Samuel Dewey Byrd (October 5, 1906 – May 11, 1981) was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

and

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 ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) and on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

. Byrd is the only person to play in both the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...

and the

Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first ma ...

. Byrd made his professional baseball debut in 1926, and made his MLB debut with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

in 1929. He was primarily a reserve player, and saw action as a defensive replacement and

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been subs ...

for

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, which earned him the nickname "Babe Ruth's Legs". The Yankees sold Byrd to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

before the 1935 season, and he retired from baseball to pursue a career as a professional golfer after the 1936 season. He won six PGA events during his career.

Early life

Samuel Dewey Byrd was born on October 15, 1906, in

Bremen, Georgia Bremen ( ) is a city in Haralson and Carroll counties, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,227, up from 4,579 at the 2000 census. Most of the city is in Haralson County, with a small portion in Carroll ...

, as the second of four children of Rhone and Delphia Byrd. He was often known by his

middle name In various cultures, a middle name is a portion of a personal name that is written between the person's first given name and their surname. A middle name is often abbreviated and is then called middle initial or just initial. A person may b ...

when he was growing up. His family moved to

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, in 1911. They lived near a golf course, where he worked as a

caddy Caddy may refer to: * Caddie, also spelled caddy, a golfer's assistant * A shopping caddy * A box or bin, such as a "green bin" for food waste * Caddy (bridge), an assistant to a tournament director * Caddy (surname) * Caddy (given name) * C ...

. He graduated from Birmingham's Simpson High School, where he played baseball and basketball. His father, who worked in construction, trained him to be a bricklayer.

Baseball career

After playing

sandlot baseball Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batti ...

in Birmingham, Byrd signed with the

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...

of the Class A

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), ...

in 1926. The Barons

optioned In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...

him to the

Jonesboro Buffaloes Jonesboro or Jonesborough is the name of a number of settlements in the United States and the United Kingdom: United States *Jonesboro, Arkansas ** Jonesboro massacre, a school shooting incident *Jonesboro, Georgia, originally Jonesborough **Battl ...

of the Class D

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second leagu ...

before the start of the season. He had a .348

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average i ...

with three

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

s in 59 games for Jonesboro. The league folded during the season, and he finished the season with the

Alexandria Reds The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Englis ...

of the Class D

Cotton States League The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Englis ...

, where he batted .238 with one home run in 25 games. He played for the

Knoxville Smokies Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state ...

of the Class B

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

in 1927, where he batted .331 with 15 home runs in 140 games. During the 1927 season, the

purchased Byrd's contract. In 1928, the Yankees optioned Byrd to the

Albany Senators The Albany Senators was a name used by multiple minor league baseball teams representing Albany, New York, that existed between 1885 and 1959. The mid-20th century club played at Hawkins Stadium. The various editions of the Senators generally pla ...

of the Class A Eastern League, and he batted .371 with 18 home runs in 130 games. Byrd made his

debut with the Yankees on May 11, 1929, as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American ...

and defensive replacement for

Earle Combs Earle Bryan Combs (May 14, 1899 – July 21, 1976) was an American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees (1924–1935). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (of ...

. When

fell ill in June, Byrd started for the Yankees in his place from June 2 to 18. He batted .312 with five home runs in 202

plate appearance In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runne ...

s across 62 games for the Yankees in 1929. In 1930, Byrd batted .284 with six home runs in 254 plate appearances across 92 games. He batted .270 with three home runs in 281 plate appearances across 115 games in 1931. Byrd got a big opportunity to be the starting

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

for the Yankees in 1932, as Combs went to the bench. Using a

baseball bat A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although hist ...

