Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias, born in 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas, reshaped the landscape of American sports through a career defined by unprecedented versatility. Before transitioning to a dominant professional golf career, she established herself as a formidable competitor across basketball, track and field, baseball, swimming, diving, and high jumping.
Early Athletic Dominance
Educated at Beaumont High School, Didrikson initially gained widespread recognition as a basketball player. She earned AAU All-American honors in the sport between 1930 and 1932. Representing the Employers' Casualty Insurance Company of Dallas, she led the Golden Cyclones to an AAU Basketball Championship in 1931. Her proficiency extended to organized baseball, softball, and competitive diving, setting a foundation for her future Olympic success.
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At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Didrikson secured two gold medals and one silver. She set an Olympic record in the javelin throw at 43.69 meters and established a new world record in the 80-meter hurdles with an 11.7-second finish. In the high jump, she earned a silver medal after a jump-off. She remains the only athlete to earn individual Olympic medals in separate running, throwing, and jumping disciplines.
Professional Golf Career
Didrikson began playing golf in 1935. She competed in the 1938 Los Angeles Open, becoming one of the few women to participate in a PGA tournament. After regaining amateur status in 1942, she achieved major victories including the 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 1947 British Ladies Amateur. As a founding member of the LPGA in 1950, she helped formalize professional women's golf, ultimately securing 82 tournament victories during her career.
Recognition and Legacy
The Associated Press named Didrikson Athlete of the Year in 1932, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, and 1954. Following her marriage to George Zaharias in 1938, she continued to compete until illness curtailed her activity. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2008 and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1976. She died in 1956 in Galveston and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Fast facts
- Born: 1911, Port Arthur
- Died: 1956, Galveston
- Burial site: Forest Lawn Memorial Park
- Olympic medals: 2 gold, 1 silver (1932)
- Associated Press Athlete of the Year wins: 6
- Primary occupations: Basketball player, golfer, track and field athlete
- LPGA founding member: 1950
- Spouse: George Zaharias
Questions readers ask
Did Babe Didrikson Zaharias ever compete in PGA Tour events?
Yes, she participated in several PGA Tour events, including the 1938 and 1945 Los Angeles Opens, and she remains the only woman to make the tournament cut in a regular PGA Tour event.
How many major championships did she win in golf?
She won 10 LPGA major championships throughout her professional golf career.
Achievements
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Associated Press Athlete of the Year
- World Golf Hall of Fame
- Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
- National Women's Hall of Fame
- Competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics
