William John Burke, Burkauskas (polonized Burkowski) (December 14, 1902 – April 19, 1972) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

during the early 20th century.

Early life

Burke was born in

Naugatuck, Connecticut Naugatuck ( ) is a consolidated borough (Connecticut), borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, had a population of ...

. He was of Lithuanian descent.

Professional career

His greatest season was 1931, when he won the U.S. Open, reached the semi-finals of the

PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...

, and won four events on the professional circuit, plus appeared on the

Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States, with hosting duties alternating between venues in Europe and the United States for each edition. The cup is named after the English businessman S ...

team where he was undefeated in two matches. He was also selected for the 1933

team but not before some agitation by

Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen (; born Eugenio Saraceni, February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of six players (alon ...

was done on his behalf. Burke won his only match in the 1933 competition. Burke's 1931 U.S. Open win came in a marathon playoff. He and George Von Elm were tied at 292 (8-over-par) after regulation play. They played a 36-hole playoff the next day and tied again at 149 (7-over-par). The following day they played 36 more holes and Burke emerged victorious 148 to 149. Throughout Burke's golf career he used an unorthodox grip due to the loss of two fingers on his left hand.

Personal life

In 1972, Burke died in

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...

Honors and awards

* In 1963, Burke was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame. * In 2005, Burke was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (17)

PGA Tour wins (11)

*1927 (2) Florida Open, Central Florida Open *1928 (1)

North and South Open The North and South Open was one of the most prestigious professional golf tournaments in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It was played at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. sta ...

*1929 (2) New York State Open, Glens Falls Open *1931 (2) U.S. Open, Glens Falls Open *1932 (1) Florida West Coast Open *1935 (1) The Cascades Open *1936 (1) Centennial Open *1940 (1) Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (with Craig Wood) Major championship is shown in bold. Source:

Other wins (6)

''this list may be incomplete'' *1930 Mid South Open *1938 Ohio Open *1939 Ohio Open, Walter Hagen 25th Anniversary (with

Ed Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley (February 19, 1901 – October 25, 1963) was an American professional golfer active in the late 1920s and 1930s. He was given the nickname of "Big Ed" in acknowledgment of his frame. Biography Born in Brunswick, Georgi ...

) *1945 Ohio Open *1955 Ohio Open

Major championships

Wins (1)

¹ Defeated George Von Elm in a playoff. First 36-hole playoff - Burke 73-76=149 (+7), Von Elm 75-74=149 (+7). Second 36-hole playoff - Burke 71-77=148 (+6), Von Elm 76-73=149 (+7).

Results timeline

''Note: Burke never played in

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

.''
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

*Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1934 Masters – 1938 Masters) *Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1931 U.S. Open – 1932 U.S. Open)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Billy American male golfers PGA Tour golfers Winners of men's major golf championships Ryder Cup competitors for the United States Golfers from Connecticut American people of Polish descent People from Naugatuck, Connecticut Sportspeople from New Haven County, Connecticut 1902 births 1972 deaths