Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (June 26,
1911 in Port Arthur, Texas – September 27,
1956) was an United States|American athlete, who
excelled in many sports. She achieved her greatest
successes in golf and athletics. She was born
Mildred Didriksen (her surname was later
accidentally changed) in the town of Port Arthur,
Texas and acquired her nickname "Babe" (after Babe
Ruth) after she hit five home runs in a single
baseball game. 

She first became known as an athlete, competing in
the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,
California|Los Angeles. She entered three events
there, the javelin throw, the 80 m
hurdling|hurdles and the high jump. She would have
entered more events if she could, but this was not
allowed - at the Olympic Trials prior to the
Games, she had entered no less than eight events.
She nearly won all three events she entered: she
won a gold medal in the javelin and hurdles, and
cleared the same height as her compatriot Jean
Shiley in the high jump. The jury, however,
disapproved of her style and declared Shiley the
Olympic champion. After the Games, Shiley and
Didrikson split their medals.

In 1938, she married George Zaharias, a former
wrestler. Later she divorced him after he revealed
he was a homosexual. Some years earlier, she had
picked up the sport of golf, the sport by which
she would become most famous. She became America's
first female golf celebrity and leading player of
the 1940s and early 1950s. Although originally
classified as a professional, she won back her
amateur status during the Second World War and won
the 1946-47 U.S. Women's Amateur as well as the
1947 British Amateur and three Western Open
(women's golf)|Western Open victories. Formally
turning professional in 1947, she dominated the
WPGA and later the LPGA (of which she was a
founding member) until illness shortened her
career in the mid-1950s. She won the 1947
Titleholders Championship and the 1948 U.S.
Women's Open (golf)|U.S. Women's Open for her
fourth and fifth women's majors|major
championships. 

In 1945 she even competed in a men's PGA
tournament, a feat no other woman would even try
until Annika Sörenstam and Michelle Wie did so
almost 6 decades later.

Zaharias had her greatest year in 1950 when she
completed the Grand Slam of golf|Grand Slam of the
three women's majors of the day, the US Open
(golf)|US Open, the Titleholders Championship, and
the Western Open, in addition to leading the
money-list. She was the leading money-winner again
in 1951 and in 1952 took another major with a
Titleholders victory, but illness prevented her
from playing a full schedule in 1952-53. She made
a comeback in 1954 and took the Vare Trophy and
her tenth and final major with a U.S. Women's Open
championship. Her cancer reappeared in 1955 and
limited her schedule to eight events, but she
managed two wins which were her final ones in
competitive golf. Cancer took its toll and
Zaharias died in 1956 while still in the top rank
of female American golfers.

On six occasions, she was named Associated Press
Female Athlete of the Year and in 1950, she was
voted Woman Athlete of the First Half of the 20th
Century in an Associated Press poll. She was also
the highest ranked woman on ESPN's list of the 50
top athletes of the 20th century.

==See also==
*Golfers with most LPGA Tour wins
*Golfers with most LPGA major championship wins

== Bibliography ==
* This life I've lead: My autobiography, by Babe
Didrikson Zaharias, New York, 1955
* Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson
Zaharias, by Susan Cayleff, 1996.

==External links==
*http://web.archive.org/web/20040204121058/http://
babedidricksonzaharias.org/ Official Site of the
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Foundation - on
archive.org
*http://www.golfstarsonline.com/X_Y_and_Z/Babe_Did
rikson_Zaharias/ Golf Stars Online - links to
features and profiles


Footer_Olympic_Champions_80_m_hurdles_Women


Footer Olympic Champions Javelin Throw Women