Lot # 2007: 1937 Babe Ruth and Babe Didrikson Signed Golf Scorecard - JSA

The signatures of the two greatest "Babes" in sports history, Babe Ruth and Babe Didrikson, are featured on the front cover of a golf scorecard from the Fresh Meadow Country Club in Flushing, New York. On November 14, 1937, the two legendary athletes paired up to participate in a golf charity event to be played against American golfers John Montague (birth name LaVerne Moore) and Sylvia Annenberg (one of the top female players of the era). Considered one of the most unusual charity events ever assembled, the spectator turnout was so massive for the event that they actually had to cancel the play of the back nine due to the uncontrollable crowd on the ninth hole, who began taking the balls as souvenirs. The offered scorecard is from this historical event. In addition to Ruth and Didrikson signing their names in pencil on the front cover, John Montague scripted his as well. It is interesting to note that at the time of this event, Montague was wanted in upstate New York for a 7-year old robbery charge. The name "Alex J. Morrison" (a famous golf instructor) is printed in pencil on the back cover of the scorecard. Whoever filled out the scorecard kept strokes for every participant. Whether Ruth was the one keeping strokes or was having the strokes recorded is unclear. Ruth was an avid golfer, especially after his retirement, and this is one of a number of Ruth signed golf score cards we have handled over the years. Babe Didrikson was known as one of the top female athletes in the country. As a young girl, Didrikson excelled at a number of sports, including volleyball, tennis, baseball, basketball, and swimming. It was in her youth that she acquired the nickname, "Babe," after her hero, Babe Ruth, for her hitting prowess on the ball field. Didrikson achieved early fame as a basketball star and, in 1932, made national headlines by winning two gold medals for track and field at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In the mid-1930s, she focused her talents on golf and quickly became the top female player in the country. It was on the golf course, in 1938, that she met professional wrestler George Zaharias, and they married one year later. Today, she is widely regarded as the greatest female athlete in history and in 1950, six years before her death, she was named Woman Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century by the Associated Press. The fold-over card (3 x 4.5 inches) displays minor creasing and light foxing on the interior. In Very Good condition overall. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.