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Thunderbird Invitational
The Thunderbird Invitational was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played from 1952 to 1959 in Rancho Mirage, California. Held in late January at Thunderbird Country Club, the tournament's purse was a modest $15,000; it was the direct predecessor of the Desert Classic, which began in 1960. Thunderbird hosted the Ryder Cup in 1955. Arnold Palmer, 29, was the event's final champion in 1959; he won the next year at the first edition of the "Palm Springs Desert Classic," which had a $100,000 purse and a winner's share of 12,000, his largest tour check to date. Ken Venturi, 26, won the 1958 event and was awarded a $1,500 check and a $4,500 automobile. He backed it up with another win the following week at Phoenix. Jimmy Demaret won the event three times; his first was a 54-hole midweek event in 1953, and the last was an 18-hole playoff on Monday in 1957 for consecutive titles. The 1952 event was a 36 hole pro-am, played midweek. Dutch Harrison won the best-ball while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the nine cities of the Coachella Valley ( Palm Springs area). It is home to and has been home to a number of celebrities, including Don Sutton, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Billie Dove and Gerald and Betty Ford. It is a low-density desert-resort community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs in the Coachella Valley within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. It is nestled along the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains in the south and is located between the cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert. It is adjacent to Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and Unincorporated Thousand Palms. It has been nic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dutch Harrison
Ernest Joseph "Dutch" Harrison (March 29, 1910 – June 19, 1982) was an American professional golfer whose career spanned over four decades—one of the longest in the history of the PGA Tour. Born in Conway, Arkansas and nicknamed "The Arkansas Traveler", Harrison turned pro in 1930 at the start of the Great Depression. Although he played in what tournaments existed in those days, the mainstay of his income was the many exhibitions and private "money" matches in which he, as well as many of his fellow professionals, played. Harrison had a total of 18 career victories spanning from the 1939 Bing Crosby Pro-Am to the 1958 Tijuana Open Invitational. However, as late as 1969, Harrison had a top-25 finish in the Canadian Open at the age of 59. He played on three Ryder Cup teams: 1947, 1949, and 1951. Harrison finished nine times in the top-10 at major championships, including third place finishes at the PGA Championship in 1939 and the U.S. Open in 1960. He won the Vardon Tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Turnesa
James R. Turnesa (December 9, 1912 – August 27, 1971) was an American professional golfer and winner of the 1952 PGA Championship, beating Chick Harbert 1-up in the match-play final. He was one of seven famous golfing brothers; Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1991), Mike (1907–2000), Doug (1909–1972), Jim (1912–1971), and Willie (1914–2001). The family was referred to as a "golf dynasty" in a 2000 ''New York Times'' article. Career Turnesa was born in Elmsford, New York, one of seven brothers who became prominent in the golfing world: Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1991), Mike (1907–2000), Doug (1909–1972), Jim (1912–1971), and Willie (1914–2001). All but Willie turned professional and Jim was the only one to win a major championship. The Turnesa brothers were well known for their prowess on the links and they started out as caddies before competing in tournaments. Jim's father Vitale was a head greenskeeper at F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lloyd Mangrum
Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle." Early life and family Mangrum was born on August 1, 1914, in Trenton, Texas, he became a professional golfer at age fifteen, working as an assistant to his brother Ray, the head professional at Cliff-Dale Country Club in Dallas. Career Mangrum joined the PGA Tour in 1937 and went on to win 36 events on the Tour. He might have won more if his career had not been interrupted by service in World War II. While serving in the U.S. Army and training for the D-Day landings, Mangrum was offered the professional's job at the Fort Meade golf course in Maryland, which would have kept him out of combat, but he declined. He was awarded two Purple Hearts after being wounded at Normandy and Battle of the Bulge. He was also awarded two Silver and two Bronze Stars while serving in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory and his ball-striking ability. Hogan's nine career professional major championships tie him with Gary Player for fourth all-time, trailing only Jack Nicklaus (18), Tiger Woods (15) and Walter Hagen (11). He is one of only five players to have won all four majors: the Masters Tournament, The Open Championship (despite only playing once), the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship. The other four are Nicklaus, Woods, Player, and Gene Sarazen; Hogan's first major win came at age 34. Early life and character Hogan was born in Stephenville, Texas, the third and youngest child of Chester and Clara (Williams) Hogan. His father was a blacksmith and the family lived southwest in Dublin until 1921, when they moved northeast to Fort Worth. When Hoga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bo Wininger
Francis G. "Bo" Wininger (November 16, 1922 – December 7, 1967) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s. Wininger played on the same high school football and baseball teams in Commerce, Oklahoma as future Yankee great Mickey Mantle, albeit a few years before Mantle came along. He attended Oklahoma State University. Wininger served in the United States Naval Air Corps during World War II. He turned pro in 1952 and joined the PGA Tour in 1953. After winning three times in the mid-1950s, he quit playing the tour full-time in 1959 to take a job in public relations. He returned to his winning ways in the early 1960s, winning the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational in 1962 and 1963 and the Carling Open Invitational in 1962. Wininger had several runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour in addition to his six wins; these include a 2nd or T-2 finish at the 1957 and 1959 Canadian Open, the 1959 and 1960 Dallas Open Invitational, and the 1959 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chandler Harper
