Bill Wright (golfer)

Bill Wright
Personal information
Full nameWilliam A. Wright
Born(1936-04-04)April 4, 1936
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedFebruary 19, 2021(2021-02-19) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseCeta Wright
Career
CollegeWestern Washington College of Education
StatusProfessional
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. Open1966: CUT
The Open ChampionshipDNP

William A. Wright (April 4, 1936 – February 19, 2021) was an American golfer. He was the first African-American to win a USGA event, winning the 1959 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.[1][2][3]

Wright was born in Kansas City, Missouri and later lived in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, and View Park in Los Angeles, California .[1] He played college golf at Western Washington College of Education, winning the 1960 NAIA Men's Golf Championship individual title.[1][3]

Bill Wright in the early 1960s with wife Ceta, mother Madeline, and father Bob Wright

Wright turned professional in the early 1960s[3] and played a few PGA Tour events. He played in the 1966 U.S. Open and five U.S. Senior Opens.[1][3]

Wright honed his skills at Seattle's Jefferson Park Golf Course.[4] On October 19, 2024, after a three-year effort by the Beacon Hill Council, First Day Golf Club, and the family of Bill Wright, Seattle Parks and Recreation renamed Jefferson Golf Course as the Bill Wright Golf Complex.[5]

Trailblazing Black Professional Golfers
Bill Wright, first African American to win a USGA golf championship, photographed with Tiger Woods

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sandomir, Richard (February 25, 2021). "Bill Wright, Who Broke a Color Barrier in Golf, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Shefter, David (February 24, 2016). "1959: Wright's Breakthrough Win". USGA.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Madison, Paul (July 2, 2019). "July 18, 1959 – Western's Bill Wright breaks color line in American golf". Western Washington University Vikings.
  4. ↑ "Jefferson Park renamed as Bill Wright Golf Complex". WAgolf.org. October 30, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  5. ↑ Allen, Aaron (October 30, 2024). "Seattle Renames Golf Course to Honor Trailblazing African American Golfer Bill Wright". The Seattle Medium. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
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