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{{Short description|American professional golfer (1902–1999)}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2009}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox Golfer
{{Use American English|date= June 2021}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name = Gene Sarazen
| name = Gene Sarazen
| image =
| image = Gene Sarazen 1922.jpg
| imagesize = <!-- e.g. 250px (default is 200px) -->
| caption = Sarazen in 1922
| caption =
| fullname = Eugenio Saraceni
| fullname = Eugenio Saraceni
| nickname = The Squire
| nickname = The Squire
| birthdate = {{birth date|1902|02|27}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1902|2|27}}
| birthplace = [[Harrison, New York]], USA
| birth_place = [[Harrison, New York]], U.S.
| deathdate = {{death date and age|1999|5|13|1902|2|27}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|5|13|1902|2|27}}
| deathplace = [[Naples, Florida]], USA
| death_place = [[Naples, Florida]], U.S.
| residence = [[Brookfield, Connecticut]], U.S.
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=5.5}}
| weight = {{convert|162|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}
| height = 5 ft 5+1/2 in
| weight = {{convert|162|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}
| nationality = {{USA}}
| nationality = {{USA}}
| spouse = Mary Sarazen<br />(m. 1924–86, her death)
| children = 2
| yearpro = 1920
| yearpro = 1920
| retired = <!-- Year retired -->
| retired = <!-- Year retired -->
| tour = <!-- Current tours which a member of -->
| extour = [[PGA Tour]]
| extour = [[PGA Tour]]
| prowins = 41
| prowins = 48
| pgawins = 38
| pgawins = [[#PGA Tour wins (39)|39]] ([[List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins|Tied 10th all time]])
| eurowins = <!-- Number of European Tour wins -->
| otherwins = 10
| japwins = <!-- Number of Japan Golf Tour wins -->
| majorwins = 7
| asiawins = <!-- Number of Asian Tour wins -->
| masters = '''Won''': [[1935 Masters Tournament|1935]]
| sunwins = <!-- Number of Sunshine Tour wins -->
| usopen = '''Won''': [[1922 U.S. Open (golf)|1922]], [[1932 U.S. Open (golf)|1932]]
| auswins = <!-- Number of PGA Tour of Australasia wins -->
| open = '''Won''': [[1932 Open Championship|1932]]
| pga = '''Won''': [[1922 PGA Championship|1922]], [[1923 PGA Championship|1923]], [[1933 PGA Championship|1933]]
| nwidewins = <!-- Number of Nationwide Tour wins -->
| chalwins = <!-- Number of Challenge Tour wins -->
| wghofid = gene-sarazen
| champwins = <!-- Number of Champions Tour wins -->
| seneurowins = <!-- Number of European Seniors Tour wins -->
| otherwins = <!-- Number of Other wins -->
| majorwins = [[#Major championships|7]]
| masters = '''Won''': 1935
| usopen = '''Won''': 1922, 1932
| open = '''Won''': 1932
| pga = '''Won''': 1922, 1923, 1933
| wghofid = 1102
| wghofyear = 1974
| wghofyear = 1974
| award1 = [[PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award|PGA Tour Lifetime<br>Achievement Award]]
| award1 = [[PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award|PGA Tour Lifetime<br />Achievement Award]]
| year1 = 1996
| year1 = 1996
| award2 = [[Bob Jones Award]]
| award2 = [[Bob Jones Award]]
| year2 = 1992
| year2 = 1992
| award3 = [[Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year|Associated Press<br>Male Athlete of the Year]]
| award3 = [[Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year|Associated Press<br />Male Athlete of the Year]]
| year3 = 1932
| year3 = 1932
| awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section -->
| awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section -->
}}
}}
'''Gene Sarazen''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɑr|ə|z|ɛ|n}};<ref>Asked how to say his name, he told the ''[[Literary Digest]]'' "Veteran Gene ''Sarazen''/ Aims to play ''par again''". ([[Charles Earle Funk]], ''What's the Name, Please?'', Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)</ref> born '''Eugenio Saraceni''',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.capegazette.com/article/mr-sand-wedge-eugenio-saraceni/185318 |title=Mr. (Sand Wedge) Eugenio Saraceni |newspaper=Cape Gazette |first=Gene |last=Bleile |date=July 25, 2019}}</ref> February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American [[professional golfer]], one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven [[Men's major golf championships|major championships]]. He is one of five players (along with [[Ben Hogan]], [[Gary Player]], [[Jack Nicklaus]], and [[Tiger Woods]]) to win each of the four majors at least once, now known as the [[Grand Slam (golf)#Career Grand Slam|Career Grand Slam]]:
'''Gene Sarazen''' (February 27, 1902 &ndash; May 13, 1999) is one of only five [[golf]]ers (along with [[Ben Hogan]], [[Jack Nicklaus]], [[Gary Player]], and [[Tiger Woods]]) to win all the current [[men's major golf championships|major championships]] in his career, the Career [[Grand Slam (golf)|Grand Slam]]:
[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] in 1922, 1932,
[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] ([[1922 U.S. Open (golf)|1922]], [[1932 U.S. Open (golf)|1932]]),
[[PGA Championship]] in 1922, 1923, 1933,
[[PGA Championship]] ([[1922 PGA Championship|1922]], [[1923 PGA Championship|1923]], [[1933 PGA Championship|1933]]),
[[The Open Championship]] ([[1932 Open Championship|1932]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theopen.com/en/History/OpenChampions.aspx#player=Gene+SARAZEN |title=1932 Gene Sarazen |publisher=The Open |access-date=October 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016164928/http://www.theopen.com/en/History/OpenChampions.aspx |archive-date=October 16, 2013 }}</ref> and
[[The Open Championship|British Open]] in 1932, and
[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]] in 1935.
[[Masters Tournament]] ([[1935 Masters Tournament|1935]]).