, in place of the bats he usually used, helped him to match his

total for all of 1931 before April 1932 ended. By May, Byrd was experiencing sinus problems and Combs had retaken the starting center fielding job. Aside from a 15 game stretch in September, Byrd spent the rest of the 1932 season backing up the starting outfield of Ruth, Combs, and Ben Chapman. He finished the 1932 season with a .297 average and eight home runs in 243 plate appearances across 105 games. Byrd made one appearance in the

1932 World Series The 1932 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1932 season. The 29th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees versus the National League champions Chicago Cubs. The ...

as a defensive replacement for Ruth in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4. In 1933, Byrd batted .280 with two home runs in 122 plate appearances in 85 games. In 1934, he batted .246 with three home runs in 218 plate appearances across 106 games. Byrd led

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

outfielders with a .988

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

in 1934, committing two

errors An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistic ...

in 160 chances. After the 1934 season, the Yankees sold Byrd to the

. Byrd played for the Reds as a starting outfielder in 1935, alongside

Chick Hafey Charles James "Chick" Hafey (February 12, 1903 – July 2, 1973) was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1924–1931) and Cincinnati Reds (1932–1935, 1937), Hafey was a strong line-drive hit ...

, with

Ival Goodman Ival Richard Goodman (July 23, 1908 – November 25, 1984) was an All-Star right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1942) and Chicago Cubs (1943–1944). Goodman, who batted left-handed and threw right-h ...

Harlin Pool Harlin Welty Pool (March 13, 1908 – February 15, 1963) nicknamed "Samson", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cincinnati Reds.

, and

Adam Comorosky Adam Anthony Comorosky (December 9, 1905 – March 2, 1951) was an American former Major League Baseball player. Comorosky started working in the coal mines of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, at the age of 12, where he worked as a breaker boy. His ...

competing for the remaining playing time. He batted .262 with nine home runs in 460 plate appearances in 121 games. Heading into the 1936 season, Cincinnati started Goodman,

Babe Herman Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman (June 26, 1903 – November 27, 1987) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder between and , most prominently as a member of the Brooklyn Dodg ...

, and

Kiki Cuyler Hazen Shirley Cuyler (; August 30, 1898 – February 11, 1950), nicknamed Kiki, was an American professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodg ...

in the outfield, and Byrd returned to a reserve role. He batted .248 with two home runs in 153 plate appearances in 59 games during the 1936 season. The Reds traded Byrd to the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field, located in do ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

for

Phil Weintraub Philip Weintraub (October 12, 1907 – June 21, 1987) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. Weintraub played for 13 minor league teams, for whom he had an aggregate batting average of .337, as well as for the New Yor ...

and

Jack Rothrock Jack Houston Rothrock (March 14, 1905 – February 2, 1980) was a utility player in Major League Baseball who played with four teams between the 1925 and 1937 seasons. Listed at , 165 lb., Rothrock was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. ...

following the 1936 season. Byrd refused the assignment to the minor leagues, and announced in February 1937 that he was retiring from baseball to focus on his golf career. Cincinnati sent Rochester another player to complete the trade, and sold Byrd to the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals h ...

, who sent him a new contract for $10,000. After consulting with Jones,

Ed Dudley Edward Bishop Dudley (February 19, 1901 – October 25, 1963) was an American professional golfer active in the late 1920s and 1930s. He was given the nickname of "Big Ed" in acknowledgment of his frame. Biography Born in Brunswick, Georgia, ...

, and

Bill McWane Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

, Byrd informed the Cardinals that he still intended to retire and pursue a career in golf. Byrd was called "Babe Ruth's Legs", a reference to the fact that he often would appear as a

and defensive replacement for Ruth at the end of games toward the latter part of Ruth's career. In 745 major league games, Byrd posted a .274 batting average (465-for-1,700) with 304 runs, 38 home runs, 220

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

, and a .412

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player ...

. He recorded a .975

playing at all three outfield positions.

Golf career

Upon joining the Yankees, Byrd quickly developed the reputation of being the best golfer in professional baseball. In 1930,

Bobby Jones Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People * Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter * Bobby, old slang for a const ...

played a round of golf with Byrd, and called Byrd "the very best man with a driver I ever saw." Byrd won the first tournament he entered, the amateur portion of the 1933 Southeastern PGA Open. He made his professional golf debut in a tournament at the

Pinehurst Resort Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina in the United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including three U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateur Championships, one P ...

in November 1933. In January 1937, he won a golf tournament of baseball players in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

, by fourteen strokes. When Byrd retired from baseball in 1937, he became an assistant to Dudley at the

Philadelphia Country Club Philadelphia Country Club is a private country club located in the Gladwyne suburb of Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It has 27 holes of regulation golf including one 18-hole championship course, a nine-hole course, an ...

