This is a historical date in regards to oldest living major champion. Jack Burke, Jr., a Masters and PGA champion, was born on this date in 1923. He just died on January 19 at 100, and at the time of death was the oldest living major winner. Gary Player now is in that role at age 88.
One of the most incredible performances that is also one of the least well-known ended on this date in 1973. Sam Snead finished a 20-under-par 268 total on the East Course at PGA National to win the Senior PGA Championship by an astounding 15 shots over Julius Boros. It was also the last of Sam's record six Senior PGAs and it still stands as the record winning margin. Also, Henry Cotton, a three-time winner of the Open Championship who had a variety of interests and was a regular author, was born on this date in 1907 at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, England.
In examples of how a legend and lesser knowns can be successful, on this date in 1967, Arnold Palmer shot a 64 at Rancho Municipal, one of his best scores ever, in the second round of the Los Angles Open. He shot 67 and 68 the next two rounds to win and collect the $20,000 first-place prize money. Also, two of the PGA Tour’s journeymen-type pros were born on this date. In 1939 Mike Hill, winner of three titles on the regular tour and 18 on the senior tour, was born in Jackson, Michigan. He is the younger brother of more accomplished Dave Hill. Also, in 1964, Woody Austin, four-time tour winner and runner-up at the 2007 PGA, was born in Tampa, Florida.
Three-time Open Championship winner Sir Henry Cotton was born on this date in 1907. The English great was a jack of all trades; he was an author, commentator, course designer and teacher. And on this date in 2005, Arnold Palmer married at age 75 his longtime girlfriend Kathleen (Kit) Gawthrop in a private ceremony in Hawaii on the beach at Turtle Bay Resort.
With the PGA Tour on the West Coast, it’s appropriate to observe that on this day in 1959, Arnold Palmer won the Thunderbird Invitational after rounds of 67-70-67-62—266 at Thunderbird Country Club (71, 6,680) in Palm Springs, California. First place was worth just $1,500. It was Arnold’s 11th PGA Tour victory.
Tom Watson called Masashi (Jumbo) Ozaki the Arnold Palmer of Japan for his bold play similar to Arnie's. Ozaki is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and won 115 tournaments worldwide, although never in the U.S. and never a major. He was born on this date in 1947. A Canadian great was George Knudson, who won eight times on the PGA Tour and nearly won the 1969 Masters, finishing second to George Archer. Knudson died on this date in 1989 at age 51 from lung cancer.
Today is regarded as the date in 1954 that the U.S. Golf Association established the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor it bestows. It is given to the person the USGA deems to demonstrate the spirit, personal character and respect for the game that Jones exhibited, according to the USGA media guide. The first recipient in 1955 was Francis Ouimet; the 2023 award went to two-time major champion Johnny Miller.
The 45th Senior PGA Championship ended on this date in 1984 at PGA National G.C. Arnold Palmer won a second Senior PGA, with one of the most unusual set of four rounds for a regular or senior event. His middle rounds had a 16-stroke variance: 63 to 79. The good news was, the 63 had helped him lead by eight (the largest 36-hole lead in 1984 on the senior tour) and the 79 was shot on a blustery day with temperatures in the 40s and the majority of the players scored high. The weather was gusty for the final round, too, but Palmer steadied himself to win by two over Don January. The 63 would be Arnie’s career low round in his senior tour career.
The golfer regarded as the GOAT celebrates a birthday today. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jack Nicklaus is 84 and still very much active in various businesses, design work and the occasional minor competition.
One of the members of a unique brother duo that pulled off a rare feat was born on this date in 1928. Lionel Hebert was a native of Lafayette, La., and the winner of the 1957 PGA Championship. His older brother, Jay, won the 1960 PGA. Jay won seven tour events and Lionel five.
On this date 74 years ago, the LPGA Tour played the first round of its inaugural tournament, the Tampa Open at Palma Ceia Country Club, a club founded in 1916. Polly Riley, an accomplished amateur from San Antonio, Texas, who played on six Curtis Cup teams, won with a score of 295, with Louise Suggs second, five shots back.
On this date in 1950, many newspaper editors were writing the headline "Sam Snead Spoils Storybook End for Ben Hogan" after Snead beat Hogan 72-76 in an 18-hole playoff to win the Los Angeles Open at par-71 Riviera. Hogan was attempting a comeback from his horrific car-bus highway accident in Texas in February 1949.
A couple of firsts occurred on this date. In 1937, Patty Berg won the inaugural LPGA Titleholders Championship at Augusta Country Club by three shots, and in 1916, Rodman Wanamaker organized a lunch meeting in New York City to discuss the formation of what became the PGA, showing that a lot of things can be accomplished over food. On April 10, 1916, the PGA was founded when 78 members ratified a constitution and bylaws, including 35 charter members from the January meeting. Six months later, it was tournament time. The association held its first PGA Championship on Oct. 10-14, 1916, at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y., won by Jim Barnes.
PGA Tour player Jimmy Walker observes his 45th 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 getting through the effects of 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, www.darkskywalker.com.
One of golf history’s most surprising major winners, Y.E. Yang (Yang Yong-eun) of South Korea, was born on this date in 1972. He overcame the pressure of Tiger Woods breathing down his neck to win the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine. Also, prior to the PGA Senior Championship settling into its now familiar late spring 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 1945, Byron Nelson won his first of a record 18 PGA Tour events in one season when he won the Phoenix Open and $1,333 first-place money. This was the year he also won a record 11 tournaments in a row and was given the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award.
World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara was born on this date in 1957 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. O’Meara had a special year in 1998 when he won both the Masters and Open Championship. He also won the 1979 U.S. Amateur. Also, 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.
On this date in 1997, new tour pro Tiger Woods won the Mercedes Championships, his third PGA Tour victory, in a playoff with Tom Lehman. On this date in 1969, pioneering African-American golfer Charlie Sifford 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.
One of the greatest putters of all-time, Ben Crenshaw, was born on this date in 1952 in Austin, Texas. Crenshaw won the Masters in 1984 and 1995 and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. And 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. 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.
He’s not well-known today among golf fans but Walter Travis was born on this date in 1862 in Australia. He was a jack of all trades, but his playing accomplishments included winning the 1904 British Amateur and the 1900, 1901 and 1903 U.S. Amateur. And reference sources note that on this date in both 1915 and 1942, the World Wars caused the ruling bodies of golf in Great Britain and Canada in 1915 and the U.S. Golf Association in 1942 to cancel their golf schedules as conflicts raged. Regular play wouldn't resume until the wars ended.