Leonard Dodson (March 29, 1912 – January 14, 1997) 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 ...

Early life

One of four boys, Dodson was born in

Mumford, Missouri Mumford is an unincorporated community in Greene County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is at the junction of Jones Branch and Pierson Creek, about 1.3 miles east of the current U.S. 65 bypass of east Springfield. The old St. Louis–San Fr ...

, and grew up in the Springfield area.

Professional career

Dodson won three times on the early

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 ...

between 1936 and 1941. During his colorful life, Dodson was known for gambling with his friend

Titanic Thompson Alvin Clarence Thomas (November 30, 1893 – May 19, 1974), better known as Titanic Thompson, was an American gambler, golfer, and hustler, who killed five men but was never charged with a crime. Thompson traveled the country wagering at cards, ...

Awards and honors

In 2004, Dodson was posthumously inducted into the Ozarks Golf Hall of Fame

Professional wins (8)

PGA Tour wins (3)

*1936 St. Petersburg Open *1937

Philadelphia Open Championship The Philadelphia Open Championship is an annual golf tournament played in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. It is organized by the Golf Association of Philadelphia. It has been played annually since 1903 (except for war years & 2020) at member ...

*1941

Oakland Open The Oakland Open was a golf tournament in California on the PGA Tour from 1937 to 1944. It was played in Oakland at the Claremont Country Club in 1937 and at the Sequoyah Country Club from 1938 to 1944.Iowa Open The Iowa Open is the Iowa state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Iowa section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1927 at a variety of courses around the state. Winners ...

, Western Missouri-Eastern Kansas tournament, Hollywood Beach Hotel Open (Florida) *1946

Iowa Open The Iowa Open is the Iowa state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Iowa section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1927 at a variety of courses around the state. Winners ...

*1948

Waterloo Open Golf Classic The Waterloo Jaycees Greater Waterloo Open Golf Classic is the oldest and largest golf tournament in the state of Iowa. It has been played annually since 1934, and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009. It is traditionally played over the course ...

References

American male golfers PGA Tour golfers Golfers from Missouri People from Greene County, Missouri Sportspeople from the Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri 1912 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-golf-bio-stub