Hall of Fame Golfer Mickey Wright Dies at 85

Former LPGA star Mickey Wright died Monday after suffering a heart attack, according to the Associated Press' Terry Spencer. 

"We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Mickey Wright," LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement. "We lost a legend, but we may also have lost the best swing in golf history today. Our thoughts are with her family and friends."

Wright's 82 LPGA victories are second all time behind Kathy Whitworth, whose career partially overlapped with that of Wright.

Whitworth explained how her colleague helped others on the LPGA Tour because her availability often determined whether sponsors would hold tournaments. In addition to competing full time, Wright was the LPGA's president in 1963 and 1964.

"The pressure was so great," Whitworth said (h/t GolfChannel.com's Randall Mell). "Knowing if they canceled, the rest of us wouldn't be able to play, Mickey would always play."

Whitworth also sang Wright's praises in a 2015 interview with ESPN.com's Bill Fields:

"She was the best I've ever seen, man or woman. I've had the privilege of playing with Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and all of them. And some of our ladies had wonderful golf swings. But nobody hit it like Mickey, just nobody. She had 82 wins, but she would have won over 100 with no trouble if she had stayed on tour."

Wright, 85, was a 13-time major champion and the AP's Female Athlete of the Year in 1963 and 1964. She was also inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976 and was named the AP's female golfer of the century in 1999.