Golf History

On This Day, In 1974 Lee Trevino wins the Greater New Orleans Open by incredibly not making a single bogey in the 72 holes of the event. He birdied four of the first six holes en route to a final-round 65 to beat runners-up Ben Crenshaw and Bobby Cole by eight shots. Trevino and Cole…

The first staging of the U.S. Amateur was immediately followed by the first staging of the U.S. Open at the same club, Newport Golf Club. Horace Rawlins of England emerged victorious over competitor Willie Dunn also of England by two strokes while they marched four rounds on Newport Golf Clubs 9 hole course. Rawlins would…

Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most famous golf clubs in the world was officially opened on this day. The club is known as the home of The Masters Tournament which started the following year. The course itself was the brainchild of prodigy Bobby Jones. The club opened in December but formally opened on…

Sadly, it was on this day 21 years ago that Payne Stewart’s chartered Learjet crashed in a field in Mina, South Dakota. The cause of the accident was the depressurization of the cabin causing all on board to become incapacitated. Meanwhile, the jet never made a westward turn towards Dallas Love Airfield and continued north…

On this day, August 10, 1975, Jack Nicklaus won the 57th PGA Championship at the South Course of Firestone Golf Club, in Akron, Ohio. Having captured the Masters Tournament for fifth time in April, this was his second major of the season, his fourth Wanamaker trophy and 16th major title. He shot rounds of 70,…

On Tuesday, June 28th, 1949 a young Wake Forest sophomore named Arnold Palmer took top honors in the annual National Collegiate golf tournament. The Latrobe, PA native fired a par 71 to go along with his 1st round of one under 70 to defeat Fred Wampler of Purdue. Wampler was up after the 1st round…

A fellow by the name of Jack Burns won the 1888 Open Championship on this date 129 years ago. Burns himself was a St. Andrews native and head professional at Warwick in central England. Burns grew up in an Irish laboring family and started his early work in plastering. However, there is a reference to…

On this day, In 1951 tragedy struck the Scioto Country Club clubhouse when a fire broke loose sometime during the evening of December 16. Scioto Country Club is in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and was designed by Donald Ross. Twelve members were having dinner at the time and all made it out safely. Reports cite that…

The PGA Championship. A Celebration of golfs major championships The PGA Championship is one of the four major championships and is hosted by the Pro Golfers Association of America. The first PGA Championship was played around 100 years ago in 1916 at Siwonoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York and was won by up and…

On May 26, 1948 Ben Hogan won the PGA Championship, his third professional major in his career, previously winning the 1942 wartime Hale American Open Championship (yes, we count this as a major win) and the 1946 PGA and earned $3,500.00 at the Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, MO, by defeating Mike Turnesa…

Clifford Roberts was the image-maker, the co-founder along with Bob Jones of Augusta National Golf Club, who liked everything so neat and tidy that it contrasted with reality. He walked out on to the course, pulled a revolver and killed himself, but not before visiting the clubhouse barber for a haircut. A year after stepping…

For most, 1999 was an eventful year for major championships as the PGA Championship was just after the famous Jean Van de Velde’s epic collapse at Carnoustie at the British Open. The 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah featured a showdown of two of the best young players in the game in Tiger Woods and Sergio…

On this day, Steve Elkington dazzled the crowds of 35,000 on the final day of The 1997 Players Championship by winning by seven strokes. To top that dominance Elkington finished it off in style by holing out a 30 foot chip sending the crowd into a frenzy. Elkington finished with a 16-under-par 272, and was…

On June 16, 1951 Ben Hogan shot a final round 67 to win the US Open, his seventh major and fourth US Open (We, of course, count the 1942 US Open, aka the Hale America Open as his first) at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham Michigan by two strokes over Clayton Heafner. This Day…

According to the World Health Organization, there are 466 million people worldwide who have disabling hearing loss. By 2050, it is said that over 900 million people will experience hearing loss too. One of those people struggling is Kevin Hall, a professional PGA Tour golfer. For someone who is deaf, it might seem surprising they…

On June 10, 1939, Sam Snead made the most talked about 8 ever taken in Golf’s History and lost the 43rd United States Open at the Spring Mills course of the Philadelphia Country Club, in Gladwyne, Philadelphia. Sam began with 68 and 71 to lead by one shot after the second round. As a result…

