Golf great Mickey dies at 85

Los Angeles, February 18

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Thirteen-time Major winner Mickey Wright, often described as the greatest woman golfer of all time, died aged 85.

Wright, who accumulated 82 LPGA Tour titles during a professional career stretching from 1954 to 1969, died in Florida after a heart attack, reports said on Monday. “We’re saddened to learn today of the passing of Mickey Wright, a 13-time Major Champion and 82-time winner on the LPGA, just three days after celebrating her birthday,” the World Golf Hall of Fame announced on Twitter. “One of the best to ever play the game, she will be greatly missed. #RIPMickey.”

Born Mary Kathryn Wright in San Diego, California in 1935, Wright enjoyed a stellar amateur career which included a US Girls Junior Championship in 1952. She won the 1954 World Amateur Championship before turning professional the following season. Her haul of 13 Major victories included four US Women’s Open titles and four US Women’s PGA Championships. Only Patty Berg, who had 15 Major wins, has won more.

Her retirement in 1969 shocked women’s golf, coming at the relatively early age of 34. Wright would later cite the pressure of the spotlight as influencing her decision to step away from the sport. — AFP