== Career ==
==Early life==
'''Eugenio Saraceni''' was born on February 27, 1902, in [[Harrison, New York]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E0DB1E3FF937A25756C0A96F958260 |title=Gene Sarazen, 97, golf champion, dies |newspaper=New York Times |date=May 14, 1999 |access-date=February 17, 2009 |first=Larry |last=Dorman}}</ref> He was an [[Italian Americans|Italian American]] as his parents were poor [[Sicilian people|Sicilian]] immigrants.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Orin |last=Starn |title=Caddying for the Dalai Lama: Golf, Heritage Tourism, and the Pinehurst Resort |journal=South Atlantic Quarterly |year=2006 |volume=105 |issue=2 |page=452 |doi=10.1215/00382876-105-2-447 |url=http://www.orinstarn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/StarnCadddyingforDalai.pdf}}</ref> He began [[caddying]] at age ten at local golf clubs, took up golf himself, and gradually developed his skills; Sarazen was essentially self-taught. Somewhat novel at the time, he used the interlocking grip to hold the club.


==Amateur career==
He was born in [[Harrison, New York]] as '''Eugenio Saraceni'''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E0DB1E3FF937A25756C0A96F958260 |title=Gene Sarazen, 97, Golf Champion, Dies |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 14, 1999 |accessdate=2009-02-17}}</ref> Sarazen began [[caddy]]ing at age ten at local golf clubs, took up golf himself, and gradually developed his skills; he was essentially self-taught. He used the somewhat unusual, at the time, interlocking grip to hold the club.
Sarazen has a plaque in his honor placed 195 yards out from the 15th green at Hororata Golf Club where he famously made a [[double eagle (golf)|double eagle]] in the final round of sectional qualifiers. He earned his spot in his first [[United States Open]] in 1920 at age 18. Some say it was his greatest achievement as an amateur.


