Virginia Van Wie
Virginia Van Wie (February 9, 1909 – February 18, 1997) was an American amateur golfer, best known for winning three U.S. Women's Amateurs, 1932–34. The Illinois-born golfer[1] was the daughter of wealthy parents and learned the game at the Beverly Country Club, and during the summers she would go with her parents to summer homes in Michigan and Florida and compete with the best. Van Wie was a student of golf instructor Ernest Jones.
Early life
While at the age of 16 and still attending Lindblom High School in Chicago—in 1925 when the school did not have a golf team—Van Wie first emerged as an extraordinary golfer. In the summer that year, the newspapers first noticed Van Wie when she won the Western Michigan championship and then won the Western Junior championship, and upset several top golfers in other tournaments.
Golf career
In 1926, Van Wie beat the national champion, Glenna Collett, for the East Coast Florida championship and began a string of three Chicago District golf titles. At the 1928 and 1930 U.S. Women's Amateurs, Van Wie lost in the finals to Glenna Collett. In the 1929 event, she tied for the medal for lowest score in the qualifying rounds.
U.S. Women's Amateur
Van Wie broke through to national fame in 1932, when she beat Collett for the first of her three consecutive national amateur titles. After winning her final championship in 1934, and based on her performance for the entire year, she earned the 1934 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year[2] and was proclaimed the "world's greatest female golfer."
Curtis Cup
Van Wie was a member of the American team that won the first Curtis Cup[3] played at the Wentworth Golf Club in England in 1932 and was part of the team that won it again in 1934.
Later life
Van Wie retired in 1935 without defending her national title, and then taught golf in the Chicago area for more than thirty years.
Death and legacy
Van Wie died on February 18, 1997, aged 88, at her home in Big Rapids, Michigan.[4] In 1950, she was inducted into the Women's Golf Hall of Fame.
Team appearances
Amateur
- Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 1932 (winners), 1934 (winners)
References
- ^ "Virginia Van Wie". Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ "AP Female Athlete of the Year". Associated Press. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ "USGA Curtis Cup Results; 1932-Present". United States Golf Association. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ Heise, Kenan (February 22, 1997). "Virginia Van Wie; Won 3 Amateur Golf Titles". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
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- e
- 1931: Helene Madison
- 1932: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1933: Helen Jacobs
- 1934: Virginia Van Wie
- 1935: Helen Wills
- 1936: Helen Stephens
- 1937: Katherine Rawls
- 1938: Patty Berg
- 1939: Alice Marble
- 1940: Alice Marble
- 1941: Betty Hicks
- 1942: Gloria Callen
- 1943: Patty Berg
- 1944: Ann Curtis
- 1945: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1946: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1947: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1948: Fanny Blankers-Koen
- 1949: Marlene Hagge
- 1950: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1951: Maureen Connolly
- 1952: Maureen Connolly
- 1953: Maureen Connolly
- 1954: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- 1955: Patty Berg
- 1956: Pat McCormick
- 1957: Althea Gibson
- 1958: Althea Gibson
- 1959: Maria Bueno
- 1960: Wilma Rudolph
- 1961: Wilma Rudolph
- 1962: Dawn Fraser
- 1963: Mickey Wright
- 1964: Mickey Wright
- 1965: Kathy Whitworth
- 1966: Kathy Whitworth
- 1967: Billie Jean King
- 1968: Peggy Fleming
- 1969: Debbie Meyer
- 1970: Chi Cheng
- 1971: Evonne Goolagong
- 1972: Olga Korbut
- 1973: Billie Jean King
- 1974: Chris Evert
- 1975: Chris Evert
- 1976: Nadia Comăneci
- 1977: Chris Evert
- 1978: Nancy Lopez
- 1979: Tracy Austin
- 1980: Chris Evert
- 1981: Tracy Austin
- 1982: Mary Decker
- 1983: Martina Navratilova
- 1984: Mary Lou Retton
- 1985: Nancy Lopez
- 1986: Martina Navratilova
- 1987: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
- 1988: Florence Griffith Joyner
- 1989: Steffi Graf
- 1990: Beth Daniel
- 1991: Monica Seles
- 1992: Monica Seles
- 1993: Sheryl Swoopes
- 1994: Bonnie Blair
- 1995: Rebecca Lobo
- 1996: Amy Van Dyken
- 1997: Martina Hingis
- 1998: Pak Se-ri
- 1999: United States women's national soccer team
- 2000: Marion Jones
- 2001: Jennifer Capriati
- 2002: Serena Williams
- 2003: Annika Sörenstam
- 2004: Annika Sörenstam
- 2005: Annika Sörenstam
- 2006: Lorena Ochoa
- 2007: Lorena Ochoa
- 2008: Candace Parker
- 2009: Serena Williams
- 2010: Lindsey Vonn
- 2011: Abby Wambach
- 2012: Gabby Douglas
- 2013: Serena Williams
- 2014: Mo'ne Davis
- 2015: Serena Williams
- 2016: Simone Biles
- 2017: Katie Ledecky
- 2018: Serena Williams
- 2019: Simone Biles
- 2020: Naomi Osaka
- 2021: Candace Parker
- 2022: Katie Ledecky
- 2023: Simone Biles