Shute defends hit title at the 1937 PGA Championship On this day, May 30, 1937, Densmore “Denny” Shute defeated Harold “Jug” McSpaden on the first extra hole final match of the 20th PGA Championship at the Pittsburgh Field Club, in Fox Chapel, a suburb northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In view of 5,000 onlookers, McSpaden sprint into…

Shute wins The Open at St. Andrews On this day, In 1933 Denny Shute won The 68th Open Championship which was held at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Shute defeated Craig Wood in a 36 hole playoff for the 1st of his three major championships. The Old Course was playing 6,572 yards, par 73…

The 1936 PGA Championship was the 19th PGA Championship, held in mid November at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Then a match play championship, Denny Shute won the first of his consecutive PGA Championships, defeating Jimmy Thomson 3 & 2 on the No. 2 Course. On this day, In 1936 Denny Shute won the…

Tony Manero triumphs at Baltusrol CC On this day, June 6, 1936, Tony Manero came out of nowhere to win the 40th United States Open at Baltusrol Country Club in Springfield, New Jersey. He shot a 67 in the Upper Course to set a course record. His total of 282 broke a 20-year-old Open record….

Robert Tyre Jones was born on this day, in Atlanta, Georgia to Clara Thomas and Robert Purmedus Jones. As a young boy, young Bobby was prescribed golf to strengthen him after battling health issues. He was a natural at the sport, winning his first tournament at East Lake Golf Club at age six. He won…

In 1936, Sam Snead won his first tournament, the West Virginia Closed Pro, contested at The Greenbrier’s Championship Course and Old White Course. He shot rounds of 70-61 to rout Logan, West Virginian, pro Clem Weichman by 16 strokes (74-73). His margin of victory, 16 strokes is tied for a PGA Tour record. The late…

It was on this day, 89 years ago when Bobby Jones captured his second consecutive U.S. Open title on his way to completing the “Grand Slam.” Bobby Jones continues his grand year at Interlachen The setting was Interlachen Country Club located in Edina, Minnesota. Jones had already won the British Amateur and the British Open…

On this day, In 2000 … Starting the day with a six-stroke lead at the Memorial Tournament, Tiger Woods eased to a five-stroke victory over Els and Justin Leonard in an event that ended one day late because of rain. Tiger Woods wins The Memorial  The victory was worth $558,000 for Woods, and the wait was…

April 6: In 1952, as the defending champion, Ben Hogan started one of the great traditions at the Masters Tournament, the Past Champions Dinner “to reminisce, swap banter and relax”, held prior to the start of the match. Members of the Masters Club are the only people invited to attend, an elite group that includes…

The surf tumbled and crashed along the South Carolina coastline. The white froth lapped the tan beaches of the Kiawah Island resort community and receded into the choppy waves. Overhead, the shrill cry of seagulls pierced the roar, as the birds circled above the wind-swept dunes that overlooked the ocean. In the distance was the…

Gary Player wins his 2nd PGA Championship On this day, August 6, 1972, Gary Player mastered the Monster in order to win his second PGA Championship at the Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course, in Birmingham, Michigan. He finished with 72 for a total of 281, one over par at the 7,054 yards golf course…

Ken Venturi catches fire in final round and cards a -63- to take the L.A. Open On this day In 1959, Ken Venturi fashioned an eight under par 63 in an amazing comeback and captured the $35,000 Los Angeles Open golf tournament. Eight strokes behind the leader, Art Wall Jr., going into the final round,…

Three strokes back of the lead, Jeff Sluman’s chances were slim… The 1988 PGA Championship marked the 70th Anniversary of the event and this year the setting was Oak Tree Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma. All the regular names populated the leaderboard like past champions Raymond Floyd and David Graham but it was the consistent…

456 days had passed before Arnie returned to the limelight at the 1st annual Heritage Classic The Heritage Classic was first held in 1969 and won by none other than The King, Arnold Palmer. It didn’t come easy for Arnie… he was at the end of his career and his window was closing. It’s truly…

