Orcutt, Maureen (1907—)

Golfer and writer. Name variations: Mrs. J.D. Crews. Born on April 1, 1907, in New York City; sister of William and Sinclair Orcutt, both golfers; married J.D. Crews.

The daughter of a journalist, golfer Maureen Orcutt won over 65 championships during her long career, although the National Golf championship continually eluded her. Her winning streak began with the Metropolitan Junior, which she won in 1922 and 1924, when she was just a teenager. She went on the win ten Women's Metropolitans between 1926 and 1968, including three North and South championships, seven Women's Easterns, ten New Jersey Women's 54-Hole Medal titles, and six New Jersey State championships. One of her most outstanding performances was in the 1934 Florida East Coast championship, when she beat Helen Hicks on the 19th hole to win permanent possession of the Flagler gold trophy. She also won the Canadian Women's Amateur in 1930 and 1921, and came in second in the USGA Women's Amateur in 1927. The golfer occasionally teamed up with her two brothers Bill and Sinclair, and she won the Metropolitan Brother-Sister eight times, four with Bill and four with Sinclair. Orcutt was a member of the Curtis Cup team in '22, '34, '36, and '38, and as a senior won two USGA Women's Senior championships, in 1962 and 1966. She also won three North and South Seniors, and six Metropolitan Women's Seniors.

From her earliest days as a player, Orcutt also wrote about the sport for various New York newspapers and golf magazines. In 1927, she joined the sports department of The New York Times, working there until 1972, when she retired to Durham, North Carolina. Orcutt was elected to the Ladies' PGA Hall of Fame in 1966 and was the recipient of the 1969 Tanqueray Award, honoring her 50 years in golf.