John Chandler Harper (March 10, 1914 – November 8, 2004) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the PGA Championship in 1950. He won seven times on the PGA Tour and played in the Ryder Cup in 1955. Harper was born, raised and lived his entire life in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was prominent in Virginia golf, winning the Virginia State Amateur three times (1930, 1932, 1934) and the Virginia State Open nine times (1932, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1952, 1960, 1967, 1968, 1970), a record which stands today. His golfing career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Harper's competitive career lasted from 1938 to 1955; and like most professional golfers of his generation, he spent most of his time as a club professional. Harper compensated for his lack of driving distance with a strong short game; Ben Hogan said that Harper was the best putter on Tour. After Curtis Strange's father died when he was 14, Harper became Strange's mentor. He was also a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marty Furgol
Martin A. Furgol (January 5, 1916 – November 23, 2005) was an American professional golfer. He won five times on the PGA Tour in the 1950s. He played on the 1955 Ryder Cup team. He was born in New York Mills, New York and died in Florida. Although he was from the same town as golfer Ed Furgol, they are not related. Professional wins (6) PGA Tour wins (5) PGA Tour playoff record (0–1) Other wins (1) ''this list may be incomplete'' *1970 Philadelphia PGA Championship U.S. national team appearances *Ryder Cup: 1955 (winners) * Hopkins Trophy: 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners) *Lakes International Cup: 1954 (winners) See also *List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins This is a list of the fifty golfers who have won the most official (or later deemed historically significant) money events on the PGA Tour. It is led by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods with 82 each. Many players won important events early in the 20th ce ... References External links * American male golfers PG ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shelley Mayfield
Shelley Mayfield (June 19, 1924 – March 22, 2010) was an American golf course architect and professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s. Early life Mayfield was born in Liberty Hill, Texas near Austin and grew up in Seguin near San Antonio. He was a star athlete in several sports at Seguin High School including golf, which he began playing at age 14. His team won several state championships under coach W.A. "Lefty" Stackhouse. Professional career Mayfield became a golf professional at the age of 24. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club pro. His first job was as an assistant for Claude Harmon at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a position he held for two years. The two later worked together at Seminole Golf Club in Florida for one year. He served as the head professional at Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York from 1950 to 1952. In 1955, Mayfield went to work at the exclusive Mead ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Souchak
Michael Souchak (May 10, 1927 – July 10, 2008) was an American professional golfer who won fifteen events on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s, and played for the Ryder Cup teams in 1959 and 1961. Early years Born and raised in Berwick, Pennsylvania, Souchak served two years as a gunner in the U.S. Navy. He then attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and played both golf and football for the Blue Devils, as an end and placekicker. He was inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame in 1976. Tour record-setter In his first win at the 1955 Texas Open, Souchak set and tied several records. In the first round, he tied the tour's 18-hole record with a 60. This record was finally broken in 1977 by Al Geiberger's 59, and then lowered by Jim Furyk's 58 in 2016. This first round also included a record-breaking 27 on the back nine holes, a record that was tied by Andy North in 1975, Billy Mayfair in 2001 and Robert Gamez in 2004, and broken by Corey Pavin in 200 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gene Littler
Gene Alec Littler (July 21, 1930 – February 15, 2019) was an American professional golfer and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth, rhythmical swing, he once said that, "Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the best misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes." Early years and amateur career Littler was born in San Diego, California. He played on the 1953 United States Walker Cup team, and won the U.S. Amateur and the California State Amateur that same year. In 1954, he won a PGA Tour event as an amateur, a rare achievement which was not to be repeated until Doug Sanders won the Canadian Open in 1956. Littler graduated from San Diego State University, and after that served in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1954. Professional career An early highlight of Littler's professional playing career was a second-place finish at the 1954 U.S. Open. He finished one shot beh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1958 PGA Tour
The 1958 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to December 14. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Ken Venturi won the most tournaments with four. Arnold Palmer was the leading money winner with earnings of $42,608. Dow Finsterwald was voted the PGA Player of the Year after winning two tournaments including the 1958 PGA Championship. Bob Rosburg won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Schedule The following table lists official events during the 1958 season. Unofficial events The following events were sanctioned by the PGA Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official. Awards Notes References External linksPGA Tour official site {{PGA Tour Seasons PGA Tour seasons PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
