Lanny Wadkins spoiled the sentimental hope of seeing Gene Littler win the PGA on this date in 1977 at Pebble Beach when he won the first sudden-death playoff in a major championship. Littler was playing flawlessly through three rounds and led by four shots, but stumbled in with a final-round 76 to be tied by Wadkins. On the third playoff hole, Wadkins won with a six-foot par putt. Other PGAs to end on this date include 1988, 1994, 2005 and 2011.
The great Eugenio Saraceni, aka Gene Sarazen, won the 1933 PGA Championship on this date. He beat Willie Goggin, 5 and 4, in the final at Blue Mound Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wis. It was The Squire's third PGA and sixth of seven majors in his career. Other PGAs to finish on Aug. 13 were in 1989, 1995 and, of course, today in 2017.
On July 12, 1930, Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open, the third leg of the Grand Slam. It also gave him 12 majors and the lead in lifetime majors (including amateur majors), moving ahead of Walter Hagen. On today's date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA at Canterbury Golf Club by four shots over Bruce Crampton. It was Jack's 14th major and gave him the lifetime lead, which has been challenged by Tiger Woods but not yet passed. Other PGAs to end on Aug. 12 were in 1990, 2007 and 2012.
One of Lee Trevino's greatest moments was on this date in 1974 at the PGA held at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C. He won with a 4-under-par score, edging Jack Nicklaus by a shot to once again foil the Golden Bear at a major as he had done at the U.S. Open and Open Championship already in his career. Trevino took a one-shot lead after Round 3, and both he and Jack matched 69s in the final round. Other Aug. 11 PGA conclusions came in 1985 (Hubert Green edged Trevino by 2 in that one), 1991, 1996 and 2013.
Like Larry Nelson in yesterday's entry, today's date in PGA history was doubly kind to Jack Nicklaus. He won the 1975 and 1980 PGAs on Aug. 10 each year. In '75, it was Jack on top at Firestone Country Club, where he led by four after Round 3 and was 2 shots up on Bruce Crampton at the end. In 1980, Nicklaus was a bigger winner, at Oak Hill. Up by three heading into the last round, he shot 69, finished six under, and won by seven, the only player under par for the week. Other Aug. 10 PGA finishes include years 1986, 2008 and 2014.
Hall of Fame member Larry Nelson won two PGA championships, and they both were won on Aug. 9. The first one came in 1981 at Atlanta Athleltic Club. Nelson led Fuzzy Zoeller by four after three rounds and won by that many after he and Zoeller shot final-round 71s. The second PGA was won in 1987 when Nelson beat Lanny Wadkins in a sudden-death playoff at the steamy Champion Course at PGA National. The playoff began on the par-4 10th. Both players missed the green, but Nelson chipped to six feet and made his putt and Wadkins chipped to four feet and missed his par putt. It was the final major win for Nelson, who had also won the 1983 U.S. Open.
Leading by five heading into the final round, Raymond Floyd cruised home with a 72 on this date in 1982 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, still winning his second PGA title by 3 shots over Lanny Wadkins, the 1977 champion, despite a double bogey on 18. The first two rounds were played in temperatures more than 100 degrees.
In the wake of the Champions Tour's 3M Championship over the weekend, today's golf date in history recognizes New Prague, Minn., native Les Bolstad, one of the state's legendary golf figures. On this date in 1926, at just age 18, Bolstad won the fifth U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Grover Cleveland Park in Buffalo, N.Y. Later, while playing for the University of Minnesota, Bolstad won the 1927 and 1929 Big Ten titles and he won many state events. Bolstad coached the Golden Gophers golf team from 1947 to 1976. He was a mentor and teacher to countless players, including Patty Berg and Tom Lehman, and was eventually inducted into the Collegiate Golf Coaches Hall of Fame.
It’s hard to celebrate being the oldest at something when society/the business world seems to hold an age bias against the experienced set among us. But this is a pretty good “old” honor: Doug Ford turns 95 today; he ranks as the oldest living winner of a major championship. Ford, the winner of the 1955 PGA and 1957 Masters, is nearly six months older than the next oldest, Jack Burke, the 1956 Masters and PGA champion. Many happy returns to them both.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Chick Evans was one of the greatest amateurs in history, never more-so than in his adopted home of Chicago. He won the Chicago City Amateur four times, the first in 1907 as a teenager, and the last on this date in 1944 when he was 54 years old! On the national stage, he was the first player to win the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year, 1916.
