1951 LPGA WEATHERVANE INTERNATIONAL TEAM – FIVE SIGNATURES ON ONE ALBUM PAGE Patty Berg (Captain) – Betsy Rawls – Betty Jameson – Peggy Kirk Bell – Betty Bush Plus two unidentified personal inscriptions on reverse

A rare and historically important autograph page signed by five members of the 1951 American Women Professionals Golf Team, the pioneering LPGA squad that travelled to Great Britain in July 1951 for the first international edition of the Weathervane International Cup. This page includes Patty Berg, Betsy Rawls, Betty Jameson, Peggy Kirk (later Peggy Kirk Bell) and Betty Bush – all dated 1951, all with home‑state inscriptions typical of the tour. The only missing team member is Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, making this a 5/6 roster sheet.

The front also contains one unidentified autograph.

The reverse side contains two further unidentified autographs

Historical Context

The LPGA had only been founded in 1950, and the 1951 tour was designed to give women’s professional golf international legitimacy. Sponsored by New York businessman Alvin Handmacher, the six‑woman American team crossed the Atlantic to compete at Sunningdale Ladies’ Golf Course, facing a picked side of top British and French amateurs. Because Britain had no women professionals, the event was intended to demonstrate the superiority of full‑time professional training.

The Americans achieved a 9–0 sweep, a result that shocked the British press and established the LPGA as a serious international sporting body. During the same tour, the women also played an exhibition against six British male professionals (including four Walker Cup players) at Wentworth – and won, further cementing their reputation.

This autograph page is therefore directly connected to the LPGA’s first international appearance, the moment women’s professional golf stepped onto the world stage.

Signatures Present (5 of 6 team members)

• Patty Berg – LPGA founder, 15 majors, team captain
• Betsy Rawls – 8 majors, Hall of Fame
• Betty Jameson – LPGA founder, US Women’s Open champion
• Peggy Kirk Bell – LPGA founder, later legendary coach
• Betty Bush – Curtis Cup player, key amateur representative

All signed 1951, all with home‑state inscriptions.

Multi‑signature LPGA pages from the 1951 Weathervane International tour are exceptionally scarce. A complete six‑signature sheet including Babe Zaharias would be extremely valuable; this 5/6 roster remains a highly desirable piece of early women’s golf history.

Provenance: 

One of c.2,500+ items once from the collection or dealer stock of Winifred A Myers (Autographs) Ltd, St Martins Lane, London, evidenced by the quantity of Myers pre-printed envelopes and paper folders and the general ‘presentation’ of the items, many having Myers identification notes in pencil. 

Winifred Alice Myers (1909 – 1985) served as ABA (Antiquarian Booksellers Assoc) president, 1950-1952. See the ABA website for an extended article on Myers. Myers left her business, in 1985, to Ruth Shepherd, who traded from home until 2004. 

Elizabeth Earle Rawls (May 1928 – Oct 2023) was an American professional golfer who played on LPGA Tour. She won eight major championships and 55 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Patricia Jane Berg (Feb 1918 – Sep 2006) was an American professional golfer. She was a founding member and the first president of the LPGA. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Elizabeth May Jameson (May 1919 – Feb 2009) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950. She won three major championships and a total of thirteen events during her career, one as amateur and twelve as a professional. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Margaret Anne “Peggy” Kirk Bell (Oct 1921 – Nov 2016) was an American professional golfer and golf instructor. She was known for her strong advocacy of women’s golf. She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, class of 2019, in the lifetime achievement category.