. He tied with Abe Espinosa for fifth place in the 1938

Cresent City Open The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a professional golf tournament in Louisiana on the PGA Tour, currently held at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, a suburb southwest of New Orleans. Beginning in 1938 and held annually since 1958, it is commonly play ...

and tied with

Ralph Guldahl Ralph J. Guldahl (November 22, 1911 – June 11, 1987) was an American professional golfer, one of the top five players in the sport from 1936 to 1940. He won sixteen PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, including three majors (two U.S. Opens and one ...

for fourth place of the 1938

St. Petersburg Open Invitational The St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. The clubs that hosted the event were: Lakewood Country ...

. In July 1939, Byrd won the

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 c ...

. In 1940, Byrd became the golf pro at the

Merion Golf Club Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a township bordering Philadelphia to the northwest along the historic Main Line. The club has two courses: the East Course, and the West Cours ...

Haverford Township, Pennsylvania Haverford Township is a home rule municipality township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.1940 Masters Tournament The 1940 Masters Tournament was the seventh Masters Tournament, held April 4–7 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Jimmy Demaret won the first of his three Masters titles, four strokes ahead of runner-up Lloyd Mangrum, the larges ...

and tied for 14th place, becoming the first person to play in both a

and a

. At the 1941 Providence Open, Byrd set a competitive record at Triggs Memorial Golf Course when he shot a 66, six under par, in the first round. He finished in third place in the

1941 Masters Tournament The 1941 Masters Tournament was the eighth Masters Tournament, held April 3–6 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Craig Wood won his first major title, three strokes ahead of runner-up Byron Nelson. Wood opened with a 66 and led ...

. He won the

Greater Greensboro Open The Wyndham Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro and was originally the Greater Greensboro Open. History Founded in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open, it was usua ...

in 1942 with a 279, five under par, two strokes ahead of

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 and ...

and

Lloyd Mangrum Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle." Early life and family Mangrum ...

. He finished in fourth place in the

1942 Masters Tournament The 1942 Masters Tournament was the ninth Masters Tournament, held April 9–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Byron Nelson, the 1937 champion, won an 18-hole playoff by one stroke over runner-up Ben Hogan. Down by three st ...

. In June 1942, Byrd won the

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 ...

by seven shots over

Henry Ransom Henry B. Ransom (February 25, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s. Ransom was born in Houston, Texas. He turned professional in 1933. He won five PGA Tour events durin ...

. Byrd setting a course record with a 64, seven under par, in the second round. He won the

Chicago Victory National Open The Chicago Open was a golf tournament played in the Chicago area. A Chicago District Open was first held in 1914. From 1926 to 1928 it became a national event. It was held again from 1937 to 1941, although there was no event in 1939. The Hale Ame ...

in 1943 with a score of 277, five strokes ahead of Craig Wood. Byrd resigned from the Merion Golf Club to succeed

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 ...

as the golf pro at the

Plum Hollow Country Club Plum Hollow Country Club is a country club located in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit The club is privately owned and was established in 1921. Plum Hollow was designed by architects Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Alison of the Brit ...

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its southern border with Detroit. The city was originall ...

, effective November 1, 1943. In February 1944, he won the

New Orleans Open The New Orleans Grand Prix was a men's tennis tournament played in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1978 to 1980. The event was part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit. It was played on indoor carpet courts in the Louisiana Superdome. Past finals Sing ...

with a score of 285, five strokes ahead of

Byron Nelson John Byron Nelson Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946, widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hog ...

. In June 1944, Byrd won the

Philadelphia Inquirer Open Invitational The Philadelphia Inquirer Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played at various clubs in the greater Philadelphia area in the 1940s. The first event played as the Philadelphia Inquirer Open Invitational; it was last played in 1949. F ...

