Kathy Whitworth

Pete Axthelm of Newsweek wrote of Whitworth, "She is one of the quiet, gracious ladies of sport." In many ways, Whitworth was the epitome of the long, tall Texan. She dressed conservatively and sported a hairstyle that relied heavily on hairspray. She never wanted to draw attention to herself as a celebrity or a star. She explained to Barry McDermott of Sports Illustrated, "It's not necessary for people to know you.… The record itself speaks."

Whitworth made many sacrifices for a professional career in golf, including giving up the chance of having a family of her own. She explained to McDermott, "I wanted to be a golfer, the best I could be, and marriage and golf didn't mix." She further commented in her book, Golf for Women, "I didn't give up a family, I decided I didn't want one. I freely made the decision to dedicate myself to professional golf. No one held a gun to my head; the hours that I spent on the practice tee were hours I wanted to spend on the practice tee."

Whitworth's dedication put her in the history books. In 1984, she surpassed golfing great Sam Snead's record for professional wins when she won her 85th tournament. By 1988, she added three more tournament wins to that number and placed herself firmly at the top as the winningest professional golf player, man or woman.