On this date in 1916, the genesis for the PGA of America began when department store captain of industry Rodman Wanamaker organized a luncheon at the Martinique Hotel in New York at which an association of golf professionals was discussed.

PGA Tour player Jimmy Walker observes his 43rd birthday on this date. Born in Oklahoma City, Walker broke through with a major victory at the 2016 PGA Championship at soggy Baltusrol. He has five other tour victories, and is trying to get back to being a major contender after dealing with lyme disease sickness during most of 2017. Walker is an incredible astrophotography enthusiast and posts his images for Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) as well as on his own website, Jimmy Walker Astroimaging.

Prior to the PGA Senior Championship settling into its now familiar summer date, it was held in January for several years. It finished on this date in consecutive years, 1948 and 1949, won by Charles McKenna and Marshall Crichton, respectively.

On this date in 1949, Ben Hogan played the first round of the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Cypress Point. Two days later, after playing Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Pebble Beach Golf Links, he was the winner, the only time he won Bing’s tournament.

By 1983, Arnold Palmer was closing in on 30 years on the PGA Tour and was 10 years past his final victory. On this date in '83, he shot what would be his best round of the year, a 66, in the first round of the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. He shot 69-68-72 the next three rounds for a 275 total and a tie for 10th.

This date in 1969 marked a big achievement for Charlie Sifford. The pioneering African-American golfer won the Los Angeles Open to go with the 1967 Greater Hartford Open as his two PGA Tour victories. He also won the Long Beach Open, but it was not tour-sanctioned. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 for his lifetime achievement as a player and fighter for civil rights and equal treatment.

Arnold Palmer was golf's first millionaire, but on this date in 1970, Billy Casper became the second, just edging out Jack Nicklaus. The great Casper, then 38, defeated Hale Irwin in a one-hole playoff at Rancho Park, making a 5-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole at the L.A. Open. Irwin, 24, was trying to win for the first time and led by one with No. 18 to play. But his second shot hit a tree and he made bogey to fall into a tie. Casper started 1970 with $981,938 in 14 years on tour and won $20,000 for first place to go past a million.

The multi-decorated Walter Travis, champion of the British and U.S. amateurs, but also a writer and course designer, was born on this date in 1862 in Maldon, Australia.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia, the one-time wunderkind predicted for great success but who didn’t break through to win a major until the 2017 Masters, was born on this date in Borriol, Castellón in 1980.

Jack Nicklaus finished his first pro tour event on this date in 1962 at age 21, tying for 50th in the Los Angeles Open and winning $33.33.

One-time major champion Lou Graham, the 1975 U.S. Open winner in a playoff with John Mahaffey at Medinah, was born on this date in 1938 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Today is the 101st birthday anniversary for Cary (Doc) Middlecoff, the three-time major champion who was born in Halls, Tennessee.

Ken Venturi had yet to win a major when he won the Los Angeles Open on this date in 1959. He had won six times in two years when L.A. was played in 1959. He shot 63 in the final round to win by two shots over Art Wall.

The 2001 PGA champion David Toms was born on this date in 1967 in Monroe, Louisiana. Toms also won the 2018 U.S. Senior Open.

Golf’s first $1 million event, the Million Dollar World Challenge at Sun City, South Africa, was won on this date in 1981 by eventual World Golf Hall of Fame golfer Johnny Miller in a playoff with Seve Ballesteros.

Two-time U.S. Amateur champion Marvin “Bud” Ward, one of America’s standout amateur players, died on this date in 1968 at just age 54 from cancer.

Legendary amateur Billy Joe Patton, who had a stirring third-place finish in the 1954 Masters, died on this date, New Year’s Day, in 2011.

The stymie rule officially died on this date in 1951. The rule called for balls to be played as they came to rest on the green; you couldn't mark the ball and pick it up. That meant that if a golfer's ball stopped between the hole and another player's ball, that player had "laid a stymie" and the "stymied" golfer had to putt around the ball or in some instances tried to chip over the ball to hole out. To see an example, there is old newsreel video of Paul Runyan on YouTube chipping over a stymie successfully on the green in his 1938 PGA Championship victory over Sam Snead.

All-time great Tiger Woods, who survived a potentially fatal car crash earlier this year, will have extra reason to celebrate today, his 46th birthday, now that he is mending his body back to golf shape. Woods was born in Cypress, California, and is still attempting to become the all-time winner in tour victories and major championships, if his health allows him.

Renowned golf course architect Pete Dye was born on this date in 1925 in Urbana, Ohio. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Dye’s designs include the Stadium Course (TPC at Sawgrass), Crooked Stick, Kiawah Island, and Harbour Town..