Background
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, 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.
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Ruth Jessen
Edit ProfileEducation
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.
Career
She also played at Jackson Park and was a junior member at Inglewood Country Club in Kenmore. She was also the medalist at the 1953 National Junior Championship and runner-up at the 1956 National Collegiate Championship. 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.
Unconventional for the era, Jessen left college after one year to turn professional, and joined the LPGA Tour.
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 United States. Women"s Open, both to Mickey Wright.
Jessen was in the top-10 on the money list once, the runner-up in 1964 with $23,431, after five tour victories that year. 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 was also known for her unusually wide putting stance.
Jessen died at age 70 of lung cancer in 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona. LPGA Tour wins (11) 1959 (1) Tampa Open Other wins (2).
Achievements
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1959 (1) Tampa Open 1961 (1) Peach Blossom Open 1962 (2) Dallas Civitan Open, Sacramento Open 1963 (1) Cosmopolitan Women"s Open 1964 (5) Babe Zaharias Open Invitational, Yankee Women"s Open, Omaha Jaycee Open Invitational, Hillside House Ladies" Open, Phoenix Thunderbirds Ladies" Open 1971 (1) Sears Women"s World Classic 1963 Naples Professional 1965 Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (with Gardner Dickinson).