Ben Hogan beats Ed Oliver 6 & 4 at Portland Golf Club to win the 1946 PGA Championship Ben Hogan, often thought as the architect of the modern swing, a man who worked harder and spent so much time thinking about the game won his maiden major on this day. It was in August 22nd when…

“After Hogan’s Accident, Doctors Initially Told Him He’d Never Play Again” On February 2, 1949 at 8:30 AM, Ben and his wife Valerie were driving east on Highway 80 near Van Horn, Texas in very foggy conditions. An oncoming Greyhound Bus trying to pass a truck hit the Hogan’s car head on. Ben stretched across…

The King & The Golden Bear win the National 4 Ball Championship On this day, In 1970 two of the games greatest talents combined forces too not only stun the golf world but their fellow peers. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus teamed up for the 1970 National Four Ball Team Championship played at Laurel Valley…

With Nicklaus, Palmer, and Zoeller standing behind him, Trevino aces #17 and cashes in $175,000 A hole in one is an amazing feat, I simply do not care who you are. Better players have better chances, of course, but how much skill is involved with using an instrument to hit a 2 inch ball into…

The Open Championship is the oldest and one of the most storied golfing events in the world. It was founded and is still administers by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The first Open was held in 1860 and has been played over the last 150 years with minor interruptions. In 1871,…

Bobby Jones completed the historic grand slam in 1930 by capturing his final U.S. Amateur It was on this day that Amateur phenomenon Bobby Jones captured his fourth straight national victory completing the first possible “Grand Slam” as we know it. Jones had defeated the 22-year-old Eugene Vanderpool Homans of Englewood, New Jersey to complete…

Ben Hogan hits a 1 iron approach on the 18th hole at Merion during the 1950 US Open.The photograph taken became one of the most famous golf photographs of all time. On June 10, 1950 Ben Hogan played in the third and fourth round of the U.S. Open (the final two rounds were played in…

Demaret & Hogan win Miami Four Ball; 2nd Year Straight On March 9, 1947 Ben Hogan teamed with Jimmy Demaret to win their second consecutive Miami Four-Ball Tournament at the Miami Spring Course in Florida and earned $1,250.00 each. The Hogan/Demaret team defeated Lloyd Mangrum and Lawson Little 3-2 in the finals. Neither Sam Snead…

This Day in Hogan History: Hogan & Demaret… Masters of Four-Ball From June 24 – 27, 1948 Ben Hogan teamed with Jimmy Demaret to win the Inverness Four-Ball Tournament at the Inverness Country Club in Toledo, Ohio, earning $3,000 ($1,500 each). Both Hogan and Demaret won an additional $250 for having the lowest score in…

Charlie Sifford once caddied in his youth for 35¢, In 1967 he took home $20,000 On this day in 1967 Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to play on the PGA tour, won his first official PGA Tour event at the Greater Hartford Open. This was the first year they changed the name of the event…

Cool it down: Red Hot Nicklaus wins 1971 PGA Championship On this day, In 1971 Jack Nicklaus won the only PGA Championship held in February ever. What is usually the final major of the season was moved due to extremely hot conditions the previous year. A pretty very odd thing in a players head, that is…

This Day in Hogan History: Ben wins the Nashville Invitational On September 3, 1945 Ben Hogan shot a final round 66 to win the Nashville Invitational at Richland Golf Club defeating Byron Nelson by four shots earning $2,666.66 in war bonds. Ben finished with a total score of 265, just two strokes off the tournament’s…

On March 25, 1934, Horton Smith won the inaugural Masters Tournament held in Augusta, Georgia. Smith, shot a 284 during the four-day tournament that covered 36 holes, to gain a one-stroke victory over Craig Wood to win the inaugural Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. 3/25/1934: Horton Smith wins the inaugural Masters at Augusta National…

On July 5, 1946, Sam Snead won the first post-war Open Championship with a 72-hole total of 290. Second to Snead with scores of 294 were American Johnny Bulla and South African Bobby Locke. Snead was so far out in front of the field as he played the last few holes on the Old Course…

Every golfer has stood over a three-footer hoping the word “yip” is blocked out of memory. If you play the game long enough you will have a tussle with close-range putts. They will drive you mad at the sheer simplicity but delicacy needed to hole every single one. 1970: Doug Sanders Misses a 3 Ft…

