This Day in Golf History--February 15

It’s been a year already since Gene (The Machine) Littler died on this date at age 88. Born a year after Arnold Palmer, Littler, from San Diego, got a head start on a hall of fame career over Arnie when Palmer spent three years in the Coast Guard. Littler won the 1954 San Diego Open as an amateur. His lone professional major was the 1961 U.S. Open, the year after Arnold won his only U.S. Open.