Lally Segard Passes Away Aged 96
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2018-03-07
One Of Golf’s Most Influential International Figures, Lally Segard (Nee Vagliano), Has Sadly Passed Away, Aged 96. (Photo/Fédération française de golf)
Considered as one of the greatest players in the history of French golf, she won over thirty national and international titles including the Girls British Open Amateur Championship in 1937 and the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship in 1950.
Her list of playing honours also includes six French Ladies Close Championships, three French Open Ladies Championships and championship wins in Italy, Luxemburg, Spain and Switzerland.
Espirito Santo Trophy
Lally devoted much of her time and talents to others as captain of France and the Continent of Europe and was the first Chair of the Women’s Committee of the World Amateur Golf Council (now the International Golf Federation), leading it from 1964 to 1994.
She was instrumental in founding and organising the first Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy and would captain France to victory at St Germain in 1964. Under her captaincy, France won five medals in the competition.
National Recognition
She was an Officier dans l'Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit) and Commandeur dans l'Ordre du Mérite Sportif (Order of Sports Merit) in France. She served the French Golf Federation as Vice-President for many years and the European Golf Association of which she was an Honorary Member.
She was also an Honorary Member of her “home club” Morfontaine, Chantilly and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Family Roots
Lally and her family have played an integral involvement in the history of golf. Her American-born mother, Barbara, had been Captain of the French women’s team, and Lally took over from her.
Her father, André Vagliano, had won several French Amateur Championships as well as the Chantilly Club Championship, and was also Captain of France. He was a member of the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society and had been runner-up in the President's Putter.
He donated the Vagliano Trophy which, since 1959, has been awarded to the winner of the women’s match between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe.
Lally was first married in late 1939 to Vicomte Jacques de Saint-Sauveur and had two children, who both pre-deceased her. Lally has several grandchildren. She later re-married to Patrick Segard, who died many years ago.