One of the most enigmatic talents in golf was born on this date in 1911. Ralph Guldahl, born in Dallas, went from a promising player, to dormant, back to dominant, then down again in a matter of 8 to 10 years. He could have won the 1933 U.S. Open, stopped playing for a few years, then won the 1937 and 1938 U.S. Open, the 1939 Masters, and the 1936 to 1938 Western Open, which was a major title back then. In the 1940s, he lost his nerve and skill and wasn't a factor again. But what he did do in that stretch earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Today's entry allows this lifelong Cardinal fan to get a mention in of Stan Musial, Mr. Cardinal himself, onto his website. Stan the Man was born on this date in 1920 in Donora, Pa., which is in the western half of the state and in the vicinity of Arnold Palmer and Jimmy Stewart's birthplaces. The Palmer reference is not the golf hook here; Musial was a golfer, but I mention him because upon his retirement, he professed his desire to commit to golf. In the issue of Golf World dated Nov. 22, 1963, an infamous day in world history, Musial said he had turned to golf. Famed teacher Bob Toski said that Musial was a 90s shooter but had the potential to be in the 70s and "thinks he'll be good."
Two distinctive players from golf's past were born on this date. South African Bobby Locke, who won four Open Championships, was born in 1917 and died in 1987. Noted as one of the greatest putters of all time, his technique allowed him to hook his putts into the hole. Texan Don January was born in 1929. Thin as a rail, the 1967 PGA champion was a spirited competitor, and had previously lost a playoff for the 1961 PGA to Jerry Barber. January was one of the Champions Tour's earliest and most dominant and successful players with 22 victories.
The time for the so-called Silly Season is approaching. That was the end of the season period where limited-field events were played, in which there was often a lot of money in the purse for a small amount of players who didn't have to play a whole lot of golf to get their check. The Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (now The QBE Shootout) is one such event. Arnold Palmer partnered with Peter Jacobsen in the event several times, among many events they played, and on today's date in 1995, the pair finished eighth, shooting a 59 in the final round.
Depending on the source, British amateur great Joyce Wethered, who was celebrated in yesterday's This Day in Golf for being born on Nov. 17, 1901, died in 1997 either on Nov. 17 or Nov. 18. The New York Times says it was the 18th. Either way she died at age 96, and the consecutive-day start and finish to her life allows another day of remarking on her supreme prowess as a player, which included a few battles with American star Glenna Collett. Wethered's brother, Roger, was an accomplished player who was runner-up in the 1921 Open Championship.
While the LPGA Tour wraps up its season this week, a prominent woman golfer from long ago is the focus today and tomorrow. Joyce Wethered was born on this date in 1901. Still in the main discussion today as the greatest British female golfer of all time, Wethered won the English Ladies' championship five years in a row, 1920-1924, and won the British Ladies Amateur four times during the 1920s. Bobby Jones played exhibition golf with Wethered and proclaimed her one of the best he'd seen. Her career only lasted into her 30s; she married in 1937. In 1975 she was entered into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Chances are you've heard Bobby Cruickshank's nickname before you learned anything about his golf skill. Wee Bobby was around 5-feet-5, born in Scotland on this date in 1894. He never won a major, but he was sixth or better in all of them, and won 17 PGA Tour events. Like most golfers of his era, he had a successful club pro and teaching career when his playing days were over.
The LPGA Tour wraps up a long season with this week's CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida. The women pros have been playing this late into November for a long time. On this date in 1964, for instance, Kathy Whitworth won the San Antonio Civitan Open at Pecan Valley Country Club in San Antonio. She won by three over Marlene Hagge.
There are many contending clubs who challenge for oldest in the United States, but few have the legitimate background that the St. Andrews' Golf Club in Yonkers, N.Y. has. Some history sources credit its start on this date in 1888, founded at a dinner at John Reid's home. Reid is often called the Father of American Golf.
The second consecutive day of recognizing Arnold Palmer's World Cup play is to note that on this date in 1966, Arnie finished fifth in the individual standings with rounds of 66-67-69-73—275 at Yomiuri Country Club, in Tokyo, but he and Jack Nicklaus won the team title. It was the third of four they would win together.
