Golf Network News ← Back to the clubhouseClubhouse

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

United States · born , Port Arthur, Texas, United States · died

10major championships, LPGA count

Summary

  • First major 1948 U.S. Women's Open
  • Last major 1954 U.S. Women's Open
  • Runner-up in majors 1 time
  • Other titles 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur and 1947 Women's Amateur

Wins

  1. 1940 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
  2. 1944 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
  3. 1945 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
  4. 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur Southern Hills Country Club · 11 & 9
  5. 1947 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
  6. 1947 The Women's Amateur Championship Gullane Golf Club · 5 & 4
  7. 1948 U.S. Women's Open Atlantic City Country Club · 300 (E) · by 8 strokes from Betty Hicks
  8. 1950 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
  9. 1950 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
  10. 1950 U.S. Women's Open Rolling Hills Country Club · 291 (-9) · by 9 strokes from Betsy Rawls
  11. 1952 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
  12. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Salem Country Club · 291 (+3) · by 12 strokes from Betty Hicks

Near misses

  1. 1949 U.S. Women's Open Prince Georges Golf & Country Club · runner-up to Louise Suggs · 305

Rivals

Beat her

Next in the chain: Louise Suggs' rivals →

Moments

  1. 1948 U.S. Women's Open On Saturday's 36-hole day Zaharias set a women's course record of 72 in the morning, added a wind-slowed 75 in the afternoon and led by eight strokes at 222 after 54 holes.
  2. 1948 U.S. Women's Open A club member had offered $1,000 to any professional who broke 300; Zaharias missed a five-foot putt at the finish and came in at exactly 300, costing herself the bonus ('I'd only have to give the $1,000 to the Government,' she said).
  3. 1950 U.S. Women's Open Two strokes behind amateur Betty Bush's 36-hole lead of 149, Zaharias shot back-to-back five-under-par 70s over the weekend to win by nine and tie Louise Suggs's 72-hole record of 291.
  4. 1950 U.S. Women's Open Amateur Betsy Rawls of Austin, Texas finished second at 300 - the book's (p10) best amateur finish until Catherine Lacoste won in 1967 - and turned professional to win the title the following year.
  5. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Fifteen months after colon-cancer surgery, Zaharias led from the first round (a par 72, tied with amateur Claire Doran), went seven clear at 36 holes and 10 clear at 54, and won by 12 - then a record margin for the USGA era and still the book's second-largest (p16).
  6. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Tiring on the 36-hole final day, Zaharias hacked out of the woods on the final hole, then threw her hat in the air: 'Thank goodness, it's over, I couldn't have gone another hole. But it's the answer to my prayers.'

Records and firsts

  1. 1954 U.S. Women's Open second-largest margin · 12
  2. 1954 U.S. Women's Open largest 54-hole lead · 10
  3. 1954 U.S. Women's Open oldest champion · 43y 0m 7d
  4. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Wire-to-wire U.S. Women's Open winner: no ties

Results by championship

    Best day

    1954 U.S. Women's Open

    Salem Country Club, Peabody, MA · 291 (+3) · by 12 strokes from Betty Hicks

    Fifteen months after colon-cancer surgery, Zaharias led from the first round (a par 72, tied with amateur Claire Doran), went seven clear at 36 holes and 10 clear at 54, and won by 12 - then a record margin for the USGA era and still the book's second-largest (p16).

    Tiring on the 36-hole final day, Zaharias hacked out of the woods on the final hole, then threw her hat in the air: 'Thank goodness, it's over, I couldn't have gone another hole. But it's the answer to my prayers.'

    Record: second-largest margin · 12

    Record: largest 54-hole lead · 10

    Record: oldest champion · 43y 0m 7d

    Record: no ties

    Chosen by rule: the major win our record tables single out. Year page: 1954.

