Cyril Walker (September 18, 1892 – August 6, 1948) was an English

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 ...

born in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

who emigrated to the United States in 1914.

Professional career

Walker won the 1924

U.S. Open U.S. Open or US Open are open championship sporting tournaments that are hosted in the United States and in which anyone, especially amateur and professional, or American and non-American, may compete. The term may also be applied to non-sporting ev ...

at Oakland Hills Country Club, while playing out of

Englewood Golf Club The Englewood Golf Club, also sometimes known as the Englewood Golf and Country Club, was a private golf course in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, located in Englewood, New Jersey, Englewood and Leonia, New Jersey, Leonia, just west of N ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. He beat defending champion Bobby Jones by three strokes. This was his only top ten finish in seven appearances at the U.S. Open. He was a small man, weighing only . Walker won five PGA events between 1917 and 1924. Walker's slow pace of play, combined with his sometimes-combative personality, eventually made him unpopular with fellow players and tournament sponsors. This hastened his exit from the then-nascent professional golfers' tournament circuit. In 1928, he became the pro at the Saddle River Golf and Country Club in

Paramus Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

. While a club pro at Saddle River in 1933, he was arrested for destroying the signs of a neighboring course. An

alcohol addiction Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

further hastened his downward spiral during the 1930s and he ultimately found himself in a near-destitute condition working as a

caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is a companion to the player, providing both practical support and strategic guidance on the course. Caddies are responsible for carrying the player’s bag, managing clubs, and assisting with basic course maintena ...

in Florida at the

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...

municipal course in 1940, and later as a dishwasher.

Death

Walker died of pleural pneumonia in a

Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

jail cell where he had gone for shelter.

Professional wins (7)

PGA Tour wins (5)

*1917 (1) International Four-Ball *1921 (1)

Pennsylvania Open Championship The Pennsylvania Open Championship is the Pennsylvania state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pennsylvania Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1912 (except for war years) at ...

*1922 (1) Mobile Country Club *1923 (1) Mid-South Amateur-Professional *1924 (1)

Source:

Other wins (2)

*1916

Indiana Open The Indiana Open is the Indiana state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Indiana section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1915 at a variety of courses around the state. ...

*1930

Miami International Four-Ball The Miami International Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1924 to 1954. It was played primarily at what is now the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club in Miami, Florida. It was also played at the Miami Biltmore Golf Course in C ...

(with Clarence Gamber)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Results timeline

NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
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

References

External links

Report on the 1924 U.S. Open on the tournament's official site
– Cyril Walker {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Cyril English male golfers American male golfers Winners of men's major golf championships Golfers from Manchester Golfers from New Jersey English emigrants to the United States Deaths from pneumonia in New Jersey 1892 births 1948 deaths 20th-century English sportsmen