Grand Slam Included in Mickey Wright's 1961 Triumphs Mickey Wright, the 26-year old San Diego blonde who has been threatening to make tlie women's professional tour- nament circuit her pri- vate hunting grounds for the last four or five years, finally broke through iu 1961, win- ning 10 tournaments Gory Nixon, Royal Little and Sam Snead (I to r) hove formed a corporation, capitalized at $300,000, and collecting $22,236. to build and operate a string of Par 3s through, Her 10 victories tied a out the country. Indications are that the first 10, record established bv at least, will be constructed at locations where lietsy Rawls in 1959 there is year-araund golf. Nixon has been Sam's and her earnings were assistant at The Greenbrier and Boca Raton for the second highest in several years and helps to manoge Snead's busi- Ladies PGA history. Mickey Wright ness affairs; Little, ex-Textron, Jnc. chairman, repre- ients the Narragonsett Corp., an investment com- The runnerup in the pany, in tli? venture; and Snead, golfer and capi- 1961 money column, Betsy Rawls, earned talist, hardly has to hove hil accomplishments about $6,500 less than Miss Wright. reviewed. The new firm, known as Sam Snead All- Betsy's winnings of $15,672 gave her • Ameriean Golf, Inc., will build lighted Par 3s com- slight edge over Louise Suggs who col- plete with ranges and small pro shop3 and then lected $15,339. In fourth place was Mary turn them over to experienced pros or business- Lena Faulk who, aided by winning three men on a net rental basis. consecutive tourneys in midsummer, col- lected a total of $12,968. Tlie No. 5 spot in the dollar lineup went to Marilynn Smith who won $10,687. Schedule USGA Green Section Education Meet for Jan. 26 Has Won $95,000 Included in Mickey's triumphs last sea- The education program of the USGA son was a "grand slam" of tlie Women's green section will be held on Friday, Open, Ladies PGA Championship and Jan. 26, in the Biltmore Hotel, New York, the Titleholders, the first time this had preceding by one day the annual meet- been accomplished. She finished in the ing of the association. Theme of the money in each of the 24 tournaments she education session will be "A Business played in and ran her string in this de- Approach to Course Maintenance." Ac- partment to 48 over three seasons. A cording to William C. Chapin, USGA professional since 1954, Mickey has won green section committeeman and chair- almost $95,000 and claimed first place in man of the education program, there will 29 tournaments in her seven years of be morning and afternoon sessions cover- campaigning. ing personnel management, club eco- Promising Newcomers nomics, accounting and budget prepa- ration and a discussion of research and With tlie addition of several Western maintenance progress. Presentation of the tournaments in September, the Ladies will be made during the meeting. PGA experienced one of its best seasons in 1961. The women pros scrambled for nearly $200,000 in prize money, and dur- todies PGA Award to Mrs. Bell ing the season at least three promising newcomers made their debuts on the cir- Peggy Kirk Bell, who with her husband, cuit. They were Judy Kimball, 15th in Warren, operates the Pine Needles Lodge tlie money list with winnings of nearly & CC in Southern Pines, N.C., has been $5000, 18-year old Sandra Haynie, and named "teacher of the year" by the Carol Mann. Ladies PGA. A former tournament star, During the 1961 season, Len Wirtz of Mrs. Bell makes only a few appearances Cincinnati was appointed tournament bu- on the women's tour each year, confining reau manager, replacing Fred Corcoran, her activities for the most part to teaching who resigned. at the Lodge & CC.