Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, Florida, has installed and dedicated a “Pop Art” painting of Hall of Fame golfer Patty Berg.
Berg, a longtime club member, was one of the founders of the LPGA Tour, among a long list of accolades both worldwide and in Southwest Florida.
Mixed media artist Christopher “CR” Obetz created a three-dimensional “Pop Art” assemblage celebrating Berg’s achievements on and off the golf course. Patty Berg – Anchored is based on rediscovered artwork from Anthony Ravielli, an acclaimed illustrator and artist best known for brilliant depictions of athletes in motion.
Before her death in 2006, Berg permanently loaned a vast collection of golf memorabilia to Cypress Lake Golf Club, which is home to the world’s largest collection of Berg’s artifacts. The new artwork was dedicated Feb. 8 and installed in the clubhouse’s Patty Berg Lobby, directly across from wall-to-wall display cases housing trophies, medals, plaques, photos and other historic relics.
“She was grounded in her stance the way I metaphor being grounded in life,” Obetz said in a release. “Patty was grounded in life and she shared those values with everyone.”
Cypress Lake Golf Club president Scott Fischer, left, poses with artist Christopher “CR” Obetz with his Patty Berg — Anchored pop art painting unveiled Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 at the club in Fort Myers. Berg, a co-founder of the LPGA Tour, was a longtime Fort Myers resident and Cypress Lake member whose contributions were felt worldwide as well in Southwest Florida.
Berg was the first U.S. Women’s Open champion and first president of the LPGA, and still is the youngest player, male or female, to win all four majors. During her professional career, Berg won 60 championships on the LPGA Tour, and her 15 major titles is the most among all female golfers and is the same amount of major titles Tiger Woods has won.
Cypress Lake general manager Ed Rodgers had an opportunity as an assistant golf pro to join Berg for a round of golf. Later in life, Rodgers began researching Berg’s history and was struck by her profound impact on golf, sports and society as a whole.
“She brought an entire gender to the game of golf,” Rodgers said. “She made golf popular for women. She had a sponsorship with Wilson Sporting Goods, which was unheard of at the time for a woman to be featured as a spokesperson for a major sporting goods company.”
Rodgers also noted that Berg gave over 4,000 golf lessons and clinics during her lifetime, passing her love for the game to three generations of golfers.
“She was a giver to the game,” said Obetz, owner of CR Fine Art Studio and creator of the Pop Art Golf: Legends and Legacy series. “She was a great woman, a great golfer, a great teacher and instructor.”
A photo of Patty Berg — Anchored, a pop art painting by Christopher “CR” Obetz that was unveiled at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers this week. Berg, a co-founder of the LPGA Tour, was a longtime Fort Myers resident and Cypress Lake member whose contributions were felt worldwide.
The painting on canvas has an original frame inspired by the wood pilings and planks of a private footbridge that once connected Berg’s home to Cypress Lake Golf Club, where she was a founding member when the club opened in 1959. The pilings remain near the fifth tee.
Cypress Lake Golf Club annually hosts the Patty Berg Memorial Golf Tournament, which raises money for youth golf programs.
To honor Berg’s impact on Southwest Florida and the game of golf, Obetz is offering limited-edition, 22-by-30 prints of Patty Berg – Anchored for $450, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association and Patty Berg Scholarship Fund.
from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3tUeQv0