Henry Cotton, a three-time winner of the Open Championship who had a variety of interests and was a regular author, was born on this date in 1907 at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, England in 1907.
Two of the PGA Tour’s journeymen-type pros were born on this date. In 1939 Mike Hill, winner of three titles on the regular tour and 18 on the senior tour, was born in Jackson, Michigan. He is the younger brother of more accomplished Dave Hill. Also, in 1964, Woody Austin, four-time tour winner and runner-up at the 2007 PGA, was born in Tampa, Florida.
On this date in 2005, Arnold Palmer married at age 75 his longtime girlfriend Kathleen (Kit) Gawthrop in a private ceremony in Hawaii on the beach at Turtle Bay Resort.
With the PGA Tour on the West Coast, it’s appropriate to observe that on this day in 1959, Arnold Palmer won the Thunderbird Invitational after rounds of 67-70-67-62—266 at Thunderbird Country Club (71, 6,680) in Palm Springs, California. First place was worth just $1,500. It was Arnold’s 11th PGA Tour victory.
On this date in 1989, Canadian great George Knudson died of lung cancer at age 51. Knudson won eight times on the PGA Tour and was highly regarded for his swing technique with a compact swing and active lower body. The closest he came to a major victory was as runner-up in the 1969 Masters to George Archer.
LPGA golfer Yani Tseng was born on this date in 1989 in Taiwan. She won five majors in 2008 to 2011, and 27 tour titles by March 2012, but she hasn’t won since and continues to search for the magic that made her World No. 1 for more than 100 weeks.
The 45th Senior PGA Championship ended on this date in 1984 at PGA National G.C. The oldest senior major was played in January, not in December, to avoid a scheduling conflict. Arnold Palmer won a second Senior PGA, with one of the most unusual set of four rounds for a regular or senior event. His middle rounds had a 16-stroke variance: 63 to 79. The good news was, the 63 had helped him lead by eight (the largest 36-hole lead in 1984 on the senior tour) and the 79 was shot on a blustery day with temperatures in the 40s and the majority of the players scored high. The weather was gusty for the final round, too, but Palmer steadied himself to win by two over Don January. The 63 would be his career low round in his senior tour career.
Jack Nicklaus, the greatest golfer of all time, was born on this date in 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. At 80, the Golden Bear is still actively involved in many business interests and in his vast family activities.
The 1957 PGA Championship winner, Lionel Hebert, was born on this date in 1928 in Lafayette, Louisiana. His older brother, Jay, won the PGA in 1960.
On this date in 1991, British golfer Tommy Fleetwood was born in Southport, England. Fleetwood has been coming into his own; his top major finish was runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open.
On this date in 1959, Arnold Palmer closed out the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am with a 73 to tie for eighth. He had a pattern of hot-cold-hot-cold for four rounds: 69-77-67-73—286. That was not good enough to be in the battle with winner Art Wall (winning score 279), Arnold’s fellow Pennsylvanian and longtime rival.
A couple of firsts occurred on this date. In 1937, Patty Berg won the inaugural LPGA Titleholders Championship at Augusta Country Club by three shots, and in 1916, Rodman Wanamaker organized a lunch meeting in New York City to discuss the formation of what became the PGA.
American pro golfer Jimmy Walker was born on this date in 1979 in Oklahoma City. The 2016 PGA Championship winner at Baltusrol, the six-time tour winner is off from his best game but is always shooting for the stars. He is an astronomy buff and has a hobby of photographing the cosmos.
One of golf history’s most surprising major winners, Y.E. Yang (Yang Yong-eun) of South Korea, was born on this date in 1972. He overcame the pressure of Tiger Woods breathing down his neck to win the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine.
One of the PGA Tour’s most notable journeymen golfers in its history was born on this date in 1941 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Although Gibby Gilbert won three times on tour, his frumpy, everyman appearance, common Amana hat and nickname (real name is C.L. Gilbert Jr., just initials), was a high-handicapper’s delight. Plus, Gilbert always seemed to be lingering in contention. His most notable major was finishing second in the 1980 Masters behind Seve Ballesteros.
World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara was born on this date in 1957 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. O’Meara had a special year in 1998 when he won both the Masters and Open Championship. He also won the 1979 U.S. Amateur.
On this date in 1997, Tiger Woods won the Mercedes Championships, his third PGA Tour victory, in a playoff with Tom Lehman.
One of the greatest putters of all-time, Ben Crenshaw, was born on this date in 1952 in Austin, Texas. Crenshaw won the Masters in 1984 and 1995 and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
He’s not well-known today among golf fans but Walter Travis was born on this date in 1862 in Australia. He was a jack of all trades, but his playing accomplishments included winning the 1904 British Amateur and the 1900, 1901 and 1903 U.S. Amateur.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since the Spanish boy wonder, Sergio Garcia, was born on this date in 1980. At one time seen as a surefire major winner, it took until 2017 for Garcia to break through and win a major at the Masters.