On this date in 1946, the 10th Masters Tournament returned from being off for four years of World War II and was won by one of the most unlikeliest winners ever, Herman Keiser, by one shot over Ben Hogan, who would win five years later.
On this date in 1936, the Third Masters Tournament ended. After the wild finish the previous year when Gene Sarazen made his double eagle on the 15th hole, this one ended in a second victory for the 1934 inaugural winner Horton Smith, who beat Harry Cooper by one.
On this date in 1976, the entertaining and intense competitor, Henrik Stenson, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. His main triumph was a sensational duel with Phil Mickelson to win the 2016 Open Championship at Troon, Scotland.
On this date in 1937, Byron Nelson won the Fourth Masters Tournament by two shots over Ralph Guldahl. Lord Byron was the first of the Great Triumvirate of him, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, all born in 1912, to win the tournament. He would win a second in 1942. Snead would not win until 1949 and Hogan 1951.
On this date in 1994, Raymond Floyd beat Dale Douglass with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff to win The Tradition senior tour event at Desert Mountain in Arizona.
On this date in 1939, the Sixth Masters Tournament ended with Ralph Guldahl holding off Sam Snead to win his only Masters. Guldahl shot 279 after a final-round 69, just good enough to beat Snead, who had 68, by a shot.
In two events on this day from different eras, in 1930, Bobby Jones won the Southeasternn Open in Atlanta and would go on to win the Grand Slam that year. And more than half a century later in 1984, Fred Couples at age 24 won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass by one shot over Lee Trevino.
On this date in 1996, Fred Couples shot a final-round 64 to win the Players Championship, for the second time, at the Stadium Course. He was four ahead of Tommy Tolles and Colin Montgomerie.
On this date in 1947, Babe Didrikson Zaharias won her first of three Titleholders Championships at Augusta Country Club, heading off runner-up Dorothy Kirby by five shots.
On this date in 1992, Davis Love III, who just suffered a devastating fire at his home in St. Simons Island, Georgia, won the Players Championship by four strokes ahead of four players in second.
On this date in 1999, Dottie Pepper won a second Nabisco Championship (now the ANA Inspiration) at Mission Hills CC, six strokes ahead of runner-up Meg Mallon.
On this date in 1994, the Players Championship concluded at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course with Australia’s Greg Norman setting a record score of 24 under par to win by four over Fuzzy Zoeller.
The Sunshine Open ended on this date in 1961 at Bayshore Golf Club (72, 6,632) in Miami Beach, Florida. This happy-go-lucky sounding tournament had a dramatic finish. After three rounds, Gary Player, Julius Boros and Gay Brewer were tied at 204 with Arnold Palmer among those four back. Arnold blazed the final round with a 66, coming up a shot short of Player, who posted scores of 69-68-67-69—273. Arnold had 68-70-70-66—274, for second worth $2,300.
The global health pandemic has put life on hold, including suspension of pro tour golf, but we can celebrate golf history, such as the first Masters finishing on this date in 1934. Called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, it was won by Horton Smith when he holed a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole and finished one shot ahead of Craig Wood. That first year, the nines were reversed, and the 17th was today’s par-5 eighth hole.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley was born on this date in 1951 in Westford, Massachusetts. Bradley won six majors, including three du Maurier titles. Her mother would famously ring a bell outside the family home whenever her daughter did something special.
On this date in 1958, Arnold Palmer won the St. Petersburg Open, finishing off rounds of 70-69-72-65—276 to earn top money of $2,000. A few weeks later he would win his first of four Masters.
On this date in 1964, Carol Mann, age 23, won the LPGA 35th Western Open at Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola, Florida. She shot 76 and 74 on the final day for a 72-hole total of 308, two shots better than Judy Kimball and Ruth Jessen. It was Mann’s first tour victory.
On this date in 1982, Jerry Pate celebrated winning the first Tournament Players Championship held at the Stadium Course designed by Pete Dye by jumping into the water hazard from the area next to the 18th green.
On this date in 1937, Harry Vardon, the only six-time winner of the Open Championship, was born on Jersey of the Channel Islands. He also won the 1900 U.S. Open. He died in 1937 of a tuberculosis-type disease, age 66. Of his many legacies is the Vardon Grip, aka overlap grip.
On this date in 1950, Babe Didrikson Zaharias won the U.S. Women’s Open (pre USGA run) at Rolling Hills Country Club by nine shots over Betsy Rawls.