The late Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a multi-talented athlete who excelled in multiple sports. She gained world fame in track and field and All-American status in basketball. She played organized baseball and softball and was an expert diver roller-skater and bowler. She even won a pair of gold medals and one silver medal for track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 1935 at the age of 24 she began to play golf a latecomer to the sport for which she became most famous.

Initially she was denied amateur status and so in January 1938 she competed in the Los Angeles Open a men's PGA tournament and shot 81 and 84 over the first two rounds respectively but missed the cut. In the tournament she was teamed with George Zaharias; they married eleven months later. She went on to become America's first female golf celebrity and the leading player of the 1940s and early 50s. If she had wanted to gain back her amateur status she would have had to play no other sports for three years. After finally gaining back her amateur status in 1942 she won the 1946 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 1947 British Ladies Amateur the first American to do so and three Women's Western Opens. Having formally turned professional in 1947 she dominated the Women's Professional Golf Association and later the Ladies Professional Golf Association of which she was a founding member. She won the 1947 Titleholders Championship and the 1948 U.S. Women's Open for her fourth and fifth major championships. She won 17 straight women's amateur victories a feat never equaled by anyone. By 1950 she had won every golf title available. Totaling both her amateur and professional victories Zaharias won a total of 82 golf tournaments.

Offered here is a set of eight Babe Didrikson Zaharias custom Wilson irons (2 through 9) with usage attributed to her 1947 victory in the British Ladies Amateur Championship which was held in Scotland. Along with the United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship it is considered the highest honor in women's amateur golf. Zaharias was the first competitor from the United States to win the match play tournament by defeating runner-up Jacqueline Gordon of England 5 & 4. The Wilson Dyna-Weight clubs which all show substantial usage include Babe D. Zaharias in script across the back of each club head. The rubber Chevron grips on every club show cracking at the bottom. The clubs were sourced directly from Zaharias around 1952-53 by Aniela Goldthwaite an amateur golfer )member of Texas Golf Hall of Fame) who became close friends with Babe during her playing career. Babe gave the clubs to Aniela's daughter Frances and said they are the same set she used to win the 1947 British Ladies Amateur title in Scotland. Detailed documentation is included.

Letter of Provenance from the Newport Sports Museum.