On this national Election Day, a little politics with golf. Jack Westland, a U.S. House of Representatives member from 1953 to 1965, died on this date in 1982 at Pebble Beach, California, at age 77. Westland won the U.S. Amateur in 1952 in a strong amateur career.
The 1947 Ryder Cup Match ended on this date at Portland Golf Club, resuming the series that had been on hold for 10 years due to world conflict. The U.S. won the match, 11-1. Ben Hogan was the U.S. captain, going up against Henry Cotton, a three-time Open Championship winner.
On this date in 1935, nine-time major champion Gary Player was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. If plans play out, he will join Jack Nicklaus in hitting the ceremonial tee shot at the Masters on November 12 in the first round.
On this date in 1968, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 70 at the Australian PGA. On the next three days he added rounds of 77-75-71—293 to tie for sixth.
On this date in 1965, Clifford Ann Creed won the LPGA Las Cruces Golf Open at Las Cruces Country Club in New Mexico. She shot three under par and beat Donna Caponi by two shots. And in another finish on this date in 1988, Beth Daniel won the Nichirei Ladies Cup U.S.-Japan Team Golf Championship.
It would be interesting to see how Scottish-born Jimmy Thomson would do in today’s big hitter’s era. Born on this date in 1908, Thomson was stocky in the mode of today’s J.B. Holmes and was one of the long hitters on tour, just as Holmes is today. Thomson notably finished runner-up in both the 1935 U.S. Open at Oakmont and 1936 PGA at Pinehurst No. 2.
One of the most celebrated woman golfers in the game’s history was born on this date in 1921. Peggy Kirk was born in Findlay, Ohio. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019 in the lifetime achievement category, Kirk experienced success as a player before becoming well known as a teacher, resort owner and golf ambassador. She married Warren Bell in 1953 and was known as Peggy Kirk Bell from then on. A charter member of the LPGA, Bell also received the prestigious Bob Jones Award in 1990 from the USGA.
One of the big LPGA stars of the 1980s and 1990s, Patty Sheehan, was born on this date in 1956 in Middlebury, Vermont. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, two of Sheehan’s major victories were the 1992 and 1994 U.S. Women’s Open.
On this date in 1975, Mary Bea Porter completed a wire-to-wire victory with a final-round, three-over-par 76 and a 72-hole total of 287 in the Golf Inns of America tournament at the Whispering Palms course. She finished five under par for four rounds and three strokes ahead of runnerup Donna Young. Porter's first-place money of $5,700 more than doubled the $4,935 she had won In 22 events in 1975 to that point.
One of the most shocking tragedies in golf history took place on this day in 1999 when three-time major champion Payne Stewart—who had more championships to be won at just age 42—died in a private plane crash when the plane’s occupants were deprived of oxygen in a structural failure.
The 1991 Open Champion and present TV golf analyst, Ian Baker-Finch, was born on this date in 1960 in Nambour, Queensland, Australia.
One of the most pure, genuine and unique golf teachers in history was born on this date in 1904. Harvey Penick, who coached such stars as Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls and Kathy Whitworth, was born in Austin, Texas. His homespun philosophy was brought out late in his life in a series of books, beginning with The Little Red Book, one of the top selling golf books of all time. Penick died in 1995 and has a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On this date in 1967, the Ryder Cup match at Champions Golf Club concluded with the U.S. steamrolling Great Britain, 23½-8½, with Ben Hogan captaining the Americans to the record victory.
Four players have won the U.S. Open four times: Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Willie Anderson, who was born on this date in 1879 in North Berwick, Scotland. Anderson won the American championship in 1901, and 1903 to 1905, making him the only golfer to win the National Open three years in a row.
On this date in 1996, Annika Sorenstam won the Women's World Championship at Seoul, South Korea, with scores of 66-69-69-70—274, one shot ahead of Helen Alfredsson, earning $125,000 first-place money.
One of golf’s obscure “one major winners” was born on this date in 1910. Vic Ghezzi, the PGA Championship winner in 1941 in a 38-hole battle with Byron Nelson, was born in Rumson, New Jersey, and won 11 PGA Tour events.
Before Bubba Watson came along, there were two notable Watsons on tour. Most well known was Tom, but known as “The Other Watson” was Denis Watson, a South African golfer who was born on this date in 1955 in Zimbabwe. Denis Watson won three times on the PGA Tour and otherwise was remembered for his runner-up finish in the 1985 U.S. Open.
The first Open Championship was played on this date in 1860 with eight players competing at Prestwick. Willie Park Sr. was the winner by two shots over the iconic figure of Old Tom Morris. The match, which was three rounds of 12 holes, was played to simply determine who the best player in the land was, now that the recognized No. 1, Alan Robertson, had died the previous year.
On this date in 1983, the Ryder Cup Match ended at PGA National. In one of the matches that began to turn the tide in American dominance in the series, the U.S. won 14½-13½. The clinching match was Bernard Gallacher’s 2 and 1 loss to American Tom Watson that gave the U.S. its winning point. But the close battle was a refreshing change to what had often been total U.S. dominance.
On this date in 1961, the late Mickey Wright, the greatest female player, won the LPGA Championship by nine shots over Louise Suggs at Stardust Country Club.