Daniel, Beth
Daniel has received many awards for her golfing prowess, including being selected as only the sixteenth member of the prestigious LPGA Hall of Fame in 1999.
Professional golfer. Daniel was born on October 14, 1956, in Charleston, the daughter of Robert and Lucia Daniel. She first drew national attention in 1975 while a student at Furman University (from which she graduated in 1978), winning the United States Women’s Amateur golf championship in her first appearance. She repeated that accomplishment in 1977, and in 1976 and 1978 she represented the United States on the Curtis Cup team, which competes against an amateur squad from Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1979 Daniel turned professional and earned her first win on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour at the Patty Berg Classic. She was named Rookie of the Year. Her four victories the following year brought Player of the Year honors, an award she received again in 1990 and 1994. In 1990 she recorded a career-high seven first-place finishes, including the LPGA Championship. She was recognized by United Press International (UPI) as their female Athlete of the Year and by a resolution from the South Carolina General Assembly. Daniel’s victories stretched across four decades, including seventeen wins in the 1980s, fourteen in the 1990s, and one in 2003.
Daniel has received many awards for her golfing prowess, including being selected as only the sixteenth member of the prestigious LPGA Hall of Fame in 1999. In 1995 Daniel was inducted into the South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame, and in 2000 she entered the World Golf Hall of Fame. Daniel represented the United States six times in the Solheim Cup competition against teams of top European golfers. She also earned the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average three times (1989, 1990, and 1994).
Johnson, Anne Janette. Great Women in Sports. Detroit: Visible Ink, 1996. “L.P.G.A. Hall of Fame Adds Alcott and Daniel.” New York Times, February 10, 1999, p. D8.