==Professional career==
Sarazen won his first major championships -- the 1922 U.S. Open and PGA Championship -- at age 20. He was a contemporary and great rival of [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]], who was born in the same year.
Sarazen took a series of club professional jobs in the New York area from his mid-teens. In 1921, he became a professional at Titusville (Pa.) Country Club, and he contracted to be the professional at Highland Country Club near [[Pittsburgh]] in 1922. Sarazen arrived in April, stocked the golf shop and gave a few lessons, but spent most of his time at [[Oakmont Country Club]] practicing with [[Emil Loeffler]]. At some point, the pair visited [[Skokie Country Club]] to practice on the course that would hold the [[1922 U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]; in July, he came from four shots behind to win the tournament.<ref>Somers, Robert (1987) ''The U.S. Open Golf's Ultimate Challenge''. Atheneum. pp. 59–60. {{ISBN|0689115253}}.</ref> He returned to Pittsburgh and was feted at the [[Omni William Penn Hotel|William Penn Hotel]], where he burst from a [[Papier-mâché|paper mâché]] golf ball.<ref>Sarazen, Gene (1950) ''Thirty Years of Championship Golf''. pp. 80–81, 87</ref> He did not return to Highland CC, broke his contract and became a "touring" golf professional. Later that summer, he won the [[1922 PGA Championship|PGA Championship]] at Oakmont.


Sarazen was a contemporary and rival of amateur [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]], who was born in the same year; he also had many battles with [[Walter Hagen]], who was nine years older. Sarazen, Jones, and Hagen were the world's dominant players during the 1920s. Rivalries among the three great champions significantly expanded interest in golf around the world during this period, and made the United States the world's dominant golf power for the first time, taking over this position from [[Great Britain]].
The winner of 39 [[Professional Golfers Association of America|PGA]] Tournaments, Sarazen was inducted into the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] in 1974. He was the [[Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year]] in 1932, a charter member of the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] (1974), and won the PGA Tour's first [[PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award|Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 1996. He played on six U.S. [[Ryder Cup]] teams: 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, and 1937.


The winner of 38 [[Professional Golfers Association of America|PGA]] tour events. He played on six U.S. [[Ryder Cup]] teams: [[1927 Ryder Cup|1927]], [[1929 Ryder Cup|1929]], [[1931 Ryder Cup|1931]], [[1933 Ryder Cup|1933]], [[1935 Ryder Cup|1935]], and [[1937 Ryder Cup|1937]].
Sarazen invented the modern [[sand wedge]] and debuted the club at the [[Open Championship|British Open]] at [[Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich|Prince's Golf Club]] in 1932 (which he won). He called it the sand iron and his original club is still on display at Prince's. There had been previous sand-specific clubs, but Sarazen's innovation was to weld solder onto the lower back of the club, building up the flange so that it sat lower than the leading edge when soled. The flange, not the leading edge, would contact the sand first, and explode sand as the shot was played. The additional weight provided punch to power through the thick sand. Sarazen's new developed technique with the new club was to contact the sand a couple of inches behind the ball, not actually contacting the ball at all. Every top-class golfer since has utilized this wedge design and technique.


===Invents modern sand wedge===
Sarazen hit "The shot heard 'round the world" in the [[1935 Masters Tournament]]. It was a final round 235-yard 4-wood on the par-5 15th hole that went in, giving him a very rare [[Golf glossary|albatross]] 2 on the hole. He trailed the leader by three shots at the time, and made them up all at once. It led to his later winning the tournament in a playoff over [[Craig Wood (golfer)|Craig Wood]]. At the time of his second shot a check for $1,500, the winning prize, had already been written to Craig Wood.
Sarazen claimed to have invented the modern [[sand wedge]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Gettin' to the Dance Floor |first=Al |last=Barkow |author-link=Al Barkow |year=1986 |publisher=Atheneum |isbn=978-0689115172}}</ref> and debuted the club (while keeping it secret during preliminary practice rounds) at [[The Open Championship]] at [[Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich|Prince's Golf Club]] in 1932 (which he won). He called it the sand iron. The original club he used is no longer on display at Prince's as it is worth too much for the insurers to cover. However, a similar club was patented in 1928 by Edwin Kerr McClain, and it is possible Sarazen saw this club.<ref>''Davies' Dictionary of Golfing Terms'', 1980, p. 147</ref>