    Career line, 1940–1954

    U.S. Women's Open
    1948 U.S. Women's Open: won1949 U.S. Women's Open: runner-up to Louise Suggs1950 U.S. Women's Open: won1954 U.S. Women's Open: won
    Other LPGA majors
    1940 Western Open: won1944 Western Open: won1945 Western Open: won1947 Titleholders Championship: won1950 Titleholders Championship: won1950 Western Open: won1952 Titleholders Championship: won
    U.S. Women's Amateur
    1946 U.S. Women's Amateur: won
    Women's Amateur
    1947 Women's Amateur: won
    1940194519501955

    13 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Other win
    • Runner-up

    Babe Didrikson Zaharias was born on June 26, 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas, United States. Zaharias won 10 major championships by the LPGA's official count: 4 Western Opens (1940, 1944, 1945, 1950), 3 Titleholders Championships (1947, 1950, 1952) and 3 U.S. Women's Opens (1948, 1950, 1954).

    See Babe Didrikson Zaharias in our rooms: Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (10)

    Count and list are the LPGA official major-championship record as given in our U.S. Women's Open champions table.

    1. 1940 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
    2. 1944 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
    3. 1945 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
    4. 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur Southern Hills Country Club · 11 & 9
    5. 1947 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
    6. 1947 The Women's Amateur Championship Gullane Golf Club · 5 & 4
    7. 1948 U.S. Women's Open Atlantic City Country Club, Northfield, NJ · 300 (E) · by 8 strokes from Betty Hicks
    8. 1950 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
    9. 1950 Western Open won (an LPGA major)
    10. 1950 U.S. Women's Open Rolling Hills Country Club, Wichita, KS · 291 (-9) · by 9 strokes from Betsy Rawls
    11. 1952 Titleholders Championship won (an LPGA major)
    12. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Salem Country Club, Peabody, MA · 291 (+3) · by 12 strokes from Betty Hicks

    Near misses

    1. 1949 U.S. Women's Open Prince Georges Golf & Country Club · runner-up to Louise Suggs · 305

    Other wins in championships we cover

    1. 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur Southern Hills Country Club · 11 & 9
    2. 1947 The Women's Amateur Championship Gullane Golf Club · 5 & 4

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1954 U.S. Women's Open second-largest margin · 12
    2. 1954 U.S. Women's Open largest 54-hole lead · 10
    3. 1954 U.S. Women's Open oldest champion · 43y 0m 7d
    4. 1954 U.S. Women's Open Wire-to-wire U.S. Women's Open winner: no ties

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. usga.org: 26USWomensOpen
    2. lpga.com: major championship records
    3. lpga.com: babe didrikson zaharias
    4. lpga.com: alltimerecords
    5. assets.espn.com: features 00014147
    6. usatf.org: mildred babe didriksen
    7. atlas.thc.texas.gov: Details 5245010586
    8. Wikipedia: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
    9. Wikipedia: 1948 U.S. Women's Open
    10. loc.gov: ed 1
    11. loc.gov: ed 1
    12. loc.gov: ed 1
    13. britannica.com: babe didrikson zaharias
    14. Wikipedia: 1950 U.S. Women's Open
    15. loc.gov: ed 1
    16. loc.gov: ed 1
    17. loc.gov: ed 1
    18. Wikipedia: 1954 U.S. Women's Open
    19. loc.gov: ed 1
    20. loc.gov: ed 1
    21. loc.gov: ed 1
    22. loc.gov: ed 1
    23. loc.gov: ed 1
    24. encyclopedia.com: zaharias babe didrikson 1911 1956
    25. espn.com: features 00014147
    26. Wikipedia: U.S. Women's Amateur
    27. championships.usga.org: u s women s amateur champions
    28. championships.usga.org: u s women s amateur records
    29. Wikipedia: Women's Amateur Championship
    30. golfcompendium.com: british womens amateur winners
    31. assets.randa.org: Womens Amateur Information 2025
    32. Wikipedia: Jean Donald