One of the most distinguished players, golf observers and TV analysts in the game, man or woman, was born on this date in 1945. Judy Rankin, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, was born in St. Louis. The 26-time LPGA Tour winner was born in St. Louis, grew up a golf phenom, and after her playing days were done became an astute and measured speaker in the TV booth.
Before there were a 58 and 59s shot on the PGA Tour, there were several 60s. One was shot on this date at the Texas Open in 1955 when Mike Souchak had the first-round lead at Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. His 60 tied the then all-time record for 18 holes set in 1951 by Al Brosch in the Texas Open, then tied in 1952 by Bill Nary at El Paso, Tex.; by Ted Kroll in the 1954 Texas Open, and by Tommy Bolt at Hartford, Conn., in 1954. Souchak also had a back-nine score of 27, which broke the previous nine-hole score of 28. Also, on this date in 1961, Paul Runyan shot a second-round 70 at PGA National in Dunedin, Florida, en route to a victory worth $1,500 in the 22nd Senior PGA Championship.
Marlene Bauer Hagge, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, was born on this date in 1934. She won 26 LPGA events, including the 1956 LPGA Championship. She and sister, Alice, were golf prodigies who appeared on the cover of Golf Digest in the '50s en route to pro careers as founders of the LPGA. Marlene died on May 16, 2023, at age 89. On this date in 1986, Gary Player won the Senior PGA Championship at PGA National with a score of 281, two ahead of Lee Elder.
Not as often as he would like, Chi Chi Rodriguez would show how well he could play as well as entertain. On this date in 1987, he rebounded from a third-round 76 and shot a five-under-par 67 to overtake a faltering Dale Douglass and win the 48th Senior PGA Championship at PGA National's Champion Course. And it’s been five years already since Gene (The Machine) Littler died on this date at age 88. Born a year after Arnold Palmer, Littler, from San Diego, got a head start on a hall of fame career over Arnie when Palmer spent three years in the Coast Guard. Littler won the 1954 San Diego Open as an amateur. His lone professional major was the 1961 U.S. Open, the year after Arnold won his only U.S. Open.
Mary Kathryn (Mickey) Wright, the greatest woman golfer of all time, was born on this date in San Diego in 1935. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, she won four U.S. Women’s Opens and 82 LPGA Tour titles. Wright died nearly four years ago on February 17, 2020, but in her lifetime she was shown a lot of love as her swing was referred to by many, including Ben Hogan, as the finest swing all-time, by a man or a woman.
It was 106 years ago on this date that one of the greatest golfers, and one of the game's greatest ambassadors, was born in Minneapolis. Patty Berg, who played tough football in her neighborhood growing up with the likes of Bud Wilkinson, became a golf superstar and was a popular draw in the early days of the LPGA Tour. She had a great catchphrase at her clinics, where she would make a flamboyant follow-through and urge the attendees to "swing to the finish.” The World Golf Hall of Fame player won 15 major titles.
The modern Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player finished 1-2-3 three times on the PGA Tour. The first was on this date in 1963 at the Phoenix Open at Arizona Country Club, where the finish was twice delayed by near hurricane-force winds and rain. The order was oldest to youngest: Palmer was first with scores of 68-67-68-70—273, a 15-under total, and $5,300 prize money. Player finished one stroke back, and Nicklaus was third at 275. Also on this date in 1989, the 50th Senior PGA finished at PGA National Golf Club, with late-bloomer Larry Mowry winning by one shot over Miller Barber and Al Geiberger.
Nick Taylor will be among the leaders today at the WM Phoenix Open going after a victory. On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer won the Phoenix Open after some of the best scoring of his career. He had rounds of 64-68-71-66 for 269, winning by 12 shots at Phoenix Country Club. Also on this date in 1911, one of the more obscure pioneering woman golfers, Helen Hicks, was born on this date in Cedarhust, New York. Hicks won the 1937 Western and 1940 Titleholders.
On Thursday of this week, Nick Taylor of Canada shot a 60 at the WM Phoenix Open. He was two days off from quite a coincidence. On this date in 1951, Al Bosch is credited with shooting the first round of 60 on the PGA Tour, during the third round of the Texas Open. Also on today's date, it's World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman's 69th birthday. The two-time major winner was born in Queensland, Australia. Another birthday today is LPGA star Lexi Thompson, the ANA Inspiration winner, who was born in 1995 in Coral Springs, Florida. She turned professional at age 15 in June 2010.
This is the traditional date in golf history, in 1834, that the St. Andrews Club was christened the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, with King William IV as its patron. And staying across the pond, on this date in 1958, World Golf Hall of Fame member Sandy Lyle, winner of the 1985 Open Championship and 1988 Masters, was born in Shrewsbury, England.
