Legends continuing Berg’s legacy

Besides being a founding member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association and putting on, in her estimation, 16,000 clinics, Patty Berg sent players Christmas cards, gave them tips as well as clubs, invited herself to a wedding and made herself available whenever needed.

That’s why the concept of the Patty Berg Memorial this week at her home course of Cypress Lake Country Club is so fitting.

It’s a Legends Tour event honoring the Fort Myers resident who won an LPGA-record 15 majors and died in 2006 at the age of 88. But it’s also a first-of-its-kind event where a Legends Tour player is paired with a player from the developmental Symetra Tour for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds.

Beth Daniel, who won 33 LPGA events during her career, said Berg “always was mentoring younger players” while Rosie Jones, owner of 13 LPGA career wins, said this allows current Legends players like herself to “pay it forward” from what their role model gave to them.

“She was the greatest ambassador until Nancy Lopez,” said Jane Blalock, a Legends Tour founder.

Blalock said she and LPGA commissioner Mike Whan talked about this concept shortly after he took the job. She said Whan looked at it as a great marketing opportunity.

“I’ll never forget his phone call,” Blalock said. “He was so excited. He said, ‘I think we got one.’

“It’s perfect. When you look at Chico’s demographic, it has a Legends Tour-target audience. We looked at this as a pilot if all goes well. We could do it at other events.”

Fort Myers’ Terry-Jo Myers, who built a strong bond with Berg, said she also championed the concept when this tournament was put together about 2 ¹/₂ years ago.

“It made so much sense from the get-go,” she said.

Favorite Berg stories

Myers said Berg invited herself to her wedding.

“I didn’t want to impose on her,” Myers said. “She was quite upset. It was her birthday – and she never said a word about it.”

Myers’ other memory is coming home from a U.S. Open where she didn’t fare well. As she was ready to board the plane who did she see but Berg.

“I said, ‘Oh, no, how can I hide from her?,’” Myers recalled. “We ended up re-arranging seats and the whole way back, I had to explain every shot.

“But she was so encouraging. It didn’t matter how you played.”

Blalock also remembers the task master when she had problems getting out of a bunker during a pairing in Baltimore in 1969.

“She pulled me aside and said, ‘Young girl, get over here with me,’” Blalock said. “We went over to the bunker and she said, ‘Here’s how to get out of the bunker.’ Then she gave me a sand wedge. It’s in my collection of clubs.

“And I’m a good bunker player today.”

Berg also could empathize. She was doing TV commentary when Daniel’s 3-wood hit a marshal in the face on No. 18. She later would need plastic surgery.

“Patty sought me out and said, ‘You know, you gotta shake that off, things happen,’” Daniel said. “She also tried to joke about it and said, ‘If you don’t hit her, the ball is on the green.’”

Paying it forward

The Legends said they will try to use some of Berg’s traits when working with the Symetra Tour players this weekend.

Rules prohibit them from giving tips on how to play a shot on the course, but they can have breakfast or dinner with the young players or go out on the range or putting green with them.

They’ll joke or tell life stories like Berg did or give tips on caddies, traveling, finances, teachers and workouts.

“We can talk about course management or tempo,” Daniel said. “Some may be quiet, some like to talk. They may ask a bunch of questions.”

Myers said her plan is to “get together and let them pick my brain. The main thing is for us to be available.”

Daniel said the quality Berg had that she can pass onto other players is to have joy and be personable with those you’re around.

“She lived a great life and was a very honest and outgoing individual,” she said. “She showed that every time you were around.

“That’s just the way she was.”

Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial

When: Thursday-Sunday

Where: Cypress Lake Country Club

Players: 144 Symetra Tour Players, 30 Legends Tour players

Format: The 144 Symetra Tour players will be cut to the top 60 players after Friday’s round. On Saturday and Sunday, one Legends Tour player will compete with two Symetra Tour players. Each tour will be for $150,000 in prize money.

Tickets: Free (compliments of The News-Press)