Annika Sorenstam—The Swedish superstar is our number one female golfer of all-time. She came to the U.S. to play college golf at the University of Arizona and it was quite clear as to her immense talent. She won the NCAA Championship as a freshman a feat never accomplished before or since.
Annika turned professional after two years at Arizona and promptly went out and won the 1995 U.S. Open as her first tour win. She amassed 72 LPGA tour wins including 10 majors. She is the first woman to surpass 20 million in prize money and has been voted LPGA player of the year a record 8 times.. Sorenstam is also the only woman ever to break 60—firing a 59 in the 2001 Standard Register Ping event in Phoenix; forevermore she is called “Ms.59”.
In 2003 she accepted an invitation to play in the Bank of America Colonial Invitational in Ft. Worth,Texas. She missed the cut but was heralded for her efforts to play against the men in a PGA Tour event. She retired from competition in 2008 to start a family and direct her efforts into her golf academy, golf course design, to assorted business interests and many charitable causes. Annika Sorenstam is our number 1 female golfer of all-time.
Bob’s top 10 female golfers of all time continues with numbers 4, 3, and 2.
4. Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias—We will get to the Babe’s golf exploits in a moment, but to discuss this amazing lady without first mentioning her world-class athletic background would be a great injustice. This Texan is considered by most experts to be the single greatest female athlete of all time—she won 2 golds and one silver in the 1932 L.A. Olympic Games. The gold medals came in the 80 meter hurdles and the javelin throw the silver was in the high jump.This showed her amazing athletic versatility.
Then came her AAU basketball career, her outstanding abilities in bowling, roller skating, softball, baseball, diving, pocket billiards and for extra measure she was renown for her sewing—making all of her own golf outfits.
When Babe was introduced to golf it was like a walk in the park for her—a natural. She was a founder of the modern ladies golf tour and proceeded to dominate on the links—winning 41 events including all of the majors of the time-10 in total. She won all of the majors in the same year, 1950. She was voted a record 6 times women athlete of the year by the Associated Press. Her career came to a tragic end when cancer struck Babe in the middle 1950’s and she passed away at the age of 45 in 1956. She was an athlete we simply have not seen before or since the great Babe Didrikson Zaharias comes in 4th.
3. Patty Berg—This Minnesota native was a natural golfer from the age of 13. She attended the University of Minnesota following a runner-up finish in the 1935 U.S. Amateur at the age of 17. It was a natural progression for patty to turn professional right after college. She was one of the first women teaching pros having conducted over 16,000 clinics promoting the game she loved to an estimated ½ million golfers. Patty was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1951.
Her golf exploits went into overdrive with the formation of the LPGA Tour that she founded with fellow pros Babe Zaharias and Louise Suggs. Berg went on to win 60 tournaments including 15 majors—a record number of majors that still stands today as the most ever won by a woman. Patty Berg comes in as a solid # 3 on my list.
2. Mickey Wright. This San Diego product had a relatively short professional career starting out at the age of 19, and ending some 15 years later due to foot problems, but those 15 years were so dynamic she vaults into second place.
Mickey won a staggering 82 events including 13 majors during that short span including 4 consecutive years winning at least 10 titles in each year. Along with Kathy Whitworth, they combined to win almost ½ of the events contested during the decade of the 1960’s. The true testimony of her greatness came from none other than the legendary Ben Hogan who said of Wright’s swing that it was simply the greatest swing he had ever seen man or woman! She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1964. Mickey Wright #2.
“Bob’s top 10 women golfers of all time” list continues with three more amazing LPGA golfers.
7. Betsy Rawls—One of the true pioneers of the LPGA Tour, joining the fledgling group in 1951, it became apparent that this young South Carolinian could more than hold her own against the stiffest competition. Rawls won a total of 55 tour titles, including 8 majors. Her victories spanned 22 years from 1951 through 1972 inclusive—a remarkable achievement of longevity. The Hall of Fame arrived for Betsy in 1960. Today, at the age of 85, she is still seen at golf events throughout America—a treasure of ladies golf – the great Betsy Rawls comes in at #7.