“Lighthorse” Harry Cooper was born on this date in 1904 in Leatherhead, England. You may have heard him mentioned as one of the alltime “greatest players to never win a major.” That is true, but in his day, he won 31 tour events, including two Los Angeles opens, two Canadian opens, and the Western Open, all three of which were near major status. He was good enough to be elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Mentor and student Stan Thirsk and Tom Watson, respectively, shared milestone first rounds on this date in PGA Championship history, but sadly they both ultimately faded from the top spot. In 1972 at Oakland Hills, Thirsk, the Kansas City club pro who was Watson’s teacher, shared the first-round lead with a 68. He fell back into the pack, however, and tied for 72nd. In 1978 at Oakmont, Watson had the first-round lead with a 67, but a poor back nine in Round 4 dropped him into a tie, and he lost in a sudden-death playoff to John Mahaffey. It was the closest Watson ever got to winning the PGA.
The second PGA Championship to be played at stroke play ended on this date in 1959. Bob Rosburg scorched Minneapolis Golf Club with a final-round 66, allowing him a one-shot victory over Doug Sanders and Jerry Barber, who would win the title two years later.
On this date in 1914, Lloyd Mangrum was born in Trenton, Texas. A decorated World War II Army veteran, Mangrum won 36 tour events and won the 1946 U.S. Open. He finished second twice at the Masters. His distinguished appearance, which made him look like the image of a riverboat gambler, made Mangrum quite notable. He was made a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.
Two days ago, Paul Runyan’s PGA victories were noted. Today’s date celebrates another compact player, Jerry Barber, a short hitter who played with great accuracy. In the 1961 PGA’s final round at Olympia Fields, Barber one-putted the last three holes from 20, 40 and 60 feet to get into a playoff with Don January. On this date, he won an 18-hole playoff, 67 to 68. Barber had one last moment of golfing notoriety. At the 1994 Buick Invitational, he set the record for being the oldest to play a tour event at age 77 years 10 months 9 days.
In just the second U.S. Junior Amateur, in 1949, Gay Brewer, a future Masters champion, beat future tour player Mason Rudolph, 6 and 4, on this date to win the title at Congressional Country Club. Rudolph made the Junior final the next year and this time won, 2 and 1, over Charles Beville.
The amazing Paul Runyan won the 1934 PGA Championship on this date at Park Club of Buffalo in Williamsville, N.Y. He beat Craig Wood in 38 thrilling holes. The diminutive Runyan was a wizard around the greens and got up and down for a par to win. He would win in 1938 against another taller opponent, Sam Snead, but this time it was a rout, 8 and 7.
In Arnold Palmer’s first full season on tour, 1955, he entered 30 events, won the Canadian Open, earned $7,958 and had a 70.99 scoring average. In 1956, he entered one event less and had a higher average at 71.14, but he doubled his victories, winning the Insurance City Open in a playoff and the Eastern Open. For the latter, he shot 70-66 the first two days, and on this date for Round 3, took total control with a 69. A final-round 72 was good enough to win the $3,800 top prize.
Hall-of-Famer Betsy Rawls won eight major titles, the last coming on this date in 1969 at the LPGA Championship held at Concord Championship Golf Club in Kiameshia Lake, N.Y. Rawls, 41, finished one over par, but that was four strokes better than the runners-up, Carol Mann and Susie Berning.
Sentimentality was rained out on this date in 1987 at the U.S. Women’s Open played at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club. The final round was scheduled to end on the 26th, but play was postponed into Monday the 27th with JoAnne Carner, a huge fan favorite, bidding for victory in the twilight of her magnificent career. When the final round ended, Carner, England’s Laura Davies and Ayako Okamoto of Japan all tied at 285, forcing a Tuesday playoff, which Davies won with 71 to Okamoto’s 73 and Carner’s 74.