The WM Phoenix Open is being played this weekend. On this date in 1962, Arnold Palmer shot a first-round 64 in the Phoenix Open, one of his lowest rounds ever on the PGA Tour, to be the leader. Also on this date, on the LPGA Tour, Australian star Jan Stephenson won her first of 16 times on tour in 1976. She finished at two-over-par 218 in the Sarah Coventry Naples Classic on Lely Country Club to edge Judy Meister and Sandra Haynie by one shot.
On this date in 1960, Arnold Palmer won the Palm Springs Desert Classic, his fifth event of 1960, with a final-round 65; by 1965 the event was renamed the Bob Hope Desert Classic. The 1960 Classic was the tournament debut, which Arnie would win five times, the final time in 1973. This date also carries some sadness for two hall-of-fame players. Betty Jameson, an LPGA founding member, died on this date in 2009 at age 89. In 2015, Billy Casper passed away from a heart attack at age 83. Casper won the 1959 and 1966 U.S. Open and the 1970 Masters.
Can this date in golf lore be anything other than the only golf shot hit away from earth? Today’s “out of this world” moment was when golf went universal. Alan Shepard hit a couple of golf balls with a makeshift 6-iron on the moon on this date in 1971 as part of the Apollo 14 space mission. Shepard quietly snuck the club onboard the flight. Because of his cumbersome spacesuit, he had to swing with his right arm only. Back on earth, Shepard said he “shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards away. The second one, I kept my head down. I hit it flush and it went at least 200 yards.”
By this date in 1966, Arnold Palmer had already been in 18 playoffs on the PGA Tour. On this date, Palmer shot his best score of the Bob Hope Desert Classic that year, a 67, in the fourth round, then lost a playoff the next day when he and Doug Sanders tied at 349. Sanders won on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff, dropping Arnie to an 11-8 won-loss record. Also on this date, World Golf Hall of Famer José María Olazábal, who won the 1994 and 1999 Masters, was born in 1966 in Hondarribia, Spain.
The great Byron Nelson was born on this date in 1912, the same year Ben Hogan and Sam Snead were born. Nelson died on September 26, 2006. To read more about the man they called Lord Byron for his outstanding demeanor and character, go to worldgolfhalloffame.org/byron-nelson/. Today also has a pair of Arnold Palmer moments to observe, both involving the Palm Springs area. In 1962, he won the Palm Springs Golf Classic, shooting 69-67-66-71-69—342 to take top prize of $5,300. And in 1968, he won the Bob Hope Desert Classic after a two-hole, sudden-death playoff with Deane Beman. Arnold had scores of 72-70-67-71-68—348, taking home $20,000.
On the birthday parade today is Retief Goosen, inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2019 and who was born on this date in 1969 in Pietersburg, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The 55-year-old is a two-time U.S. Open winner. Fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Carol Mann was also born on this date, in 1941. She was the Tom Weiskopf of the LPGA, standing at 6-foot-3. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1961 and won two major championships and 38 LPGA Tour events in all. She died on May 20, 2018, at age 77.
One of the more horrific days in golf history took place on this date in 1949 when Ben Hogan was nearly killed in a car-bus crash in morning fog on a highway near Van Horn in west Texas. Hogan and wife Valerie's car was struck by an oncoming bus that was trying to pass another vehicle. Hogan's heroic move to throw himself in front of his wife saved his life as the impact forced the car's steering column to run through the driver's seat. Incredibly, a year later, Hogan returned to golf and nearly won the Los Angeles Open in his first tournament back.
This is the date that's noted in 1922 that the USGA established the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. The first event was held in July 1922 at Ottawa Park Golf Course in Toledo, Ohio, won by Edmund R. Held. The event was discontinued after the 2014 playing. Also on this date in 1959, the 20th Senior PGA Championship finished at PGA National Golf Club in Dunedin, Florida, with winner Willie Goggin, using a borrowed set of woods, to win by one shot over Denny Shute, Leland Gibson and Paul Runyan. Both Shute and Runyan were two-time winners of the regular PGA Championship.
The WM [Waste Management] Phoenix Open is on the PGA Tour schedule next week. On this date in 1957, the first round of the Phoenix Open at Arizona Country Club was held, with Arnold Palmer shooting a four-under-par 66 to share the lead with Billy Maxwell. The tournament was eventually won by Billy Casper at 271; Arnie tied for fifth with scores of 66-70-70-71—277 and earned $787.50.
Today marks what would have been Payne Stewart's 67th birthday. The three-time major champion, whose life was cut short when his private jet malfunctioned in flight and crashed on October 25, 1999, is a member of the World Golf, Missouri Sports, and PGA of America halls of fame. Another World Golf Hall of Fame member born on this date was Curtis Strange in 1955 in Norfolk, Virginia. He won back-to-back U.S. Open titles.