6. Louise Suggs—Another true LPGA Pioneer—one of the three original founders of the ladies tour Louise Suggs smashed the competition—by winning 61 titles and 11 major championships in her illustrious career. As she approaches her 90th birthday, like Betsy Rawls, Louise tries to attend important golf events whenever possible. Her marks in the golf world were dramatically written on the course, but the fact that she, Patty Berg and Babe Zaharias founded the Tour as we know it today will be her lasting legacy to the game—World Golf Hall of Famer Louise Suggs is our 6th all time greatest female golfer of all time.
5. Kathy Whitworth comes in 5th and for good reason. The Native of Monahans, Texas was a teenage superstar and it has never ended—she would be higher on our list but Kathy was onl y(we say only tongue in cheek) able to win 6 majors but her total tournaments won on the tour is more than any man or woman ever—88! She started winning on tour in 1962 and didn’t stop until 1985. She won at least one tournament every year from ’62 through ’78 an amazing 17 consecutive years. Kathy was perhaps best acknowledged as a player who could win on any type of course anywhere a true winner—still the all-time tournament winner man or woman—the great Kathy Whitworth #5.
Nicklaus has won more majors(18) and is by far the most dominant player of his era. As Lee Trevino said, if Nicklaus was in the tournament we all knew we had to beat Jack to win the event.
There really is no authentic argument, Jack Nicklaus is the number one golfer of all time. Even USA Today says so!
An oldie, but a good one. http://www.nj.com/golf/index.ssf/2009/07/tiger_woods_claims_title_at_at.html
The best closer/door slammer of all time no one even comes close—having won over 90% of the tournaments he has lead going into the last round. When everyone is choking, he is thriving! Still, to this point, a career in the making, as he could catch Jack and become the most prolific major champion of all time. There is no doubt that he will catch Sam Snead with the most wins to boot but he is still number 2—like Avis, he tries harder, and I do believe he eventually will become the number one golfer ever to play this great game.
Player is one of 5 men to win the grand slam. 9 times a major champion and golf’s first world traveler—coming from South Africa and before jet travel was the norm – he came to America and simply won! He won over 165 tournaments worldwide believed to be the most ever won by any man or woman ever.
Player revolutionized fitness in the sport of golf where nearly all great players in today’s game spend time in the gym. He was a “gym rat” before anyone believed in it. He is a true pioneer and champion.
Coming it at #6, Sam Snead, the winner of 82 PGA Tour events, won every major title except the U.S. Open. That did not keep him off our top ten list—no way as Snead not only won 82 events he was competitive into his 60’s coming in 3rd in the PGA Championship at the age of 63.
Remarkable longevity and because of that longevity he is one of sports greatest athletes not just golf.
Did you miss the rest of the top 10 so far? Here they are: 10, 9, 8, 7.
The winner of 7 major championships and a total of 62 PGA Tour events Palmer made golf fashionable to play and watch on television. He came along when TV and golf were not yet united as they are today. His charisma and charm made him a universally loved player—simply stated everyone adored Arnold Palmer. He transcended generations and was America’s golfing hero. In addition he revitalized the British Open as Americans had virtually stopped going over to the event but Palmer created an American invasion starting in 1960 that continues today.
A gracious but tenacious competitor, Gene was part and parcel of the fabric of professional golf in the early 1920’s through the 1940’s.
Following his brilliant playing career he became a golf television commentator especially known for his color analysis on television’s Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf series running from the early 1960’s to the late 60’s.
Did you miss #9 and #10? Click their numbers to check them out!
Harry Vardon, the famous Englishman who won 6 British Opens, a record that still stands today, holds place number 9 in Bob’s top 10 golfers of all time. He also added a U.S. Open to his resume in 1900, and later finished runner-up twice in the U.S. Open. Vardon won 62 tournaments in his illustrious career including a record 14 in a row—another of his records that still stands today. He created the overlapping grip—notably called “The Vardon Grip.” He was also one of the first golfers to author golf books to help the average golfer improve and enjoy the sport. He was one of the game’s first true ambassadors as he came to America, touring the nation, giving over 80 exhibitions in his effort to proliferate the game.