The Masters Tournament has become arguably the most prestigious tournament in the world. Each year it produces memories and moments that leave spectators and golf fans alike in awe. The Masters, A Tradition Unlike Any Other: 1935 Gene Sarazen’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” Gene Sarazen made his contribution in just the second edition of…

It was on this day 68 years ago that the first LPGA Tournament was held… The tournament played in Tampa, Flordia was called, The Tampa Open & held at the 6,093-yard Palma Ceia Golf Course. In 1950, It Was Just the Beginning for The LPGA It was founded in 1950 by a group of 13…

What more can be said… golfs new & upcoming superstar… in front of thousands… does the impossible. On this day, January 25, 1997, Tiger Woods aced (hit a hole-in-one) the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale and receives the beer shower of a lifetime. An Ace, a Beer Shower, and Thousands of Patrons Cheering at TPC…

The St. Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York is America’s oldest golf club (1888) and a founding member of the USGA. Only 20 miles from New York City, the Membership and their guests enjoy the game in a spectacular setting, and… Play one of the area’s best-conditioned and exciting layouts — a challenging par-71…

On July 17th, 1983 Tom Watson came away with his fifth Claret Jug winning the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. In his only Open Championship win outside of Scotland, Watson defeated Andy Bean & Hale Irwin by one stroke for a 275, 9 under par total. Watson Makes it #5 at Royal Birkdale Watson successfully…

The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many years the only high-profile tournament for golfers over 50. The idea for a senior tour grew out of a highly successful event in 1978, the Legends of Golf. Legends of Golf featured a competition between two-member teams of some of the greatest older golfers of…

The foundation of the United States Golf Association (USGA) on Dec. 22, 1894, marked the formal organization of American golf. The USGA was created as a centralized body to write the rules, conduct national championships, and establish a national system of handicapping. On This Day, in 1894 the United States Golf Association Also Known as…

On Feb. 7, 1962, Sam Snead prevailed in a 15-player field at the Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational that consisted of himself and 14 players from the LPGA, including Mickey Wright, Patty Berg, Kathy Whitworth, and Betsy Rawls. In a two-day, four-round event at the Palm Beach Par-3 Golf Club, Snead posted a score of 5-under…

South Africa’s Bobby Cole, never one to take a big lead for granted, worried his way to a double victory in the 22nd World Cup of Golf Tournament. “I Really wasn’t very sure we would win.” said the South African after his victory Sunday. “You know, if you haven’t done it before you’re not sure…

On this day, In 1922 Walter Hagen made history yet again becoming the first American born player to win The Open Championship. He did so by defeating runners-up Jim Barnes and George Duncan by a stroke at Royal St. Georges in Sandwich, England. It was the first of Hagen’s four Open Championships and the fourth…

On this day, In 1921 Jock Hutchison won the Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland. He won by playing through a tough playoff against amateur, Roger Wethered in a 36 hole playoff. 1921: 19 Year-Old Bobby Jones Infamously Picks up Out of A Sand Trap During the Open Championship There was another Amateur at…

The 1860 Open Championship was a golf competition held on this day 159 years ago at Prestwick in Ayrshire, Scotland. The inaugural event was contested on the 12 hole Prestwick Golf Course over thirty-six holes on a single day. Until his death in 1859, Allan Robertson was regarded as top golfer in the world. The…

On August 23, 1948, Ben Hogan shot a final round 76 to win the Denver Open Invitational Championship by one stroke over Fred Haas, Jr., held at the Wellshire Country Club. This was the sixth win in a row for Hogan (which remains a tie for the third-longest winning streak in professional golf), having previously…

On May 14, 1754, twenty-two ‘Noblemen and Gentlemen’, listed below, contributed to a silver club to be played for annually over the Links of St Andrews. The first winner was Baillie William Landale, a St Andrews’ merchant, who became Captain for the year. On This Day, in 1754 Twenty-Two Noblemen & Gentlemen Met with Proposal…

