Ruth Jessen

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Ruth Jessen

| image =

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| fullname = Mary Ruth Jessen

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|11|12}}

| birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|9|21|1936|11|12}}

| death_place = Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}

| weight =

| nationality = {{USA}}

| spouse =

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| college = Seattle University

| yearpro = 1956

| retired =

| extour = LPGA Tour (1956–85)

| prowins = 13

| lpgawins = 11

| otherwins =

| majorwins =

| western = T2: 1964

| titleholders = 2nd: 1962

| nabisco = DNP

| lpga = 5th: 1963

| wusopen = T2/2nd: 1962, 1964

| dumaurier = CUT: 1984

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Mary Ruth Jessen (November 12, 1936 – September 21, 2007) was an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1956 and won 11 LPGA Tour victories in all.{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Where-Are-They-Now-Ruth-Jessen-former-LPGA-1211154.php|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |last=Raley |first=Dan |title=Where are they now? Ruth Jessen, former LPGA standout |date=August 8, 2006 |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Ruth-Jessen-1937-2007-Seattle-s-first-LPGA-1250452.php |newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |last=Raley |first=Dan |title=Ruth Jessen, 1937-2007: Seattle's first LPGA golfer |date=September 22, 2007 |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/golf/ruth-jessen-1936-2007-lpga-tour-star-started-in-seattle/ |newspaper=Seattle Times |last=Smith |first=Craig |title=Ruth Jessen, 1936-2007, LPGA Tour star started in Seattle |date=September 23, 2007 |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}

Amateur career

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington,{{cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=Len |first2=Barbara |last2=Kelly |title=Who's Who in Golf |year=1976 |publisher=Arlington House |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0-87000-225-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/104 104] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/104 }} Jessen grew up in the northeast part of the city, a half block from the Meadowbrook golf course (1928–1960), now Nathan Hale High School and Meadowbrook Playfield.{{cite news |url=http://www.seattle.gov/parks/history/meadowbrookPF.pdf |publisher=Seattle City Parks |agency=History |title=Meadowbrook Playfield |date=1976 |accessdate=March 8, 2016 }} She also played at Jackson Park and was a junior member at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore.{{cite news |url=http://www.inglewoodgolfclub.com/history/overview/ |publisher=Inglewood Country Club |title=History |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}

Jessen was a three-time winner of the Seattle City Championship from 1953 to 1955. She won the Washington State Amateur in 1954 and the Pacific Northwest Championship in 1954 and 1955. She was also the medalist at the 1953 National Junior Championship and runner-up at the 1956 National Collegiate Championship.

Jessen graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955 and briefly played on the men's golf team at Seattle University in 1956 as a freshman.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-26-me-passings26.s2-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |title=Ruth Jessen, 70; golfer won 11 times on the LPGA tour |agency=staff & wire reports |date=September 26, 2007 |access-date=March 8, 2016}} Seattle U. did not have women's teams then, but encouraged its outstanding female athletes to play on its (men's) teams, primarily in golf and tennis.{{cite web |url=http://www.goseattleu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18200&ATCLID=205534088 |publisher=Seattle University Athletics |title=33-day countdown to new Division I era - Story #13 - Ruth Jessen |date=2009 |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}

Professional career

Unconventional for the era, Jessen left college after one year to turn professional, and joined the LPGA Tour. She won 11 times[http://extranet.lpga.com/content/All-timeWinnersList.pdf LPGA All-Time Winners List] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425063503/http://extranet.lpga.com/content/All-timeWinnersList.pdf |date=2012-04-25 }} on the LPGA Tour between 1959 and 1971.[http://extranet.lpga.com/content/Chronology50-59.pdf LPGA Tournament Chronology 1950-59][http://extranet.lpga.com/content/Chronology60-69.pdf LPGA Tournament Chronology 1960-69][http://extranet.lpga.com/content/Chronology70-79.pdf LPGA Tournament Chronology 1970-79] She finished as runner-up in major championships four times. Two of these were 18-hole playoff losses: at the 1962 Titleholders Championship and the 1964 U.S. Women's Open, both to Mickey Wright.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jCdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4662%2C2725674 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |agency=Associated Press |title=Wright wins women's title |date=July 13, 1964 |page=2B }} Jessen was in the top-10 on the money list once, the runner-up in 1964 with $23,431,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=93IjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=umUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3019%2C5389600 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Ruth Jessen, veteran nomad of women's pro circuit |date=January 26, 1965 |page=14 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=93IjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=umUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=958%2C5388803 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |location=Florida |agency=AP photo |title=Welcome to Ruth Jessen's shoe department |date=January 26, 1965 |page=14 }} after five tour victories that year.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LVFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JksDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4435%2C3226399 |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location=Texas |agency=Associated Press |title=Ruth Jessen captures Phoenix golf tourney |date=October 26, 1964 |page=10}}

Jessen suffered from several health issues throughout her career, including uterine cancer at age 32, and had over a dozen surgeries for her various ailments. She won the 1971 Ben Hogan Award after returning from elbow surgery.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=paBYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3935%2C1884844 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |title=Ruth Jessen is honored |date=January 8, 1972 |page=10 }} She was also known for her unusually wide putting stance.{{cite news |url=http://www.golfdigest.com/story/passings-2008-02 |magazine=Golf Digest |title=Passings of 2007 |date=January 22, 2008 |accessdate=March 8, 2016}}