Bobby Jones, the great amateur champion, Grand Slam winner and president in perpetuity of Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament, died on this date in 1971 at age 69 of syringomyelia.
Gus Andreone, 103, became the oldest golfer to make a hole-in-one on this date in 2014 on the 113-yard No. 14 hole at Lakes Course, Palm Aire, Sarasota, Florida. Gus was a member of the PGA.
2008 Masters winner Trevor Immelman, now doing most notably TV commentary, was born on this date in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1979.
The United States won half of the 12 final-, third-day singles matches in the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, helping the U.S. edge the International team, 16-14.
The 1931 U.S. Open champion, Billy Burke, was born on this date in Naugatuck, Connecticut, one of the “valley towns” northwest of New Haven, in 1902, which made him a contemporary of Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen, also born that year.
On this date in 1998, the International team broke through in the Presidents Cup with a victory at Royal Melbourne Golf Club over the U.S., 20.5 to 11.5.
One of the LPGA Tour’s stars of yesteryear, Shirley Englehorn, was born on this date in 1940 in Caldwell, Idaho. On tour from 1959 to 1979, Englehorn won the 1970 Women's PGA and 11 events in total.
It was at this time in 2009 that Tiger Woods, who this year emerged from a near fatal or debilitating car accident, said he was taking a sustained leave of absence from the golf tour because of the need to rehab his marriage due to infidelity that blew up around Thanksgiving.
One of the giant killers in Arnold Palmer’s career was born on this date in 1937 in Cottonwood, Idaho. Don Bies, who won once on the PGA Tour, seven times on the senior and is still living, beat third-seeded Arnie on August 26, 1972, at the Country Club of North Carolina in the first round of the U.S. Professional Match-Play Golf Championship.
One of the most unlikely of major champions, Orville (Sarge) Moody, was born on this date in 1933 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Moody won the U.S. Open of 1969.
Steve Elkington, whose 10 PGA Tour victories were highlighted by a 1995 PGA win, was born on this date in 1962 in Inverell, New South Wales.
Today’s date that will live in infamy does not feel like a golf one but there’s a good anecdote anyway: On this date in 1980, Arnold Palmer defeated Paul Harney in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff with a birdie to win the PGA Seniors' Championship at Turnberry Isle Country Club.
On this date in 1981, Miller Barber won the PGA Seniors' Championship at Turnberry Isleby a pair of shots over Arnold Palmer.
Don January, who won the regular PGA Championship, on this date in 1982 won the PGA Seniors' Championship, at PGA National, by one shot, edging Julius Boros, who was the 1968 PGA champ.
Italian golfer Costantino Rocca was born on this date in 1956. A one-time Ryder Cup player, Rocca’s big spotlight moment was nearly winning the Open Championship of 1995 at St. Andrews, losing to John Daly in a four-hole playoff.
U.S. Open champion of 1911 Mike Brady was born in the Boston area in 1887 and died at age 85 on this date in 1972 in Dunedin, Florida. He won nine PGA type tournaments.
Jay Haas, nephew to 1968 Masters winner Bob Goalby, never got over the hump to win a major himself but did win two senior tour majors. He was born on this date in 1953 in St Louis. Haas has other golfers of renown in his family. Brother Jerry played the tour and is coach of the Wake Forest golf team; sons Jay, Jr., and Bill also played the tour.
On this date in 1973, Jack Nicklaus became the first tour pro to pass $2 million in career earnings by winning the Walt Disney World Open.
On this date in 1969, Arnold Palmer ended a long winless drought by winning the first Heritage Classic at Hilton Head Island, S.C. Here is the game story lede from UPI: Arnold Palmer, unable to mount any semblance of a charge, staggered to his first tournament victory in nearly 15 months , firing a three-over-par 74 for a 282 and a three-stroke edge in the first Heritage classic. Palmer, three shots up on the field going into the final round, had nines of 38-36 over the lush 36-35—71 Harbour Town Golf Links, a spanking new layout built by Jack Nicklaus on this island retreat for the wealthy. Young Richard Crawford wound up second with a 73 for a 72-hole total of 285. Palmer pocketed a check for $20,000, pushing his earnings for 1969 to $80,081.28. He last won a tournament Sept. 15, 1968, when he was victorious at the Kemper Open.
The inaugural Walt Disney World Open Invitational began on this date with a practice round at the Disney Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Jack Nicklaus would end up winning first prize of $30,000 in the rain-delayed event that ended on a Monday. Nicklaus won with a 15-under total of 273. The first prize of $30,000 pushed him up to $244,490 (and 50 cents) for the year to set a PGA record, breaking his own mark of four years earlier of $211,566.66.