. He won the

Michigan PGA Championship The Michigan PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1922 at a variety of courses around the state. The 2018 event was noticeable for a ...

in July 1944 with a score of 142, while Harmon,

Jack Winney Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, and

Al Watrous Albert Andrew Watrous (February 1, 1899 – December 3, 1983) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s. Early life Born in Yonkers, New York, of Polish descent, Watrous moved to Michigan at an early ...

tied with 145, and won the

Michigan Open The Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1916 at a variety of courses around the st ...

in August 1944 with a score of 208, while

Claude Harmon Eugene Claude Harmon Sr. (July 14, 1916 – July 23, 1989) was an American professional golfer and golf instructor. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Harmon spent much of his boyhood in Florida, in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, he qualified for ...

finished in second with 214. In January 1945, Byrd won the

Texas Open The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Va ...

with a score of 268, beating Nelson by one stroke, and setting a new Texas Open record, which had previously been 271. Byrd lost the final of the

1945 PGA Championship The 1945 PGA Championship was the 27th PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb south of Dayton. Then a match play championship, Byron Nelson won 4 & 3 in the final over Sam Byrd, a former major le ...

to Nelson, 4 and 3, in

match play Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 h ...

. Byrd defended his Michigan PGA Championship title in August 1945, beating

Chick Rutan Chick or chicks may refer to: *Chick (young bird), a bird that has not yet reached adulthood People * Chick (nickname), a list of people * Chick (surname), various people * Chick McGee, stage name of radio personality Charles Dean Hayes (born ...

by two strokes, 142 to 144. In November 1945, he won the

Azalea Open 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 ...

, beating

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. Born in Conway, Arkansas and nicknamed "The Arkansa ...

in a playoff by one stroke, after they both shot 283. In March 1946, Byrd teamed with

Sam Snead Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for the better part of four ...

in the

Inverness Invitational Four-Ball The Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Format The tournament featured an unusual team round robin format. From 1935 to 1951, the field consi ...

, which they lost to Demaret and Hogan. Byrd hosted the

1947 PGA Championship The 1947 PGA Championship was the 29th PGA Championship, held June 18–24 at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Jim Ferrier won the match play championship, 2 & 1 over Chick Harbert in the Tuesday fi ...

, which was held at Plum Hollow Country Club. In the

1948 Masters Tournament The 1948 Masters Tournament was the 12th Masters Tournament, held April 8–11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Claude Harmon shot a record-tying 279 (−9) and finished five strokes ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff, a future c ...

, he tallied the highest score ever at the second hole, recording a 10. He finished the round with a 12-over-par 84. He retired from the PGA Tour in 1949. On April 1, 1963, Byrd became the golf pro at

Willowbrook Country Club Willowbrook may refer to: Institutions * Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois * Willowbrook Museum Village, a museum in Newfield, Maine * Willowbrook State School, a former state-supported institution for developmentally disabled childr ...

. Byrd won his last tournament, a

Senior PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many year ...

event, in 1967. He served as the golf pro for ten years at the Anniston County Club in

Anniston, Alabama Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acc ...

, until he retired in 1978.

Professional wins (11)

PGA Tour wins (6)

*1942 (1)

*1943 (1)

*1944 (2)

*1945 (2)

Other wins (5)

:''This list is probably incomplete.'' *1939

*1942

*1944

*1945

Results in major championships

:''Note: Byrd 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 t ...

.'' : : :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

Personal life

Byrd married Rachel Elizabeth Smith of Birmingham in October 1932, days after the conclusion of the 1932 World Series. Teammate

Bill Dickey William Malcolm Dickey (June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees for 19 seasons. Dickey managed the Yankees as a player-manager in ...

was his best man. Their daughter, Catherine, was born in 1939. After Rachel died in 1979, Byrd moved to

Gilbert, Arizona Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix within the city's metropolitan area. Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World". It is the fifth-l ...

, to be closer to his daughter. Byrd was inducted into the

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history. The museum displays over 5,000 objects related to athletes who were born in Alabama or earned fame ...

in 1974 for his accomplishments in golf and baseball. He died in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community ...

, on May 11, 1981.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrd, Sammy Baseball players from Birmingham, Alabama Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Major League Baseball outfielders New York Yankees players Cincinnati Reds players American male golfers PGA Tour golfers Golfers from Birmingham, Alabama Golfers from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Bremen, Georgia Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area American bricklayers 1906 births 1981 deaths

Early life

Baseball career

Golf career

Professional wins (11)

PGA Tour wins (6)

Other wins (5)

Results in major championships

Personal life

See also

References

External links