPGA Championship winner Gloria Ehret of Allentown, Pennsylvania and Shelley Hamlin of San Mateo, California.

Among Maxwell Berning’s greatest achievements were winning the 1964 LPGA Rookie of the Year, the 1967 LPGA Most Improved Player of the Year, and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021. This year the World Golf Hall of Fame moved from Florida to Pinehurst, North Carolina.