Kathy Whitworth, Winningest Pro Golfer in History, Dead at 83: 'She Was a Trailblazer'

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Kathy Whitworth, who won more U.S. tour golf tournaments than any other pro golfer, is dead at 83, the LPGA announced on Sunday.

The Texas-born golfer died suddenly on Saturday night while celebrating Christmas Eve with loved ones, her longtime partner Bettye Odle said in the LPGA's release.

"Kathy left this world the way she lived her life, loving, laughing and creating memories," Odle wrote of her late partner, whose signature swing was still in action as recently as November.

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The Hall of Famer had 88 LPGA tour wins under her belt, a total rivaled only by Sam Snead, who died in 2002, and Tiger Woods (who both have 82), CNN reports. She also became the first women's pro golfer to earn $1 million in career earnings in 1981.

On the milestone, Whitworth told the World Golf Hall of Fame, which she was inducted into the following year, that she "would have swapped being the first to make a million for winning the Open," PBS reports.

"But it was a consolation which took some of the sting out of not winning," she added.

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Whitworth, who had her rookie season in 1959, was also known for her legendary rivalry with Mickey Wright, which the LPGA's statement called "the game of golf's greatest rivalry."

"Mickey was the greatest golfer," LPGA Founder Louise Suggs said of the competitive duo. "But Kathy was the greatest winner."

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Iconic tennis player Billie Jean King, who Whitworth beat out for AP Female Athlete of the Year in 1965 (and won again two years later), mourned the loss of her fellow athlete on Twitter.

"I had the honor of meeting her," King wrote. "She loved her sport, and was a trailblazer and a true champion. May she rest in peace."

LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan also honored Whitworth in the association's statement, writing that "the golf world and the world, in general, lost one of its most incredible women."

"She inspired me as a young girl and now as the commissioner, and I know she did the same for so many others," Samaan continued. "We all mourn with Bettye, her family and the entire golf world."