Sarazen had previously struggled with his sand play and there had been earlier sand-specific clubs. But Bobby Jones's sand club, for example, had a [[wikt:concave|concave]] face, which actually contacted the ball twice during a swing; this design was later banned. Sarazen's innovation was to weld solder onto the lower back of the club, building up the flange so that it sat lower than the leading edge when soled. The flange, not the leading edge, would contact the sand first, and explode sand as the shot was played. The additional weight provided punch to power through the thick sand. Sarazen's newly developed technique with the new club was to contact the sand a couple of inches behind the ball, not actually contacting the ball at all on most sand shots.
In spite of his height &ndash; he only stood {{convert|5|ft|5.5|in|m|2}} tall<ref>{{cite book |last=Elliott |first=Len |coauthors=Barbara Kelly |title=Who's Who in Golf |origyear=1976 |publisher=Arlington House |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0870002252 |page=168 }}</ref> &ndash; Sarazen could hit the ball a very long way, even when compared with larger, stronger players. As a multiple past champion, he was eligible to continue competing after his best years were past, and occasionally did so in the top events, well into the 1960s, and occasionally into the 1970s. Throughout his life, Sarazen competed wearing knickers or [[plus-fours]], which were the fashion when he broke into the top level.


Every top-class golfer since has utilized this wedge design and technique, and the same club design and method are also used by amateur players around the world. The sand wedge also began to be used by top players for shots from grass, shortly after Sarazen introduced it, and this led to a revolution in short-game techniques, along with lower scoring by players who mastered the skills.
For many years after his retirement, Sarazen was a familiar figure as an honorary starter at the Masters. From 1981-1999, he joined [[Byron Nelson]] and [[Sam Snead]] in hitting a ceremonial tee shot before each Masters tournament. He also popularized the sport with his role as a commentator on the ''[[Shell's Wonderful World of Golf|Wonderful World of Golf]]'' television show.


===Masters Tournament win===
At the age of 71, Sarazan made a [[hole-in-one]] at the 1973 British Open Championship. In 1992, he was voted the [[Bob Jones Award]], the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. Asked how to say his name, he told the ''[[Literary Digest]]'' "Veteran Gene ''Sarazen''/ Aims to play ''par again''": ({{IPAEng|ˈsɑrəzɛn}}). (Charles Earle Funk, ''What's the Name, Please?'', Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)
Sarazen hit "the shot heard 'round the world" at [[Augusta National Golf Club]] on the fifteenth hole in the final round of the Masters Tournament in [[1935 Masters Tournament|1935]]. He struck a spoon (the loft of the modern four wood) {{convert|232|yd}} into the hole, scoring a double eagle. At the time he was trailing [[Craig Wood (golfer)|Craig Wood]] by three shots, and was then tied with him. He parred the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to preserve the tie. The following day, the pair played a 36-hole playoff, with Sarazen winning by five shots.


The Sarazen Bridge, approaching the left side of the 15th green, was named in [[1955 Masters Tournament|1955]] to commemorate the double eagle's twentieth anniversary,<ref name=spdyfgsq>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1955/04/07/page/85/article/golf-masters-tee-off-today |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |agency=United Press photo |title=Special day for golfdom's Squire |date=April 7, 1955 |page=1, sec. 6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Sarazen Bridge |website=masters.com |url=http://www.masters.com/en_US/watch/2011-03-03/012ef80c0a3000000029.html?promo=sitesearch |access-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref> which included a contest to duplicate, with the closest just over {{convert|4|ft}} away.<ref name=haasclo>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2looAAAAIBAJ&pg=5307%2C3755459 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Haas closest to Sarazen's double eagle |date=April 7, 1955 |page=18}}</ref> It remains one of the most famous golf shots in golf history.
Sarazen had what is still the longest-running endorsement contract in professional sports - with Wilson Sporting Goods from 1923 until his death, a total of 75 years.


