Shirley Spork Cause of Death Mysterious: LGPA Co-Founder Dead at 94

By Ashley Malone

Shirley Spork, popularly known for being one of the 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, passed away at the age of 94.

The association confirmed her death through their website, saying she died in Palm Springs, California, where she had been based most of her 90s.

As of this writing, her cause of death remains a mystery.

According to USA Today, the trailblazer never won on the LGPA Tour, but her best finish was runner-up in the 1962 championship at Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas.

Spork had also been one of the most significant people in golfing as she spent seven decades in the industry.

She reportedly created the LGPA Teaching & Club Pro Division in the past. The organization started with six members but now has more than 1,700 women professionals.

Two weeks ago, the organization announced that she would be inducted into the LGPA Hall of Fame.

The inductees must have 27 points acquired through victories, major and top awards. Spork, Lorena Ochoa, and all the founders who didn't get in by their golf course performance would be inducted.

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In a statement before her passing, Spork said, "Getting into the LPGA Hall of Fame is the highest honor ever in our profession, so I've climbed the whole ladder and gotten to the top."

According to the outlet, the professional golfer spent her early days in Detroit, where she started with only a putter. She later took over regional tournaments where she won many games, including the National Collegiate Golf Tournament in 1947.

In 1950, Spork became a professional golfer and also one of the 13 women who founded the LGPA.

During this time, she was teaching in the Detroit public school system.

Before competing regularly on the LGPA during its early years, she was an instructor. Spork persuaded the association to create a teaching division in 1959.

She was one of the only two women to be awarded LGPA Teacher of the Year twice, and she did that 25 years apart.

Speaking about her experience, the pro golfer said she met many people and made a lot of friends. she enjoyed going to work every day and teaching because people who came to her wanted to learn how to play golf

"Learning to play the game of golf is like eating an elephant. It's overwhelming unless you eat just one bite at a time and slowly digest it," she added.

After her death, Marlene Hagge became the only surviving LGPA founder.