John George Goodman (December 28, 1909 – August 8, 1970) was the last amateur golfer to win the U.S. Open, in 1933, and also won the U.S. Amateur in 1937. Born to

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n immigrants in South Omaha, Nebraska, Goodman was orphaned at the age of 14. His mother died when he was 11, after giving birth to her 13th child, and his father later abandoned the family. Goodman became a

caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

at the

Field Club Field Club is a neighborhood located in the Midtown region of Omaha, Nebraska. Roughly bounded by Pacific Street, 32nd Avenue, Center St., and 36th Street, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic dis ...

in Omaha, and while a student at

Omaha South High School Omaha South High School is an information technology and visual/performing arts magnet school which educates students in grades 9–12. It is located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Built in the 1930s, it is one of the largest high school ...

, he won the

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

city championship in 1925; four years later, he won the first of three consecutive Nebraska Amateur titles. He won the Trans-Mississippi Amateur three times (1927, 1931, and 1935). He gained national notoriety at age 19 in 1929 when he defeated Bobby Jones in the first round of match play competition at the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. Goodman served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and did not turn professional until 1960; he supported himself throughout his career by selling insurance. A municipal golf course in Omaha is named for him.

Tournament wins (60)

:''this list may be incomplete'' *1925 Omaha Caddie Championship, Omaha Metropolitan Golf Championship *1927 Trans-Mississippi Amateur *1929 Nebraska Amateur *1930 Nebraska Amateur *1931 Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Nebraska Amateur *1933 U.S. Open *1935 Trans-Mississippi Amateur *1936 Mexican Amateur, Arcola Country Club Invitational *1937 U.S. Amateur, Mexican Amateur *1939 Arcola Country Club Invitational

Major championships

Wins (1)

Amateur wins (1)

Results timeline

''Note: Goodman never played in The Open Championship or the PGA Championship.'' LA = low amateur
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur
USGA Championship Database
Source for 1934 British Amateur
Reading Eagle, May 24, 1934, pg. 17.
Source for 1936 Masters

Source for 1938 British Amateur

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur * Walker Cup:

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

(winners),

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

(winners),

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

References

External links

''Washington Post'' review of ''The King of Swings: Johnny Goodman, the Last Amateur to Beat the Pros at Their Own Game''Field Club of Omaha Golf and Country Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Johnny American male golfers Amateur golfers Winners of men's major golf championships Golfers from Nebraska United States Army personnel of World War II Sportspeople from Omaha, Nebraska People from South Gate, California 1909 births 1970 deaths