Who is the best (or among the best) Female golfer of all time?

the bishop · October 9, 2018

If you ever want to watch a beautiful swing, look at Mickey Wright's. Oh heck...here you go...

[media=]
[/media]

great action!!

[media=]
[/media]

Mickey Wright was an absolute 'effin stud.

Chris122 · October 21, 2018

The Babe.

Golf Dino · October 25, 2018

I think this thread is "spot on". The discussion should truly be between Mickey and Annika. Honourable mention to the Babe. Babe brought international attention to the game before cancer struck her down.

Mickey and Annika though ... both so dominant and brought that "killer instinct" to finish things off. On this one, I'd give a slight edge to Annika ..

But slight it is.

If given the chance, I suspect that Mickey would have been successful in any era as she was just so athletically gifted!

Dano golf · November 7, 2018

Lefty

Golfnutgalen · February 9, 2019

I think this thread is "spot on". The discussion should truly be between Mickey and Annika. Honourable mention to the Babe. Babe brought international attention to the game before cancer struck her down.

Mickey and Annika though ... both so dominant and brought that "killer instinct" to finish things off. On this one, I'd give a slight edge to Annika ..
But slight it is.

If given the chance, I suspect that Mickey would have been successful in any era as she was just so athletically gifted!

For sure, it should be between those two, Annika and Mickey. Annika retired at age 37 (just turned 38) while Mickey retired at 34... though she did win 1 more event 4 years later so she must have competed in a few events at least, kind of like Byron Nelson who won 1 more event 5 years after 1946. By the numbers is has to be Mickey who overshadows Annika in both majors and regular tournament wins:

1. Mickey Wright (38) 1956-1973 – 82 wins, 13 m

2. Annika Sorenstam (37) 1994-2008 - 72 wins, 10 m

And yet the vast majority golf aficionados rank Annika #1. Here is Jack and Tiger just for a refresher:

Tiger Woods (42) 1996-2018 – 80 wins, 14 m

Jack Nicklaus (46) 1962-1986– 73 wins, 18 m

But you mentioned Babe, but by the numbers she was overshadowed in the same era:

Babe Zaharias (43) 1940-1955 – 41 wins, 10 m

Patty Berg (44) 1937-1962 – 60 wins, 15 m

The reason Babe is ranked ahead is because (imo) she dominated in a shorter period of time after already having an Olympic gold career and perhaps because of her tragic end while she was still playing great golf at age 43-44. But using our current best of all time criteria it makes no sense to rank her ahead of Patty.

Dpavs · February 9, 2019

While I agree it is between Mickey and Annika, I have to give the nod to Annika for the simple reasons of the field sizes and international players (or lack there of) that challenged each of them.

ChronicSlicer · February 9, 2019

While I agree it is between Mickey and Annika, I have to give the nod to Annika for the simple reasons of the field sizes and international players (or lack there of) that challenged each of them.

Great example of field sizes back in 1960. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_U.S._Women%27s_Open_Golf_Championship

provx · February 9, 2019

So yeon ryu, just because

Golfnutgalen · February 10, 2019

Great example of field sizes back in 1960. https://en.wikipedia...lf_Championship

Thanks, that is a very fair point, only 53 players in the field at the biggest tournament in women's golf! Still much better than the field of 8-20 that Young Tom Morris defeated in his 4 Open wins.

In fact the final US Open which Mickey won in 1964 had only 58 players, 29 of them amateurs. Her first major win in 1958 had 27 players participating. Field sizes in the US Open were around 90 or more starting in 1966 and a lot more inconsistent in the other majors that we know of.

I have to change my vote to Annika. She's the GOAT for now. The next best might be Kathy Whitworth or even Karrie Webb.

BadgerLin · February 10, 2019

Best female golfer - Annika for 2 reasons: she accumulated her wins in only 11 years, and it was against far deeper/stronger fields.

As far as best swing, I defer to those who say Mickey Wright had the best swing in golf.

Most impact on the game? After the LPGA Founders I would say Se Ri Pak. Not only did she pave the way for the Korean golfers, I’d say she impacted other Asian golfers.

Phreddy · February 10, 2019

I am a Mickey Wright fanboy. But I am not alone. It is reported Ben Hogan once said she had the best golf swing he had ever seen. He wasn't a man given to using superlatives. When I start losing my swing I watch Mickey Wright videos to get it back.

I get the fun of trying to compare players of different generations, but in the end differences in course conditions, ease of travel, equipment, coaching, nutrition yadda yadda yadda make it entertaining futility.

Attached is an excellent and rare interview with Mickey Wright from 2017. I particularly like the part where she talks about how trophies aren't given to superior ball strikers. They go to the player with the lowest score. A lesson she may have struggled to accept at first, but once taken to heart she became a champion.

https://www.golfdige...t-mickey-wright

Phred

PS: I met Annika in an airport coffee shop and we talked for 10-15 minutes. She looks like she could still beat the field today and is an absolutely delightful person.

jonsnow · April 3, 2019

> @"the bishop" said:

> lowheel wrote:

>

> DavePelz4 wrote:

>

> If you ever want to watch a beautiful swing, look at Mickey Wright's. Oh heck...here you go...

>

> [media=]

>

> great action!!

>

> [media=]

>

>** Mickey Wright was an absolute 'effin stud.**

I don't think anybody has combined technical precision & pure athleticism in their swing like Mickey Wright, male or female. Plus she played very aggressively, absolutely ripping it.

gvogel · April 3, 2019

> @DavePelz4 said:

> If you ever want to watch a beautiful swing, look at Mickey Wright's. Oh heck...here you go...

>

Which Ben Hogan said was the best golf swing he ever saw. That would include Sam Snead.

the bishop · April 3, 2019

> @jonsnow said:

> > @"the bishop" said:

> > lowheel wrote:

> >

> > DavePelz4 wrote:

> >

> > If you ever want to watch a beautiful swing, look at Mickey Wright's. Oh heck...here you go...

> >

> > [media=]

> >

> > great action!!

> >

> > [media=]

> >

> >** Mickey Wright was an absolute 'effin stud.**

>

> I don't think anybody has combined technical precision & pure athleticism in their swing like Mickey Wright, male or female. Plus she played very aggressively, absolutely ripping it.

>

Maybe a little more head movement than you see in more modern swings, but her positions are just about perfect.

bermuda · April 11, 2019

Comparing athletes of different eras is fun but can be frustrating, too. I like to remember what Richard Petty said when a reporter asked him to compare his seven championships with Jimmie Johnson's seven championships. Petty replied that he beat the drivers he had to beat in the races he competed in. Same goes for golfers, quarterbacks, tennis players, whatever. I'm sure Wright or Whitworth or Zaharias with a 460cc driver, tungsten-weighted irons, urethane golf balls, etc . would easily go toe-to-toe with the players of today -- just as the players of today would probably do the same if they dropped out of the sky and landed in 1955.

3jacker · April 18, 2019

Agree w/Annika and Wright.

Wright w/totals but if adjusted for time span Annika, giving her more "dominance" during her time. But I wasn't around for Wright.. from the numbers she likely would have been no less dominant had she played at the clip Annicka did.

ebk · August 8, 2019

Thanks for posting the Mickey Wright video. Hadn’t seen it in a while. Every time I see her swing it seems reminiscent of J.W. Nicklaus, at least to me. And I have to agree with Mr. Hogan...