5’9”...Given name: Mary Kathryn Wright...By the age of 27 had won all four majors…By the age of 28 in 1963, had won the four majors twice…semi-retired at the age of 34…Won the Los Angeles Times Sports Award from 1960-61...Inducted into the San Diego Breithard Hall of Fame in 1961...In 1963-64, served as president of the LPGA and was voted Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year…Inducted into the Hall of Fame of Women’s Golf in 1964, the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame when it was created in 1967 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976...Awarded the Golf Writers Association “Putter of the Year” award in 1966...Was awarded the Metropolitan Golf Writers and Broadcasters Babe Zaharias Award in 1980...Paired with Kathy Whitworth, made golf history as the first women’s team to compete in the PGA-sanctioned Legends of Golf...Inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1981...Named “Golfer of the Decade” by GOLF Magazine for the years 1958-67 during the 1988 Centennial of Golf in America celebration...Inducted into the California Golf Writers Association Hall of Fame in 1993...In 1994, was honoree of the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament...In 1999, named Female Golfer of the Century by the Associated Press...Inducted into Stanford University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000...In 2000, voted one of Golf Digest’s 50 greatest golfers of all time...Recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers.
Career
One of the greatest players in LPGA history, Wright owns 82 tournament titles and ranks second in all-time career LPGA wins behind Kathy Whitworth, who has 88; is a five-time Vare Trophy winner (1960-64). Wright is the only player in LPGA history to hold all four major titles at the same time. She won the final two majors of the year in 1961, the U.S. Women’s Open and the LPGA Championship, and then took the first two majors of 1962, the Titleholders Championship and the Western Open.
In 1995, placed third at the Sprint Senior Challenge, an unofficial event.
In 1994, finished second in the Sprint Senior Challenge, which earned her $30,000, the biggest paycheck of her career.
In 1993, made her first competitive appearance since 1985 at the Sprint Senior Challenge, where she tied for fifth.
In 1980, collected her last official paycheck on Feb. 4, when she tied for 33rd at the Whirlpool Championship.
In 1979, participated in the Coca-Cola Classic, eventually losing to rookie Nancy Lopez in a five-way, sudden-death playoff; Wright wore sneakers throughout the event and shot 70-74-72 to finish tied for second; recorded her eighth LPGA career hole-in-one at the Bent Tree Classic; she is tied for second in the LPGA’s all-time records for most holes-in-one recorded during a career.
In 1969, stopped playing regularly on Tour for a variety of reasons, including an adverse reaction to sunlight, aversion to flying and foot problems.
In 1968, won 80 tournaments by the age of 33.
In 1967, when the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame was created, became one of the six inaugural inductees; the LPGA recognized her induction year into the Hall of Fame of Women’s Golf (1964) as her official induction year into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
In 1966, won 70 tournaments by the age of 31.
In 1964, won 11 events, including the U.S. Women’s Open for the fourth time, sharing the record for winning the most Open titles with Betsy Rawls; also won the LPGA Championship to become the only player in LPGA history to win that title four times; shot a career-low 62 (setting an LPGA record for the lowest final round by a winner) and came from 10 shots down in the final round to win the Tall City Open, marking the largest come-from-behind win in LPGA history (Annika Sorenstam tied her record in 2001); won 60 tournaments by the age of 29.
In 1963, posted 13 wins, equaling 40.6 percent of the events that season (32); holds the record for most wins in a single season; totaled 27 top-10 finishes (in 28 starts), an LPGA record that still stands; won 50 tournaments by the age of 28.
In 1962, completed the LPGA Career Grand Slam with her victory at the Western Open (Wright had already won the LPGA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and Titleholders Championship); a total of six women have accomplished this feat in LPGA history; won the Sea Island Women’s Invitational for her 30th career victory, setting an LPGA record for youngest to reach 30 wins (26 years, 11 months and 7 days old).
In 1961, won three of the four LPGA majors – U.S. Women’s Open, LPGA Championship and Titleholders Championship; became the only player to twice win the U.S. Women’s Open and the LPGA Championship in the same year (1958 and 1961).
In the 1960s, dominated the decade by claiming 68 of her 82 career victories, 15 more tournaments than any other player in that decade (Kathy Whitworth, 53 wins); won 44 tournaments in four years (1961-64).
In 1958, became the first LPGA player to win the LPGA Championship and U.S. Women’s Open in the same year (five more players have since accomplished that feat).
From 1959-68, she captured 79 of her 82 victories, averaging 7.9 victories per year.
Her 14-year winning streak from 1956-69 is bettered only by the 17-year record of Kathy Whitworth.
In 1955, joined the LPGA Tour.
Amateur
Wright began playing golf at the age of 12. She won the 1952 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, 1954 World Amateur Championship and was low amateur at the 1954 U.S. Women’s Open.
