Kathy Whitworth - Part 2 (The Early Majors and the 1960's)

Kathy Whitworth, World Golf Hall of Fame member and winner of six major championships, looks back on her early years on tour in the 1960's, a decade that featured 56 of her 88 LPGA victories and four majors. Kathy fondly recalls winning the final two regular editions of the Titleholders event held at Augusta C.C. and the last Western Open after which, in 1968, there were only two majors to compete for over the next nine years. Listen in as she talks about playing in her first major, the other great players of that era, Olympian-turned golfer Althea Gibson, her love of competition, and how the tour grind was starting to get to her as the decade wound down. Kathy Whitworth continues her life story, "FORE the Good of the Game."

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About

"FORE the Good of the Game” is a golf podcast featuring interviews with World Golf Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around the game of golf. Highlighting the positive aspects of the game, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by PGA Tour star Bruce Devlin, our podcast focuses on telling their life stories, in their voices. Join Bruce and Mike Gonzalez “FORE the Good of the Game.”

Thanks so much for listening!

Whitworth, Kathy

Golf Professional

It is one of the most famous records in golf: 88 victories over a span of 23 years, an average of 3.8 victories per season starting with the Kelly Girl Open in 1962 and ending with the United Virginia Bank Classic in 1985. In those three decades, Kathrynne Ann Whitworth surpassed the victory totals of Mickey Wright (82) and Sam Snead (82) to lodge herself atop the category of Most Tournament Victories By a Professional, Man or Woman.

Whitworth did this with what she considered average talent. “I never had a golf swing,” she said. But she did have staying power. From 1963-1973 she was leading money winner eight times, second on the money list twice and third once. In that span, she won the Vare Trophy and Player of the Year honors seven times each.

With all that success, it still took her until 1981 to become the first woman in golf to earn $1 million. Fifteen years later, Karrie Webb became the first woman to accomplish that feat in one year, and she did so with four victories and 12 top-five finishes. Whitworth had eight victories in 1963, eight victories in 1965 and 11 victories in 1968, and in none of those years did she make more than $50,000.

“I’m not some great oddity. I was just fortunate to be so successful. What I did in being a better player does not make me a better person. When I’m asked how I would like to be remembered, I feel that if people remember me at all, it will be good enough.”
Whitworth passed the seven-figure threshold at the U.S. Women’s Open, the one Major Championship that eluded her. “I would have swapped being the … Read More

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