'Yippy' Rankin honored at memorial

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Walter "Yippy" Rankin, the husband of golf analyst Judy Rankin, died last week and was to be honored at a memorial service in Texas on Monday.

Rankin, the husband of LPGA Hall of Famer and ESPN/ABC golf analyst Judy Rankin, died Friday following an extended illness. He was 71.

Yippy Rankin married Judy Rankin in 1967 and followed her career as both a player (26 LPGA Tour wins) and broadcaster (a regular presence on ESPN and ABC since 1984).

Before that, he was an athlete of his own, attending Texas Tech on an athletic scholarship (he played football and baseball). He coached high school football for a time before going into the insurance business. He later worked in the oil and gas industry.

He remained an ardent supporter of Texas Tech football and was an avid college football fan. He was not, however, an accomplished golfer. His obituary in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal said that "some of the best times of his life were playing marginal golf with dear friends."

Yippy Rankin is survived by Judy, in additional to his son Tuey, daughter-in-law Jennifer and two grandchildren.

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