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Babe Didrikson Zaharias
After surgery for colon cancer, Zaharias returned to win the U.S. Women’s Open by 12 strokes. The triumph added an extraordinary comeback to an already unmatched multisport career.
Zaharias had already won Olympic track medals and become a golf star before her cancer diagnosis. Her 1954 U.S. Women's Open victory followed major surgery and made the comeback inseparable from her legend.
The 12-stroke victory at Salem was not merely a return to play. It was a dominant major championship won after a health crisis.