Margaret Abbott
Margaret Abbott: The Unknowing Champion
Thursday, October 3, 1900: Women’s Golfing Duo Wow the Crowds as Daughter Becomes Olympic Champion
Margaret Abbott of the United States of America has become Olympic Champion in Golf, shooting a 47 on the 9-hole course in Compiègne. She attracted a lot of attention on the course, with her classy backswing and fierce competitive spirit. A total of ten women participated – five from the United States, and five from France. One of these women is in fact Margaret Abbott’s mother, Mary Abbott, who finished seventh in the event. This will go down in history as the first mother-daughter duo participating in an Olympic event at the same time. Thanks to her mother, Margaret Abbott found her passion for golf at the Chicago Golf Club, and by 1899, she had a two handicap. Now, she is crowned Olympic Champion. Margaret Abbott is an inspiring role model for all future female athletes, and the epitome of Olympism.
Author's note: I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Paula Welch of the University of Florida, who spent ten years (1973-1983) uncovering the lost story of Margaret Abbott. If it wasn’t for Dr. Welch’s hard work and determination in learning about the unknowing Olympic Champion, Margaret Abbott would never be etched in the history books as one of the first female Olympic Champions. Unfortunately, Abbott never knew she was an Olympic Champion before her death in 1955. However, her legacy lives on thanks to Dr. Paula Welch.