Rory McIlroy, Bob Tway and Betsy Rawls were all born on this date. McIlroy turns 34 today, Tway is 64 and four-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Rawls is a marvelous 95.
On this date in 1964, Pete Brown won the Waco Turner Open in Burneyville, Oklahoma, one of the first African-American victories of a PGA Tour event. Also on this date in 1903, Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington. He made the celebrity pro-am famous, at his Monterey Peninsula “clambake,” and his ambassadorship as a golf promoter earned him a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On this date in 1982, Beth Daniel won the Birmingham Classic on the LPGA Tour at 13 under par, four ahead of Patty Sheehan.
On this date in 1955, golf (and sport) legend Babe Didrikson-Zaharias won the Peach Blossom LPGA Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C., by two shots over Marilynn Smith. It was the Babe’s final LPGA victory before her death in 1956.
During the height of Arnold Palmer at his greatest playing power, he shot a 68 on this date in 1961 to win the Texas Open. He had begun playing on April 27 and shot 67. He scored 63 in Round 2 before a letdown in Round 3 with 72. His prize for winning was $4,300.
World Golf Hall of Fame member and former NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller was born on this date in 1947 in San Francisco. He won two majors and during his prime was noted as a great iron player and streaky putter
On this date in 1929, the U.S. was beat 5.5 to 2.5 in eight singles matches on Day 2 of the 2nd Ryder Cup. It was played at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, England. Walter Hagen captained the American team and played in it, but the match-play legend was trounced, 10 and 8, by George Duncan. Great Britain won by the final score, 7-5.
On this date in 1929, the U.S. took a 2.5 to 1.5 lead after four foursome matches on Day 1 of the 2nd Ryder Cup. It was played at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, England. The final result comes on April 28.
On this date in 1952, Patty Berg shot a 64 at the Richmond Open played at Richmond Golf Club in Georgia at a time when women pros were just starting to get recognition for such potential to go low. Berg went on to win by four shots over Betty Jameson.
Jerry Barber, the 1961 PGA champion, was born on this date in 1916 in Woodson, Illinois, west of the state capitol, Springfield. Barber was just 5-foot-5, but what he lacked in power he made up with accuracy and he also putted very well.
On this date in 1960, Louise Suggs outdueled her great rival Mickey Wright to win the Dallas Civitan Open at Glen Lakes Country Club at four under par, winning $1,662. Wright finished in second at one over par.
Happy 79th birthday to a PGA Tour record maker. Marty Fleckman was born on this date in 1944 in Port Arthur, Texas. On December 3, 1967, at age 24, Fleckman made a 30-foot birdie putt to beat Jack Montgomery on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Cajun Classic. He became the first player in tour history to win a tournament in his first official start. The playoff birdie was Fleckman’s third straight bird. He had made two to finish regulation play, a 23-footer on 18 tied Montgomery for the lead. Three others have since also won their first tour start.
On this date in 1973, Arnold Palmer shot a 75 in the final round of the Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour. He had gained entry into the elite field by winning the Bob Hope tournament in February, which was his last regular tour victory. In Palmer’s final T of C, he tied for 19th.
On this date in 1991, Jack Nicklaus had one of his most dominating victories when he won the 52nd Senior PGA Championship by six shots over Bruce Crampton at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It was the fifth time Nicklaus had won a major tournament at the expense of Crampton finishing runner-up.
On this day in 1997, Hale Irwin finished off a 72-hole tournament of shooting 274, 14 under par, and winning the 58th Senior PGA Championship for two in a row in the tournament. He won by 12 shots over Dale Douglass and Jack Nicklaus.
On this date in 1975, Arnold Palmer won the Spanish Open, to complete scores of 72-69-69-73—283, and receive top prize of $9,000.
Unheralded Tom Wargo of Centralia, Illinois, won the 54th Senior PGA Championship on this date in 1993. Bruce Crampton charged home in Round 4 with a 66 to tie Wargo at 13 under par, but Wargo won in sudden death on the second playoff hole at PGA National/Champion Course.
On this date in 1994, Lee Trevino took advantage of Ray Floyd’s stumble and won the 55th Senior PGA Championship at PGA National on the Champion Course. Trevino shot a 70 and beat Jim Colbert by one and Floyd and Dave Stockton by two. Floyd shot a 75 in the fourth round after three straight 69s.
On this date in 1989, Don Bies shot a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to beat Gary Player by one shot and win The Tradition in its first year as a Senior PGA Tour event, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Bies, who started the final round in a three-way tie for second place with Gene Littler and Bob Erickson, dropped an 8-footer for a critical birdie on the par-5 15th and later finished with a 13-under 275 total and win $90,000.
In the concluding date to Masters history for this time frame, on this date in 1979, Fuzzy Zoeller won the first sudden-death playoff in Masters history, over Ed Sneed and Tom Watson. Jack Nicklaus missed out by one shot from making it a four-way playoff. Zoeller won on No. 11, the second playoff hole, winning the tournament in his first try.