Born in San Diego, California, on February 14, 1935, Mary Kathryn Wright began playing golf when she was nine. At seventeen, in 1952, she won the U.S. Golfing Association junior girls╒ championship. She attended Stanford University for one year, 1953╨1954, before deciding to devote full time to golf. She was the amateur winner of the U.S. Women╒s Open tournament in 1954 before turning professional later in the year. She advanced rapidly to the fore and in 1958 won the Ladies Professional Golf Association championship tournament and the U.S. Women╒s Open, the latter with a four-round total of 290 that broke Mildred Didrikson Zaharias╒s record. She bettered that record by three strokes in winning the Open again in 1959.
She won the LPGA title again in 1960 and 1961 and in the latter year scored an unprecedented slam in winning the Open and the Titleholders╒ tournaments as well. She won the Titleholders╒ again in 1962 and her fourth LPGA title in 1963. She was the recipient of the Vare Trophy, for best yearlong average on the LPGA tour, in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964; her 1963 average was a record 72.81, and she lowered that in 1964 to 72.46. In 1963 she won a record 13 tournaments on the LPGA tour. In 1964 she won the Open again and finished the year in first place for all-time money winnings at $176,994. In that year she also shot an LPGA record round of 62. In 1963 and 1964 she was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. She withdrew from competition for a time in 1965 but returned and was soon again among the top contenders on the tour. She remained the LPGA╒s top total money winner until passed by Kathy Whitworth in 1969, by which time her total earnings had topped $268,000. Probably the most powerful hitter on the tour, Mickey Wright was capable of drives of upwards of 300 yards. She was named to the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1964, the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976, and the International Women╒s Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.
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