Heather McKay


Heather Pamela McKay is a retired Australian squash player, who is considered by many to be the greatest female player in the history of the game, and possibly also Australia's greatest-ever sportswoman. She dominated the women's squash game in the 1960s and 1970s, winning 16 consecutive British Open titles from 1962 to 1977, and capturing the inaugural women's World Open title in 1976, while remaining undefeated during that period. She was also a top-level player of other sports, including field hockey and racquetball.

Career

Heather Blundell was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales. As Heather McKay, she completely dominated the sport of women's squash in the 1960s and '70s. She lost only two matches in her entire career, and was unbeaten in competitive squash matches from 1962 through to 1981, when she retired from active open squash. Her first defeat was in the quarterfinal of the New South Wales Championship in 1960 losing to Yvonne West and her second defeat was in the final of the Scottish Open in 1962 losing in straight games to Fran Marshall.
McKay won her first British Open in 1962. She then won it again every year for the next 15 consecutive years, losing only two games at the championship during that time. She usually won her finals matches comfortably. In the 1968 championship, she won the final against her compatriot Bev Johnson without dropping a point.
In 1976, an unofficial world championship known as the Women's World Squash Championship was held in Brisbane, which McKay won by defeating Marion Jackman in the final 9–2, 9–2, 9–0. The first official women's World Open was held in 1979 in England, and McKay captured the inaugural title with a 6–9, 9–3, 9–1, 9–4 win over Sue Cogswell in the final.
McKay also won the Australian Amateur Championships for 14 consecutive times from 1960 to 1973.
When she retired in 1981 at the age of 40, McKay had gone nearly 20 years undefeated. Since retiring from the top-level game, she has remained active in international Masters level events, and has won two over-45 world championship titles and two over-50 world championship titles.
Heather also proved to be a talent in other sports, including field hockey, where she was a member of the Australian Women's Hockey Team in 1967 and 1971. In racquetball, she won the American Amateur Racquetball Championship once, the American Professional Racquetball Championship three times, and the Canadian Racquetball Championship five times. She was inducted into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 1997.
She was a teaching professional at the Toronto Squash Club in the 80s. She worked with up and comer David Wright in an intensive Junior Program.

World Open

Finals: 2 (2 titles, 0 runner-up)

OutcomeYearLocationOpponent in the finalScore in the final
Winner1976Brisbane, Australia Marion Jackman9–2, 9–2, 9–0
Winner1979Sheffield, England Sue Cogswell6–9, 9–3, 9–1, 9–4

British Open

Finals: 16 (16 titles, 0 runner-up)

OutcomeYearLocationOpponent in the finalScore in the final
Winner1962The Royal Automobile Club – London Fran Marshall9–6, 9–5, 9–4
Winner1963Landsdowne and Royal Aero Clubs Fran Marshall9–4, 9–2, 9–6
Winner1964Landsdowne and Royal Aero Clubs Fran Marshall9–2, 9–2, 9–1
Winner1965Landsdowne and Royal Aero Clubs Anna Craven-Smith9–0, 9–1, 9–2
Winner1966Landsdowne and Royal Aero Clubs Anna Craven-Smith9–0, 9–0, 10–8
Winner1967London, England Anna Craven-Smith9–1, 10–8, 9–6
Winner1968London, England Bev Johnson9–0, 9–0, 9–0
Winner1969Sheffield, England Fran Marshall9–2, 9–0, 9–0
Winner1970Birmingham, England Marcia Roche9–1, 9–1, 9–0
Winner1971Birmingham, England Jenny Irving9–0, 9–3, 9–1
Winner1972Sheffield, England Kathy Malan9–1, 9–1, 9–2
Winner1973Sheffield, England C. Fleming9–1, 9–0, 9–1
Winner1974Sheffield, England Sue Cogswell9–2, 9–1, 9–2
Winner1975Wembley, England Marion Jackman9–3, 9–1, 9–5
Winner1976Wembley, England Sue Newmann9–2, 9–4, 9–2
Winner1977Wembley, England Barbara Wall9–3, 9–1, 9–2

Note: Competed as Heather Blundell from 1962 to 1965.

After retirement

McKay wrote a book, Heather McKay's Complete Book of Squash, which was released in 1979. Staying active in squash, she was named coach of the Australian Institute of Sport's Squash Division in 1985. In 1999 she was one of the founder members of the Women's International Squash Players Association Hall of Fame, of which she herself was one of the first to be inducted.

Recognition