Kathy Whitworth

Kathy Whitworth, born in 1939, American golfer, who has won 88 professional tournaments, more than any other golfer. The first woman golfer to collect $1 million in winnings, she is also a seven-time winner of both the Ladies Professional Golfers Association (LPGA) Player of the Year Award (1966-1969, 1971-1973) and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average (1965-1967, 1969-1972).

Kathrynne Ann Whitworth was born in Monahans, Texas. She attended Odessa Junior College in Odessa, Texas. She won the New Mexico Amateur championship in 1957 and 1958 and turned professional in 1959. Her first LPGA win came in 1962 at the Kelly Girl Open.

Whitworth dominated women's professional golf from 1965 to 1973. In addition to winning the LPGA Player of the Year Award and the Vare Trophy seven times each, she was the top-ranked player and the leading money-winner in every season but 1969. During that stretch she took five particularly prestigious titles: the Titleholders Championship in 1965 and 1966, the Western Open in 1967, and the LPGA Championship in 1967 and 1971. She won a third LPGA Championship in 1975.

In 1981 Whitworth became the first woman to earn more than $1 million in her career. In 1984, when she captured her 85th victory, she broke the record held by American Sam Snead for career titles. Whitworth was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1975.