Miss Helen Hicks, 18-year-old golf star, and Elinor Smith, 17-year-old aviatrix, at Fairchild Field, Farmingdale, N

Helen L. Hicks Harb (February 11, 1911 – December 16, 1974) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

and one of 13 founders of the

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...

in 1950.

Biography

Hicks was born in Cedarhurst, New York. She began playing golf at the age of 15, after being taught by her father. She attended Lawrence High School, where she played basketball for her school's team while simultaneously competing and winning such tournaments as the Junior Girls' Championship of the Metropolitan Women's Golf Association. She had a successful amateur career, reaching the finals of the

U.S. Women's Amateur The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). F ...

twice. She beat Glenna Collett Vare in 1931 and lost to Virginia Van Wie in 1933. She won several other amateur tournaments and played on the first U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1932. In 1934, Hicks became one of the first women to turned professional; signing with the

Wilson Sporting Goods Company The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. The company has been a subsidiary of Finnish multinational company Amer Sports since 1989, and is, in turn, now under the Chinese Anta ...

to promote their golf equipment. Hicks won two tournaments as a professional that are now considered LPGA major championships: the 1937 Women's Western Open and the 1940

Titleholders Championship The Titleholders Championship was a women's golf tournament played from in 1937 to 1966 and again in 1972. It was later designated a major championship by the LPGA Tour. History The Titleholders Championship was founded in 1937. Like the Masters ...

. From 1938 to 1948, she competed as Helen Hicks Harb after marrying Whitney Harb. In 1950, Hicks was one of 13 women that founded the

. Hicks died of throat cancer in 1974. Hicks is sometimes confused with contemporary Betty Hicks who won the 1941

Tournament wins

''this list is incomplete'' * 1929

Canadian Women's Amateur The Canadian Women's Amateur is Canada's annual national amateur golf tournament for women. It is open to women from all countries and is played at a different course each year. History The first championship was held from October 14 to 17, 1901 at ...

* 1930 New York State Women’s Amateur * 1931

, Metropolitan Women's Amateur, Women's Eastern Championship, New York State Women’s Amateur * 1933 Metropolitan Women's Amateur, New York State Women’s Amateur * 1937 Women's Western Open * 1940

Major championships

Wins (2)

Team appearances

Amateur * Curtis Cup (representing the United States):

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

(winners)

References

External links

*
LPGA founders' profilesHelen Hicks
at Flickr Commons via Boston Public Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, Helen American female golfers LPGA Tour golfers Winners of ladies' major amateur golf championships Winners of LPGA major golf championships Golfers from New York (state) People from Cedarhurst, New York 1911 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American women 20th-century American people