THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, February 28, 2020 Page 7 A great golfer By Th e Old Sachem ou probably know about the top golf professionals Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan and their great records in number of tournament wins. Snead and Woods won 82 each, Nicklaus won 73 and Hogan won 64, but I bet you don’t know who had 90 professional wins and 13 Major Championships. Y BILL STEWART The Old Sachem Mickey Kathryn Wright was born February 14, 1935, in San Diego, Calif., and died February 17, 2020, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Mickey was not as big as the men we see today: only standing fi ve foot nine and weighting in at 125 pounds. Wright attended Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego and won her fi rst important title as the winner of the U.S. Girls’ Junior championship in 1952 at 18. Mickey went to Stanford University and was a member of the golf team. She left before graduation, and lost in the fi nal of the U.S. Women’s Open in 1954. She went on to win the 1954 World Amateur Championship. Mickey Wright decided to turn professional late in 1954. She is second to Kathy Whitworth, who won 88 professional tournaments. She is also second in total major championships, 13, to Patty Berg, who won 15. She topped the women’s money list for four consecutive seasons, 1961 – 1964 and achieved the top 10 on the list 13 times between 1956 and 1969. She won at least one Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) title for 14 straight seasons, from 1956 to 1969. Competing in the inaugural Tall City Open in 1964 at the Hogan Park in Midland, Texas, Wright shot a 62 on the fi - nal round for the win, which was the women’s record at the time. The men’s record for the course at that time was 66. She trailed the leader by 10 strokes before the fi nal round, which is tied as the largest comeback in PGA history. Wright was coached by the immortal Harry Pressler and Ben Hogan among others. Hogan said Wright’s swing was the best he had ever seen. She retired from professional golf in 1969 at the age of 34 because of foot problems. Mickey is the only LPGA player to hold all four major titles simultaneously. In addition to having problems with her feet, she was a breast cancer survivor. Among her many accomplishments, she was named the ninth greatest golfer of all time in 2020, and the greatest woman golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine. A team of experts in 2009 ranked the top golfers of all time by Golf magazine; Mickey was selected eighth and the top woman golfer of all time. Wright was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976. She won the top women’s award, the LPGA Vare Trophy, fi ve consecutive years, 1960 to 1964, and was the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1963 and 1964. In 2017 Mickey Wright was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame. Wright won the LPGA Championship in 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1963. She won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1964. Her obituary in The Boston Globe on February 18 states that she studied Psychology at Stanford for a year before dropping out to play professional golf full time. She was quoted as “I’ve earned my own version of a master’s degree in psychology in study and experience, trial and error, on golf courses throughout the United States. For psychology … is as integral a part of good golf as an effi - cient swing.” Kathy Whitworth said of her friend that sponsors threatened to cancel the tourney if Mickey decided not to play and Mickey knew that cancellation would hurt the other women who would then be out in the cold. In the end, Mickey would always play. Mickey Wright has given Inbee Park and the other women competing today something to attempt to obtain: to be among the finest to compete in the game of golf. Call for Classifi ed Advertising Rates 781-233-4446 Get great deals now on advertising rates: 781-983-6187 n Evereretettt, Malden, Revere, S, Saugus, Lynnfield, and Peabody i in E Publishing free every week , Malden, Re ublishing free every week ynnfield, and Peabody augus et great deals now on advertising r tes: Callall Jim a Jim at 781-983-6187 www.reverealuminumwindow.com 505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today
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