On this date in 1965, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England, the Ryder Cup ended with the U.S. defeating Great Britain, 19½-12½, giving Byron Nelson a captain victory.
On this date in 1888, the Open Championship wrapped up at the Old Course in St. Andrews with Jack Burns of Scotland winning by a single shot in his only Open victory.
On this date in 1891, the Open Championship was won by Hugh Kirkaldy by two shots at the Old Course in St. Andrews. One of the runners-up was his brother, Andrew.
The great bon vivant of golf, Walter Hagen, died on this date in 1969 at the age of 76. He won 11 majors but was equally known for his showmanship and man-about-town personality. One of his major admirers and friends, Arnold Palmer, was a pall bearer at his funeral.
The Ryder Cup ended on this date in 1957 at Lindrick Golf Club with Great Britain-Ireland coming out ahead, 7½-4½, making a winner out of captain Dai Rees.
The inaugural U.S. Open was held on this date in 1895 at Newport Country Club. Englishman Horace Rawlins won by two shots over Scotland’s Willie Dunn.
On this date in 1953, the Ryder Cup ended at Wentworth with the United States beating Great Britain, 6½-5½, for a sixth straight RC victory.
On this date in 1876, the Open Championship concluded at St. Andrews’ Old Course with Bob Martin winning when David Strath, a fellow Scotsman, refused to participate in a playoff after the two had tied at the end of regulation.
On this date in 1921, the PGA Championship ended at Inwood Country Club with Walter Hagen defeating two-time champion Jim Barnes, 3 & 2.
A trio of Ryder Cups ended on this date. In 1937 at Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, the U.S. won 8-4; in 2012 at Medinah Country Club, Europe blitzed the singles matches to retain the Cup 14½-13½, and in 2018 at Le Golf National, Europe stomped on the Americans, 17½–10½.
The contentious “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup ended on this date in 1991 at Kiawah Island with the U.S. edging Europe 14½-13½ after Bernhard Langer missed a 6-foot par putt that would have clinched a 14-14 tie. Europe would have kept the cup as the previous winner.
On this date in 1997, the Ryder Cup ended on continental Europe for the first time at Valderrama Golf Club in Spain with Europe edging the U.S., 14½-13½.
Contrasting yesterday’s record victory by the U.S. in the Ryder Cup, on this date in 1987, Europe beat the U.S., 15-13, at Muirfield Village in Ohio for the first U.S. lost on its home soil in the series.
The American team will try to win the Ryder Cup today in Wisconsin for a rare victory in the series. On this date in 1993, the U.S. beat the Euros, 15-13, at The Belfry in England. Davis Love III won the securing point in a 1-up Singles win over Costantino Rocca of Italy, making a winner of Captain Tom Watson.
It’s not the happiest of milestones but on this date in 2016, the most loved golfer in history, Arnold Palmer, died at age 87 of heart failure in a Pittsburgh hospital.
The 1995 Ryder Cup ended on this date at Oak Hill Country Club with Europe winning 14½-13½; the winning point came from Philip Walton’s 1-up victory over Jay Haas.
A pair of Open Championships ended on this date. In 1868, at Prestwick, Young Tom Morris edged his father, Old Tom, by three shots to win. And in 1892, Harold Hilton also won by three shots, at Muirfield, over John Ball, Sandy Herd and Hugh Kirkaldy.
The 1973 Ryder Cup ended on this date at Muirfield, Scotland, with the U.S. beating Great Britain & Ireland, 19-13. It was the first year to have Ireland in the team title.
Captain Paul Azinger’s infamous pod system helped the American team stop a three-match losing streak on this date in 2008 to win the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, 16½-11½, against Europe.
Among the major results on this date, two big ones were Francis Ouimet’s playoff victory over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in the U.S. Open at The Country Club, and the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale in England, which ended in a 16-16 draw when Jack Nicklaus famously conceded Tony Jacklin’s three-foot putt in their singles match on the final hole to ensure a tie in the overall score and their contest.