Arnold Palmer's final appearance in the World Cup (first known as the Canada Cup) was a successful one. On this date in 1967 at Club de Golf Mexico, Mexico City, Arnie finished off rounds of 68-70-71-67—276 to take first place individually, and he and partner Jack Nicklaus won the team title for the fourth time. It was the sixth overall team victory for A.P., including two wins with Sam Snead in 1960 and 1962. Here are Arnie's other World Cup showings: 1960, at Portmarnock, tied for third (ind.) and first with Sam Snead in team; 1962, at Jockey Club in Buenos Aires, tied for second (ind.) and first with Snead in team; 1963, in Paris, tied for fifth (ind.) and first with Nicklaus in team; 1964, Royal Kaanapali Golf Course, Maui, Hawaii, second (ind.) and first with Nicklaus in team; 1966, Yomiuri Country Club, Tokyo, fifth (ind.) and first with Nicklaus in team.
Two-time major winner Fuzzy Zoeller turns 66 today. Born in New Albany, Ind., Zoeller won the 1979 Masters on his first try, winning in a playoff over Tom Watson and Ed Sneed. In 1984, he won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in a playoff with Geg Norman. The sportsmanship he showed in that tournament won him the 1985 Bob Jones Award.
Nov. 10 has significance twice over in golf. Taken chronologically, this is the day in 1957 that Charlie Sifford, age 34, became the first African-American to win a significant golf tournament when he won the Long Beach Open, using a putter he received from boxing great Joe Louis no less. The tournament was 54 holes and not an official PGA Tour event, but Sifford’s victory in a three-hole playoff with Eric Monti was significant nonetheless as it was a Jackie Robinson-type moment in golf. Among the stars in the field he beat were Billy Casper, Jay Hebert, Gene Littler, Jerry Barber, Gay Brewer, Tony Lema, Tommy Bolt, Harry Cooper and Mike Souchak. The PGA had a clause in its constitution that allowed Caucasians only for membership, and thus barred non-whites from playing in its tour events. Four years later at the 1961 annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla., on another Nov. 10, the PGA of America removed that discriminatory clause from its constitution and paved the way for African-Americans to become members and thus play on tour. Shortly after, Sifford became the first black golfer to compete on the PGA Tour as a member, making Nov. 10 quite a special day in his career and African-American golfers who followed.
Both Tom Weiskopf and David Duval celebrate birthdays on this date, turning 75 and 46, respectively. They have had similar careers, expected to win multiple majors but winning just one at the Open Championship. Weiskopf is the 1973 winner, born in 1942, and Duval, born in 1971, won it in 2001. They each went on to successful side jobs in golf, Weiskopf in course design and Duval as a Golf Channel analyst.
Jack Nicklaus was torn about turning pro or remaining an amateur, an arena where he would have been more dominant than Bobby Jones. But in a letter dated Nov. 7, 1961, Nicklaus wrote to the USGA's Joe Dey that he intended to turn pro, making this date in 1961 the first full day Nicklaus could feel he was a pro. The following year he won the U.S. Open in a playoff with Arnold Palmer, and he was off to greater heights as the best to ever play.
Charles (Chick) Evans was the first of two men to win the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open in the same year, which he did in 1916. Bobby Jones won them both in 1930. Evans, who died on this date in 1979 at age 89, won the Western Amateur six times, the Western Open once, and the U.S. Amateur again in 1920. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Evans has the enduring legacy of the Evans Scholarship Foundation, which helps caddies attend college.
The new press building at Augusta National was opened last year to incredible fanfare, and deservedly so. It is miles advanced from the Quonset Hut first used at the club for the Masters. Whether it was the old or new places, however, the Bartlett Lounge has always been there. It's named after Charlie Bartlett, the Chicago Tribune golf editor, who was a key writing figure in the formative years of the tournament. He passed away on this day in 1967.
The great match-play wizard Walter Hagen won his fourth straight PGA Championship on this date in 1927, and fifth overall, when he beat Joe Turnesa, 1 up, at Cedar Crest C.C. in Dallas. Celebrating a 39th birthday today is two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson.
Every professional golfer has to get started as a pro some day, and on this date in 1954, the great Mickey Wright is recorded as having turned pro. Viewed by most experts as the greatest women's golfer ever, and having the greatest swing male or female, the San Diego native is second in all-time LPGA victories with 82 and has four U.S. Women's Open titles among her major victories.
Arnold Palmer played his first PGA Tour season in 1955, winning the Canadian Open for his first tour victory, and he was off and running, winning at least once for 17 straight seasons. On this date in 1957, he was already on tour win No. 7, winning the San Diego Open, with scores of 65-68-68-70—271, with first-place money of $2,800. The following April he would win his first major, the Masters.