by Mike Magers
Kathy Whitworth’s beginnings in golf can be traced to the southern Lea County town of Jal, New Mexico. When she was in high school, there were few organized athletic activities for girls. She and some of her friends enjoyed playing tennis together and when she was fifteen years old, some of them invited her to join them in a round of golf. She was not enthusiastic about it at first, but agreed to go. From that point on, Whitworth says, she “became hooked.” Even though golf was then somewhat more difficult for her than other sports, with the help of her teacher, Harry Loudermilk, she learned the basics of the game, playing many rounds at the Jal Country Club. She won the 1957 and 1958 New Mexico State Amateur Championship.
Read More »
New Mexico Sports 