On this day, In 1947 Sam Snead was denied yet another U.S. Open title as he let it slip through his fingers on the closing holes. He was able to position himself atop the leaderboard after putting together rounds of 72, 70, 70,70 for a total of 282. That was good enough to get into…

On this day, In 1961, 45 year-old Jerry Barber won his sole major championship at the PGA Championship held at Olympia Fields. He bested Don January in the Monday playoff by a single stroke. This was the third major held at Olympia Fields with the prior two both being held in the 1920’s. 1961: Jerry…

On November 15th, 2018, Charlie Sifford was making history yet again. He became the first African American to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame; A 2004 Hall of Fame class that featured Isao Aoki, and Tom Kite. Sifford broke barriers as the first golfer of color to win an open event, shooting…

On April 2, 1958 the Augusta National Golf Club hosted the dedication ceremony for the Ben Hogan Bridge that carries the players over Rae’s Creek on the twelfth hole. On April 2, 1958 the Augusta National Golf Club Hosted the Dedication Ceremony for The Ben Hogan Bridge The bridge commemorates Hogan’s 1953 tournament score of…

On this day, In 1982 Wayne Levi becomes the first PGA pro to win a tournament using a colored (orange) ball.  He made a four-foot putt to save par on the 17th hole, then parred the 18th to win the $325,000 Hawaiian Open golf tournament by a stroke. On This Day, in 1982 Wayne Levi…

On June 21, 1942 Ben Hogan shot a final round 68 to win the Hale America Open (in what should count as his first major victory as a United States Open) at the Ridgemoor Country Club in Chicago to win by three strokes over his friend Jimmy Demaret and Mike Turnesa to earn $1,200.00 in…

On April 8, 1951, a 38-year-old Ben Hogan shot a final round 68 to win his first Masters Golf Tournament by two strokes over Robert (Skee) Riegel. This was his tenth attempt to win at Augusta National, finishing second in 1942 and 1946. 1951 Masters: A 38-Year-Old Ben Hogan Shot a Final Round 68 to…

On this day, In 1951 Sam Snead was up to his usual antics…clobbering golf balls. This time was different, he wasn’t on a golf course he was at Wrigley Field, home of The Chicago Cubs. He was originally in town to see a doctor & get his left wrist x-ray’d. But Snead lent his services…

The 1982 season was a flourishing one for Craig Stadler, winning four tournaments including his sole major championship at the 1982 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. In a Heavyweight Bout, Craig Stadler Outlasted Ray Floyd in Sudden Death for The 82′ WSOG Title In late August, “The Walrus” again came away with the 1982 World…

Ever since 1922, The Shell Houston Open has been played in different forms, at various venues, and by a range of players. Eight years later, in 1930, it officially became the Houston Open, a tournament played today at the Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. Considering the city is just a little outside Houston, organizers…

On this day, In 1932 Gene Sarazen won his 2nd U.S. Open Championship at Fresh Meadow Country Club, ten years after his 1st U.S. Open win. Sarazen was playing some of the best golf of his career, having just won The 1932 Open Championship just two weeks prior. 1932: Gene Sarazen wins his 2nd U.S….

Though golf has not featured in the Olympics since the 1904 Summer Olympics, the session of the 121st IOC Session held in 2009 chose to re-introduce the sport to the games. With the rapid expansion and globalization of the sport, the 121st International Olympic Committee recommended adding golf back into the Summer Olympics. Ty Votaw,…

Noted golfer John Daly didn’t mince words when he told Graham Bensinger, the host of the sports news show In Depth with Graham Bensinger, that he has been drunk during tournaments: “You get in at 7, 7:30 in the morning, and you got a tee time at 8:05, 9 o’clock.” – Daly said to Bensinger in June 2016 He…

The Golf Channel network was launched in 1995, with a ceremonial flip of the switch by co-founder Arnold Palmer on January 17. The idea of a 24-hour golf network came from media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, Alabama, who first thought of such a concept in 1991. 1/17/1995: By a ceremonial flip of a…

Golf Star Killed in Train Accident Mrs. Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe, the only woman ever to hold the American, British, and Canadian amatuer golf championships, was killed on this day in 1945. She was killed by a train in Yemasse, South Carolina when she accidentally fell off the train station platform onto the rails. Born…