David Douglas (January 1, 1918 – November 16, 1978) 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 ...
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 ...
in the 1940s and 1950s.
Early life
Douglas was the son of Alec Douglas, a golf professional originally from Scotland. At the time of David's birth Alec was the professional at
Aronimink Golf Club
Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is c ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. In the early 1920s, Alec became the professional at the newly opened Rock Manor Golf Club in
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...
and remained the professional there until retiring in 1957.
Professional career
In 1939, Douglas turned professional. He was the club professional at the Newark Country Club in
Newark, Delaware
Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 31,454. The University of Delaware is ...
from 1940 to 1942. He qualified for the
1940 U.S. Open but failed to make the cut. After serving in the army in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he became an assistant professional to his father at Rock Manor.
At 6' 2" tall and 165 pounds, he was lean and lanky and was known for his smooth swing.
Douglas won eight tournaments on the PGA Tour between 1947 and 1954. He had his first win at the
Orlando Open in December 1947. After the 72 holes he was tied on 274 with
Jimmy Demaret
James Newton Demaret (May 24, 1910 – December 28, 1983) was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters, with titles in 1940, 1947, and 1 ...
and
Herman Keiser
Herman Walter Keiser (October 7, 1914 – December 24, 2003) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, best known for winning the Masters Tournament in 1946, his only major title.
Biography
Keiser was born and raised in Springfiel ...
.
There was an 18-hole playoff the following day. Douglas and Demaret were again tied on 71 with Keiser taking 73. There was then a sudden-death playoff with Douglas winning with a birdie 3 at the first extra hole.
Douglas was a member of the American
1953 Ryder Cup team. He finished one place out of the qualifying places but with
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, hi ...
and
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.
Early life
Harrison was born in Conway, Arkansas. ...
declining their invitations, he got a place along with
Fred Haas
Frederick Theodore Haas Jr. (January 3, 1916 – January 26, 2004) was an American professional golfer.
Amateur career
Haas was born in Portland, Arkansas. After graduating from Dermott High School, he graduated from Louisiana State Universit ...
. The match was played at the
Wentworth Club
Wentworth Club is a privately owned Golf course, golf club and country club in Virginia Water, Surrey, on the south western fringes of London, not far from Windsor Castle. The club was founded in 1922. Beijing-based Reignwood Group bought the c ...
in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Douglas played with
Ed Oliver in the first-day foursomes, winning 2 & 1. He played against
Bernard Hunt
Bernard John Hunt, MBE (2 February 1930 – 21 June 2013) was an English professional golfer.
Early life
Hunt was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire.
Professional career
He turned professional in 1946 and was a leading player on the Europe ...
in the singles on the second-day. The match was the last to finish. The American team led 6–5 and had retained the cup, but Douglas need to halve his match to give the Americans a clear win. Hunt had won the 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th holes to be dormie-one. At the last, Hunt's second shot was in the trees but he managed to get his third shot to the back of the green. He putted to 4 feet and, with Douglas taking 5, needed to hole the putt to win the match. He missed and so the USA won 6½ to 5½.
In October 1954, Douglas was a late replacement in the
Lakes International Cup.
Ed Furgol
Edward Joseph Furgol (March 24, 1917 – March 6, 1997) was an American professional golfer. He is best known for winning the 1954 U.S. Open.
Early life
Furgol was Polish-American born in New York Mills, New York.
At age twelve, Furgol inju ...
was part of the original American team of four but withdrew because an injured right arm. Australia won the cup for the first time, winning the match 7–5.
In 1957, Douglas became the club professional at
St. Louis Country Club in
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and played less tournament golf from that date.
[ He left that position in 1974 and moved to Terre du Lac Golf and Country Club, also in Missouri. He was briefly at Wedgewood Country Club, Missouri in 1978.][
]
Death
In November 1978, Douglas died on cancer at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the List of beaches in Delaware, Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of 2020, its population was 1,108. Along with the neighboring coastal town of Lewes, ...
.
Awards and honors
In 1978, Douglas was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame was founded in 1976. Al Cartwright, who helped found it, was its first president and was inducted to its hall of fame in 1980. The current museum building was constructed in 1993.
The Delaware Sports ...
Professional wins (8)
PGA Tour wins (8)
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
Source:
Results in major championships
''Note: Douglas 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 ...
.''
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
Summary
*Most consecutive cuts made – 11 (1947 U.S. Open – 1952 Masters)
*Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1950 PGA – 1951 U.S. Open)
U.S. national team appearances
*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 ...
: 1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
(winners)
* Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners), 1954 (winners)
* Lakes International Cup: 1954 (winners)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Dave
American male golfers
PGA Tour golfers
Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
Golfers from Delaware
United States Army personnel of World War II
Golfers from Philadelphia
People from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Sportspeople from Sussex County, Delaware
1918 births
1978 deaths
20th-century American sportsmen