83-year-old LPGA Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth died suddenly on Christmas Eve in the United States on Saturday. His 88 victories acquired between 1962 and 1985 remain to this day the greatest total of successes ever achieved by a golf player on a professional circuit.
Women’s American Golf Legend Kathy Whitworth left us suddenly on Saturday evening while celebrating Christmas with her family, her partner Bettye Odle announced in a press release published by the LPGA.
“The world of golf and the world at large has lost one of its most incredible women, Kathy was a champion in the truest sense of the word, both on and off the golf course.” commented LPGA CEO Mollie Marcoux Samaan
6 majors but no US Open
Exceptional player, she crossed the eras from the beginning of the 60s to the mid-80s.
She was Mickey Wright’s great rival, 4 years her senior and who died in 2020, then at the end of her career her opponents were called Nancy Lopez, Betsy King or Beth Daniel.
In almost a quarter of a century, it has won 88 times among professionals, six more successes than Sam Snead joined by Tiger Woods at the end of 2019.
Whitworth also finished second place 93 times! Among his many titles are the 6 major tournaments, against 13 for his rival Mickey Wright. “Only one victory in the US Open is missing to satisfy me” she declared when she retired.
Student of Harvey Penick
Another statistic that testifies to her extraordinary longevity is the 17 consecutive years in which she has won at least once. The one who was his junior during his last years on the circuit, Greg Sheridan, explained “that at less than 90 meters she was not trying to get as close as possible to the hole but to get the ball in!”
The first golfer to earn $1 million on the women’s professional tour, Kathy Whitworth was also the first Solheim Cup captain for the United States in 1990.
Born in Texas, she started golfing at the age of 15 on a 9-hole course in Jal, New Mexico. She often liked to say that she had literally been caught up in golf when she was a teenager. Trained by the famous Harvey Penick, she appears alongside Ben Hogan among the greatest champions of the “Lone Star State”.
©LPGA
