“I met the head professional for the first time that day,” recalls Maxwell-Berning. “We had to strike a deal, since I’d have a hard time paying to have those greens repaired. I was only 15.” Berning offered to give the pro’s children horseback riding lessons. That seemed to satisfy him. The lessons went on for a while, and Berning and the pro forged a friendship that soon led to Berning taking golf lessons. A natural athlete with a fiery competitive spirit, Berning was a quick study.

“I have three brothers,” says Berning, “and I’m the youngest child. I had to work hard to keep up.” The daughter of a “hard worker and a survivor,” Berning was inspired by her father’s determination through financially tough times. She wasn’t able to play much golf due to expenses, but she made up for it with a commitment to lessons and routine practice. “My mother and father were driven,” says Berning. “They helped us to be very determined, to always try hard and to never give up.” Berning’s brothers grew up to be among the most successful in their respective fields.

Berning did the same.

Shortly after taking up the game, Berning won three-straight Oklahoma State High School Championships. She also won the Oklahoma City Women’s Amateur from 1959-1961. In 1963, she won the Oklahoma Women’s Amateur. She was the first woman to receive a golf scholarship from Oklahoma City University, where she competed on the men’s team.

In 1964, Berning was the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year. In 1967, she was recognized as the LPGA’s Most Improved Player. Berning won the U.S. Women’s Open three times (1968, 1972, 1973), making her one of only four women to lay claim to winning three or more U.S. Women’s Open titles (Hollis Stacy, 3; Mickey Wright and Betsy Rawls, 4). Of her 11 professional victories, four were LPGA major championships. Berning is without a doubt one of the most successful people in her field.

“When I was playing the Tour, I never thought of doing anything else,” says Berning. Berning’s start in the game may be credited to a chance escape, but her hard work gave it a life of its own. Berning has been honored with inductions into OCU Sports Hall of Fame, the Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and the National Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 1991, she was also welcomed into Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Berning was recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA’s top 50 players and teachers.

And teachers? Oh yes, that’s right. In 1995, Berning wound down her Tour career and decided to start a whole new one, as a teaching professional. She joined the staff of Nicklaus/Flick Golf Schools and began sharing her knowledge and experience with others looking to play better golf. “It is fun to help,” smiles Berning, “but it’s also difficult to accept how difficult this game is for most people. I don’t think I realized how hard it was when I started, because when you’re the youngest, nothing seems difficult.”

Berning’s best offering for many students is her ability to help them get the tension out of their swings. "I can give real insight into playing under pressure," says Berning. "How to react under the gun, whether it be for a U.S. Open or for the Club Championship." Berning doesn’t believe in one “model swing” for everyone, rather she takes into account each individual’s skills, body type and size and works with what they have. According to Berning, many people have a swing they’re comfortable with in relation to their own athletic ability; it’s a teacher’s job to help refine it so it works for them.

Now the Director of Golf Instruction at Golden Tee Inc. in Simi Valley, California, Berning finds herself teaching teachers as well as golfers. In addition to her duties at Golden Tee, Berning offers instruction part-time at teaching summits for the Nicklaus/Flick schools. As much as she has grown to love teaching the game, Berning is still competitive as a Tour player, having joined the recently formed Women’s Senior Golf Tour.

In August 2001, Berning fired a first round 66 at the WSGT’s Shopko Great Lakes Classic in Green Bay to share an early lead with Patty Sheehan. Despite falling off the pace a bit during the second and third rounds to finish tied for 19^th, Berning thoroughly enjoyed the tournament. “I don’t get to compete as often now, so I treat the game as fun and do not get upset if I miss a green,” says Berning. “I am no longer playing for a living. Now I can laugh!”

Berning is passing the torch to a few of her own young stars, however, and maintains the importance of focus and fitness at that level. “I think people who want to make it on the Tour today need to play and compete as much as possible,” says Berning. She recommends players who wish to turn pro become the best putters they can be and start a regular work-out program. “Physical strength equals mental strength,” adds Berning, whose daughter, Robin, is quite a golfer herself and played on the Ohio State University women’s golf team.

Teaching and playing the occasional WSGT event keep Berning plenty busy, but if her thoughts ever wander off to that day in ’54, she might wonder how things could have gone differently. Say the horse had never gotten loose. Say Berning had never met the Lincoln Park pro. Say she’d never held a golf club. Would her talents have been realized? “Well, I most likely would have gotten involved in the horse business and still be living in Oklahoma,” says Berning. Fate works in mysterious ways.