Top Golfers of the Century |
|
|
|
Top Ten Women Golfers of the Century
The top 10 female golfers of the century as voted by a six-member panel of experts assembled by The Associated Press, with first-place votes in parenthesis, points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:
Pts
1. Mickey Wright (4) 58
2. Babe Zaharias (1) 45
3. Kathy Whitworth 39
4. Joyce Wethered (1)33
5. Glenna Collett Vare 30
6. Nancy Lopez 29
7. Louise Suggs26
8. Patty Berg22
9. JoAnne Carner 20
10. Betsy Rawls 17
Others receiving votes: Betty Jameson 4, Betsy King 3, Laura Davies 2, Carol Mann 1, Pat Bradley 1.
1. MICKEY WRIGHT: Ben Hogan once said she had the greatest swing he had ever seen. Won 82 times, including 13 majors, despite playing only 15 full seasons. Took just five years to complete the career Grand Slam, and captured the four majors at least twice in only six years.
2. BABE ZAHARIAS: One of the greatest female athletes of the 20th century, concentrated on golf starting in 1935 and won 31 times on the LPGA Tour. A three-time U.S. Open champion, she won 10 major championships, two of them as an amateur (1944 and '45 Western Opens), plus one U.S. Women's Amateur and one British Women's Amateur.
3. KATHY WHITWORTH: Her 88 professional victories are the most in golf, male or female. Went 17 consecutive years with at least one victory and finished her career with six major championships. Seven-time winner of the LPGA player of the year award.
4. JOYCE WETHERED: Won 69 of 71 matches in the English and British Women's Amateurs in the 1920s, despite retiring before her 24th birthday. Lured out of retirement in 1929 to play Glenna Collett and beat her in the British Amateur at St. Andrews.
5. GLENNA COLLETT VARE: Considered the best American female amateur in history. Won the U.S. Women's Amateur six times and 18 other major amateur tournaments. LPGA Tour's trophy for lowest scoring average was named in her honor.
6. NANCY LOPEZ: One of the most popular players in LPGA Tour history, she brought attention to women's golf by winning five consecutive tournaments as a rookie in 1978. Won 48 times, including three LPGA Championships.
7. LOUISE SUGGS: One of the founders of LPGA Tour and the first woman inducted into its Hall of Fame. Won 50 times in 13 years, including 11 major championships. She won two of those as an amateur (1946 Titleholders and 1947 Western Open). Also won the U.S. Women's Amateur and British Women's Amateur in consecutive years (1947 and '48, respectively).
8. PATTY BERG: Another LPGA founder, won 57 times and holds the LPGA record with 15 major championships, three as an amateur (1937-39 Titleholders). Also won 1938 U.S. Women's Amateur. As a child in Minnesota played quarterback on a " 50th Street Tigers" team that included Bud Wilkinson, who went on to become a great college football coach at Oklahoma.
9. JOANNE CARNER: Fun-loving, long-hitting player who won 42 times on LPGA Tour. Known as the "Great Gundy" when she joined the LPGA Tour in 1970 (maiden name was Gunderson) and later as "Big Momma." Winner of eight USGA titles: 1956 U.S. Girls' Junior, five U.S. Women's Amateurs (1957, '60, '62, '66, and '68), and two U.S. Women's Open (1971 and '76).
10. BETSY RAWLS: Won the U.S. Women's Open as a rookie in 1951, and went on to win 53 times plus seven other major championships. Didn't take up golf until age 17, but won the Texas Women's Amateur four years later
