Cesar Sanudo (October 26, 1943 – August 28, 2011) was a Mexican

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 ...

who played on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

and the

Senior PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, f ...

Early life

Sanudo was born and raised in

Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

, Mexico with his four siblings. Like many other Hispanic professional golfers of the era, Sanudo got his start in golf by caddying. His first job was at Tijuana Country Club in 1954. During his teens he moved from Tijuana to San Diego. He graduated from El Cajon High School in

El Cajon, California El Cajon ( , ; Spanish language, Spanish: El Cajón, lit. 'the box') is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajon, Rancho El Cajón, which was named for the ...

. While in high school he improved on his golf game through San Diego's elite juniors program.

Amateur career

Sanudo had a number of highlights as an amateur golfer. He made the semi-final of the 1965

U.S. Amateur The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...

. He also won winning the 1966 Mexican Amateur. He qualified for the

1966 Masters Tournament The 1966 Masters Tournament was the 30th Masters Tournament, held April 7–11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Jack Nicklaus, age 26, earned his third Green Jacket in an 18-hole Monday playoff and became the first back-to-back ...

as an amateur.

Professional career

Sanudo primarily played on tour between 1969 and 1982, vacillating between full-time and part-time status. His sole PGA Tour win came at the 1970

Azalea Open Invitational The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event; it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 throu ...

held in Cape Fear, North Carolina; he earned $12,000 for his efforts by defeating Bobby Mitchell by one stroke at 15-under-par 269. Sanudo described it as the proudest moment of his professional career. With the win, Sanudo became the first Mexican player to win on the PGA Tour. He was later followed by Victor Regalado in

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

and Carlos Ortiz in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. Nearly two years after his PGA Tour victory, Sanudo seriously contended for a major championship for the only time. At the 1972 U.S. Open he was tied for the lead after two rounds. Over the weekend, in the high winds at

Pebble Beach Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California, United States. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of ...

, he fell back considerably with scores of 78-77 but would still finish in the top 10. Sanudo finished second at the European Tour's 1974 Benson & Hedges Match Play Championship to Australia's Jack Newton. He defeated British golfers

Maurice Bembridge Maurice Bembridge (21 February 1945 – 2 March 2024) was an English professional golfer. Early in his career he had some success on the British PGA, winning the 1969 News of the World Match Play and the 1971 Dunlop Masters. He would go on to w ...

and

David Jagger David Jagger (1891–1958) was an acclaimed and prolific English portrait painter. He was renowned for his commissioned portraits of London's high society and British aristocracy. Notable portraits include those of Robert Baden-Powell (1929) ...

on his way to reaching the finals. It was the only time he would finish runner-up on either the European Tour or PGA Tour. By the mid-1970s, he lost his full-time playing status and worked in the used car business. He briefly regained full time status but after the 1981 season he would rarely play again on tour. After his PGA Tour playing days were over, Sanudo became a long-time club professional in

and later at the

Coronado Coronado may refer to: People * Coronado (surname) Coronado is a Spanish surname derived from the village of Cornado, near A Coruña, Galicia. People with the name * Francisco Vásquez de Coronado (1510–1554), Spanish explorer often referred t ...

Municipal Golf Course.

Personal life

Sanudo was in a relationship with Kris Houghton – now

Kris Jenner Kristen Mary Jenner ( Houghton , formerly Kardashian; born November 5, 1955) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She rose to fame starring in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' (2007� ...

– in the mid-1970s. After they broke up he married Jacqui Schenz. They had three children: Amber, Anthony, and Lee. Lee is a local teaching professional. Sanudo was good friends with

Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American retired professional golfer who is regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. Trevino won six major championships and ...

. He also played golf with Presidents Nixon, Ford, and George H.W. Bush. Sanudo died in 2011 in

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, located east of downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of ...

Amateur wins

*1966 Mexican Amateur

Professional wins (2)

PGA Tour wins (1)

Other wins (1)

*1973 Columbia Open

Results in major championships

''Note: Sanudo 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 ...

.'' CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied Source:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanudo, Cesar Mexican male golfers Lamar Cardinals golfers Mexican expatriate golfers in the United States PGA Tour golfers Golfers from San Diego Sportspeople from El Cajon, California 1943 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Mexican sportsmen Golfers from Baja California Sportspeople from Tijuana