Zaharias, Babe

Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, (June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field.

One of Zaharias's most important win in a golf tournament play took place at the Salem Country Club during the 1954 U.S. Woman's Open. Though she had been sick the year before and had major intestinal surgery in 1953, she made a comeback and actually won the tournament by 12 strokes. She died two years later after her cancer returned.

Gary Larrabee, a Salem journalist, has written a book chronicling her historical U.S. Open victory called Sensation at Salem. Find the link below to see if the library copy is available.

See Also

Sensation at Salem: the legendary Babe Zaharias's historic 1954 U. S. Open victory G. Larrabee

"Sensation at Salem dives into Zaharias' triumph at Salem Country Club" Salem News, July 19, 2013, p. 9