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Patty Berg had many firsts in her life. So it was fitting the late co-founder of the LPGA Tour became the first woman inducted into the South Florida PGA’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

The longtime Fort Myers resident, who died at the age of 88 in September 2006, was a fixture not only for the records she set on the LPGA Tour, but for the contributions she gave to the game of golf.

And it was for the latter that the South Florida PGA Section honored her for at the Breakers West in West Palm Beach.

“Her record is outstanding, but that’s not why she made our Hall of Fame,” SFPGA executive director Kevin Marrone said. “She was recognized primarily for what she’d done for golf, and the golfing public in that Fort Myers-Naples area.”

Berg was this year’s only inductee.

The ceremony capped quite a day for Southwest Florida. Area club professionals won seven of the Section’s 10 annual awards, led by The Club at Grandezza’s Dan Gawronski, who was named golf professional of the year.

Other area winners were: Mark Durland, Naples Grande Golf Schools, teacher of the year; Tom Wildenhaus, Olde Florida, Bill Strausbaugh Award (club relations); Kevin Kuehl, Foxfire, assistant of the year; Valerie Osborn, Pelican’s Nest, merchandiser of the year-private; Mark Bazley, Tiburon, merchandiser of the year-resort; and Jeff Nixon, Del Tura, PGA President’s Plaque.

Berg’s home, in more ways than one, was Cypress Lake Country Club in Fort Myers. Robin Albright, an assistant pro at the club, accepted the award on Berg’s behalf. Albright holds dual Class A memberships in both the LPGA and the PGA of America and was a pallbearer for Berg.

“The fun thing about talking about Miss Patty is that everybody has a Miss Patty story,” Albright said by phone after the ceremony. “After they dismissed everybody ... lots of people came up to me to share Patty stories with me. You understand the outreach that this woman had.”

“She’s done more for golf, from my point of view, than just about anyone in the world,” said Cypress Lake head professional Ron Leatherwood, who stayed at the club Tuesday. “She gave clinics all over the country.”

Berg gave quite a lot to Southwest Florida, too, sharing the name of the longstanding Junior Masters tournament with former PGA Tour pro and Fort Myers native Nolan Henke, and making sure she visited with everyone at the pro-am bearing her name at Cypress Lake. The Junior Masters was played for the 16th time this summer, and the pro-am had its 31st year in January.

“I know she would’ve been really proud to get the award,’’ Albright said.

A native of Minnesota, Berg holds the record for an LPGA member with 15 major championships, including the U.S. Women’s Open in 1946, four years before the LPGA was founded. She is already a member of at least 10 halls of fame.

She won as a pro 57 times between 1941 and 1962. Three of her majors were as an amateur — the Titleholders Championships in 1937-39.

She won seven Titleholders and seven Western Opens, both of which were considered majors at the time.

Berg’s clinics, honed while representing Wilson Golf, became legends of their own.

She was a founding member of Cypress Lake Country Club in Fort Myers, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. Glass cases at the entrance to Cypress Lake’s clubhouse are filled with trophies, awards and mementos donated by Berg.

“I so wish she had her here for that,” Albright said of the 50th anniversary. “Since we don’t, we all will have her to remember.”

Tuesday, the South Florida PGA Section did its part.