The inaugural PGA Championship concluded on this date in 1916 with “Long” Jim Barnes defeating Jock Hutchison, 1 up, in a 36-hole final at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. 32 players were in the field, and Barnes won $500.
The 1963 Ryder Cup Match ended on this date at East Lake Golf Club with the United States easily defeating Great Britain, 23-9, behind player-captain Arnold Palmer.
On this date in 2008, D.A. Weibring won the Senior Players Championship by one shot over Fred Funk at the Baltimore Country Club for his only major victory on either the regular or senior tour.
On this date in 1902, the U.S. Open concluded at Garden City Golf Club on Long Island, New York, with winner Laurie Auchterlonie winning with a scoring record that was six strokes ahead of Stewart Gardner and standout amateur Walter Travis.
Mark O’Meara won the Senior Players Championship on this date in 2010 at the TPC Potomac, winning a playoff with Michael Allen on the first hole.
On this date in 1965, the U.S. defeated Great Britain in the Ryder Cup Match held at Royal Birkdale in England. The final was 19½-12½, rewarding American captain Byron Nelson with a victory.
On this date in 1888, The Open Championship was won by Jack Burns on The Old Course at St. Andrews when he beat Ben Sayers and David Anderson Jr. by one shot.
On this date in 1891, The Open concluded at St. Andrews with Hugh Kirkaldy winning by two shots over Willie Fernie and Hugh’s brother Andrew. It was the last time the championship was held on a single day of 36 holes.
Eleven-time major championship winner Walter Hagen died on this date in 1969 in Traverse City, Michigan, having been afflicted for five years with throat cancer. He was 76. Arnold Palmer was deeply moved by The Haig’s passing. Arnold had long admired someone who was a kindred spirit when it came to bold play and a personality for the people. Arnie had met Hagen when he was a young boy, and as he grew into being a golf icon himself was a good friend. Examples of their friendship included when Palmer won the 1961 Open Championship, he said, “The first phone call I had after I won the Open was from Walter Hagen.” And Palmer was a close enough friend that he was a pallbearer at Hagen’s funeral.
The English great Harry Vardon won his only non-Open Championship major when he won the 1900 U.S. Open on this date at Chicago Golf Club. He defeated his fellow English star J.H. Taylor by two shots.
On this date in 1895, the inaugural U.S. Open was held at Newport Country Club, in Rhode Island, with Englishman Horace Rawlins winning by two shots over Scot Willie Dunn. There were just 36 holes played by the small field of 11 players.
The 1884 and 1885 Open Championships ended on this date. At Prestwick, Jack Simpson won by four shots in 1884, and in 1885, Bob Martin won for the second time, by one shot at St. Andrews.
On this date in 1876, Scotsman Bob Martin won The Open Championship at The Old Course at St. Andrews when David Strath, who tied Martin with 176 strokes, decided against playing the playoff because of a dispute with the Royal & Ancient.
On this date in 1921, The Haig—Walter Hagen—won the 4th PGA Championship at Inwood Country Club on Long Island, New York. Hagen defeated two-time champion Jim Barnes of England, 3 & 2, to capture his third major championship.
The European team won two of three Ryder Cup matches that ended on this date. The American team won in 1937 in an away match at Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, 8-4, the first time the home team had lost in the Ryder Cup. In 2012, Europe beat an uninspired American team, 14½-13½, at Medinah to retain the cup by overcoming a 10-6 Day 2 lead. And in 2018, at Le Golf National, Europe crushed the Americans, 17½–10½, as Spain’s Sergio Garcia became the highest point scorer in RC history with 25½.
One of the most contentious Ryder Cups concluded on this date in 1991 when the “War by the Shore” at Kiawah Island ended in a 14½-13½ U.S. victory. Bernhard Langer missed a 6-foot par putt on the final hole in a Singles match with Hale Irwin that would have ended the team match in a 14-14 tie. The American team celebration caused an uproar.
A pair of Ryder Cup matches ended on this date. In 1997 at Valderrama Golf Club in Spain, Europe won 14½-13½ for the first of six straight victories at home by the Europeans. And in 2014, at Gleneagles in Scotland, Europe won 16½-11½.
On this date in 1987, one of the most pivotal Ryder Cups concluded at Muirfield Village in Ohio, Jack Nicklaus’ course. The European team, captained by Tony Jacklin, beat the Nicklaus-led Americans, 15-13, for the first loss by the U.S. on home soil in 60 years of competition. The U.S. had been 13-0 at home.
A pair of close U.S. victories in the Ryder Cup on this date in the 1990s are a couple of the latest grand moments the Americans have had to celebrate as Europe is now the dominating team in the biennial series. In 1993 at The Belfry, the U.S. won 15-13, for captain Tom Watson, with Davis Love III clinching the Cup with a 1-up victory over Italy’s Costantino Rocca. And in 1999, the Americans won the fabled match at The Country Club, 14½-13½, after trailing 10-6 going into the singles and making a monumental comeback. The victory didn’t come without a price, though. The U.S. players were chastised for poor team sportsmanship.
On this week of observing what would have been Ryder Cup week, special note is made of today’s date being the day in 2016 Arnold Palmer died at age 87. In addition to his seven majors, Palmer is one of the most memorable figures in Ryder Cup history in numerous statistical categories and a two-time winning captain.