Joan Joyce Death Reason
Joyce was one of the first women to play in the men’s professional leagues, and she was a five-time All-American selection at pitcher for Oklahoma. In 1974, she became the first woman to play in the World Series when she contributed to the Oakland A’s victory over the Boston Red Sox. Joyce also won four Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) titles and was inducted into the Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988. It’s with great sadness to learn that Joan Joyce, founder of the first all-women’s team, and softball player turned professional golfer, died today at the age of 81.
Joan Joyce Wikipedia
The all-female softball team she founded in 1963 hit the international sports scene only after she was discovered while playing in a Division II college league. After becoming the first woman to play on a men’s pro tour, Joyce had stints on the LPGA Tour, winning $2 million and four titles. Joan Joyce, who became the first woman on a World Championship team in softball in 1971 and was inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame in 2000, died today. She passed away after a brief illness according to her family. A trailblazer on the softball field, Joyce was one of the best women’s fastpitch players ever. And she was good enough at golf to play on the LPGA Tour for three years.
Joan Joyce Funeral & Obituary
Joyce left an enduring mark in the world of fastpitch softball and later became a golf course designer and builder. The number of women enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame may be small—there are just 13, with Joyce being the most recent inductee—but that is due to its youth. The organization has only been around since 1983 when it was unveiled at Augusta National. Joyce was one of four pioneers included in the inaugural class, along with Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, and Louise Suggs. It’s fitting that Joyce became a part of the World Golf Hall of Fame before the LPGA did; she was a pioneer for women’s golf on several levels.
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