On this date in 1964, Arnold Palmer shot a 72 in the Oklahoma City Open in the first round, then he shot 69-69-67 for a four-round total of 277 and first place. His take-home pay: $5,800. And on a personal note: today would have been the 95th birthday of my father, Donald C. Schrock, who passed away in 2003.
On this date in 1973, during the great Judy Rankin’s prime years, she won the Lady Carling Open in Baltimore, by four shots over Sandra Haynie. It was the second of two victories in a row for Judy, who had won the Raleigh Classic the previous week.
Two major champions were born on this day in the same year. Canadian Mike Weir was born in 1970 and among his pro tour victories is the 2003 Masters. Also, Jim Furyk was born on this day, and he too won a major in 2003: the U.S. Open.
On this date in 1959, Arnold Palmer shot a fourth-round 69 to cap a 273 four-round score at the Oklahoma City Open that earned first place. It was his second victory of the year and worth $3,500.
Ninety-four years ago on this date, Walter Hagen won the Open Championship at Muirfield, Scotland. His final 72-hole score was 292, 12 over par, but he won by six shots over runner-up Johnny Farrell. Leo Diegel was another shot back in an American sweep of the top three positions.
Harry Vardon, the only six-time winner of The Open Championship, was born on this date in 1870 on the Channel Islands. He also won the 1900 U.S. Open.
The transformative figure of Francis Ouimet was born on this date in 1893 in Brookline, Massachusetts. It was there that the lifetime amateur won the 1913 U.S. Open in a playoff over two British greats at The Country Club and established America as a place where champion golfers could be developed.
A fast-play program called Operation Go-Golf is revealed to be a success at nine muny courses in Los Angeles in 1968, with 4,240 persons being tested for average playing time, which is tabulated at 3 hours 8 minutes.
On this date in 1936, the United States and Great Britain teams tied at 4.5 points each in the third Curtis Cup Match, held on the King’s Course at Gleneagles, Scotland. The American team featured Patty Berg and Glenna Collett Vare.
On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer shot a 69 in the third round of the Tournament of Champions at Desert Inn Country Club in Las Vegas to go with 69 and 70 in the first two rounds. He would follow it up with a 68 on May 6 and take first place and the $11,000 first prize. About a month earlier, Palmer had won a playoff to win his third Masters.
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.