Marion Miley

Marion Miley (February 18, 1914 – September 28, 1941) was an American amateur golfer. Active in the 1930s, she won dozens of amateur tournaments and was ranked as high as #1 in the United States. She was noted by the press as being one of the most photogenic golfers in the world and received international acclaim from her successes both nationally and abroad, bringing attention to the sport of women's golf in the era prior to the establishment of the LPGA. She was murdered in 1941 during a robbery of the country club where she and her mother lived, dying at the age of 27; her mother also died as a result of the crime. It was in Fort Pierce that Miley first played golf, taking up the game when she was twelve years old. She attended and graduated from St. Lucie County High School before the family moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1930, when Fred became the golf pro at the Lexington Country Club. Elsie eventually became the club's office manager and Marion continued developing her considerable golf skills under her father's instruction. Golf was only one of Marion's passions. She was very interested in music – playing the piano since she was a child – and in medicine. In numerous interviews, she expressed her long-term desire of becoming a doctor. She entered Florida State College For Women in the fall of 1930, but dropped out in 1932 after her sophomore year to focus solely on golf. with an audience to her triumph including Bing Crosby, Joan Bennett, and W.C. Fields. She became friends with Crosby at the time and he said he would challenge her to a friendly match in the future. and eventually lost in the semifinals against Bridget Newell, but received immense British media attention for the effort.

In the 1938 U.S. Women's Amateur, Miley once again reached the semifinals, but lost to Patty Berg. A new national ranking was released in 1938 and Miley was ranked second in the United States.

In total, Miley played in 41 major golf tournaments from 1931 to 1940, winning 22. A reporter described her as the "most photographed golfer in the world". One of the awards established for the Women's Western Amateur after 1941 was named the Marion Miley Trophy. A documentary of Miley's life titled Forgotten Fame: The Marion Miley Story was released in September 2016.

Championships Year Championship Result Score Opponent Ref 1931 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 2 and 1 Jacquiline Johnson 1932 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 12 and 10 Mrs. E.D. McCraw 1932 Women's Western Amateur Loss (2nd round) 4 and 3 Lucille Robinson 1933 U.S. Women's Amateur Loss (1st round) 2 up Mrs. Ben Fitz-Hugh 1933 Kentucky Women's Amateur 2nd 4 and 2 Jacquiline Johnson 1934 Miami Biltmore Women's Invitational Semifinals 2 and 1 Helen Hicks 1934 North and South Women's Amateur Loss (1st round) 1 up Sara Fownes Wadsworth 1934 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 10 and 9 Elvina LeBus 1934 Riviera Championship Win 2 and 1 Jean Bauer 1934 U.S. Women's Amateur Loss (2nd round) 5 and 4 Charlotte Glutting 1935 Augusta Invitational Win 1 up Peggy Wattles 1935 South Atlantic Women's Amateur Win 5 and 4 Jean Bauer 1935 Mexican Women's Amateur Win 1 up Mrs. Paddy Newbold 1935 Women's Western Derby Win 3 up Patty Berg 1935 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 16 and 14 Betty Myers 1935 Women's Western Amateur Win 6 and 5 Mrs. Philip Atwood 1935 Women's Trans-Mississippi Amateur Win 9 and 7 Patty Berg 1935 U.S. Women's Amateur Quarterfinals 3 and 1 Charlotte Glutting 1936 Miami Biltmore Women's Invitational 2nd 4 and 3 Patty Berg 1936 Augusta Invitational Loss (1st round) 1 up Barbara Bourne 1936 U.S. Women's Amateur Semifinals 3 and 1 Pamela Barton 1936 British Ladies Amateur Semifinals 4 and 3 Bridget Newell 1937 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 10 and 9 Jacquiline Johnson 1937 Women's Western Amateur Win 7 and 6 Betty Jameson 1937 Augusta Invitational Win 6 and 4 Babe Didrikson 1938 Kentucky Women's Amateur Win 10 and 9 Jacquiline Johnson 1938 Belleair Women's Open Win 2 and 1 Patty Berg 1938 Women's Southern Amateur Win 1 up Estelle Lawson 1938 Women's Western Amateur Loss (2nd round) 3 and 2 Olga Strashun Weil 1938 U.S. Women's Amateur Semifinals 2 up Patty Berg 1938 Women's Trans-Mississippi Amateur Quarterfinals 5 and 3 Sarah Guth 1938 Aiken Round Robin Women's Invitational Loss (4th round) No score(injury) Patty Berg and Jane Cothran Jameson 1938 Mid-Florida Women's Invitational Win 2 up Lillian Zech 1938 Miami Biltmore Women's Invitational Loss (2nd round) 3 and 1 Dorothy Kirby 1940 Augusta Invitational Loss (1st round) 4 and 2 Louise Suggs 1940 Augusta Invitational Loss (1st round) 4 and 2 Louise Suggs 1941 Bahamas Invitational Win Tie Jean Bauer 1941 Lakeland Women's Invitational Win 2 and 1 Mary McGarry 1941 Miami Biltmore Women's Invitational Semifinals 1 up Grace Amory 1941 U.S. Women's Amateur Loss (3rd round) 1 up Sylvia Annenberg Leichner