===Later years, legacy===
He received an honorary degree in 1978 from [[Siena College]], in Loudonville, New York. In 1998, shortly before his death, the Sarazen Student Union was named in his honor. He also established an endowed scholarship fund at the college, The Gene and Mary Sarazen Scholarship, which is awarded annually to students reflecting the high personal, athletic, and intellectual ideals of Dr. Sarazen. For many years, kitted in his plus-fours, he hit the first ball in an annual golf tournament, held to raise funds for the scholarship.<ref>http://lw.siena.edu/campaign/SarazenNamingOpps.asp</ref>
In spite of his height of {{height|ft=5|in=5+1/2}},<ref>{{cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=Len |first2=Barbara |last2=Kelly |title=Who's Who in Golf |publisher=Arlington House |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0-87000-225-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/168 168] |year=1976 |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/168 }}</ref> Sarazen was one of the longest hitters of his era. He played several lengthy exhibition tours around the world, promoting his skills and the sport of golf, and earned a very good living from golf. One of his American tours in 1940 was sponsored by ''[[Golf Magazine]]'' and he played a match every day for 60 days.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Oliver, Sarazen to Play at Rye |newspaper=The Daily Argus |location=Mount Vernon |date=August 20, 1940 |page=10}}</ref> As a multiple past champion, he was eligible to continue competing after his best years were past, and occasionally did so in the top events, well into the 1960s, and occasionally into the 1970s. Throughout his life, Sarazen competed wearing knickers or [[plus-fours]], which were the fashion when he broke into the top level.


For many years after his retirement, Sarazen was a familiar figure as an honorary starter at the Masters. From 1981 to 1999, he joined [[Byron Nelson]] and [[Sam Snead]] in hitting a ceremonial tee shot before each Masters tournament. He also popularized the sport with his role as a commentator on the ''[[Shell's Wonderful World of Golf|Wonderful World of Golf]]'' television show, and was an early TV broadcaster at important events.
Sarazen died in [[Naples, Florida]] in 1999 from complications of [[pneumonia]], aged 97.


At age 71, Sarazen made a [[hole-in-one]] at [[The Open Championship]] in [[1973 Open Championship|1973]], at the "Postage Stamp" at [[Royal Troon Golf Club|Troon]] in [[Scotland]]. In 1992, he was voted the [[Bob Jones Award]], the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. Sarazen had what is still the longest-running endorsement contract in professional sports – with [[Wilson Sporting Goods]] from 1923 until his death, a total of 75 years.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.golf.com/equipment/mary-ann-sarazen-dad-didnt-invent-sand-wedge-he-modernized-it |title=Dad didn't invent the sand wedge, but he modernized it |last=Sarazen |first=Mary Ann |date=November 29, 2014 |magazine=[[Golf Magazine]] |access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref>
In 2000, Sarazen was ranked as the 11th greatest golfer of all time by ''[[Golf Digest]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_7_51/ai_63015233 |title=50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us |accessdate=2007-12-05 |last=Yocom |first=Guy |year=2000 |month=July |work=[[Golf Digest]] }}</ref>


In 1998, shortly before his death, the Sarazen Student Union was named in his honor. He also established an endowed scholarship fund at the college, The Gene and Mary Sarazen Scholarship, which is awarded annually to students reflecting the high personal, athletic, and intellectual ideals of Dr. Sarazen. For many years, kitted in his signature [[Plus fours|plus-fours]], he hit the first ball in an annual golf tournament, held to raise funds for the scholarship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lw.siena.edu/campaign/SarazenNamingOpps.asp |title=Sarazen Student Union Naming Opportunities |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704173557/http://lw.siena.edu/campaign/SarazenNamingOpps.asp |archive-date=July 4, 2007}}</ref>
==PGA Tour wins (39)==

*1922 (3) Southern (Spring) Open, '''[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]''', '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
==Personal life==
Sarazen died at age 97 in 1999 of complications from [[pneumonia]] in [[Naples, Florida]]. His wife Mary died 13 years earlier in 1986 with both interred at Marco Island Cemetery in [[Marco, Florida|Marco]].<ref name="NaplesNews19990515">{{cite news |url=http://www.naplesnews.com/news/1999/may/15/golf-ken-venturi-remembers-gene-sarazen-dear-frien/?print=1 |title=Golf: Ken Venturi remembers Gene Sarazen as 'dear friend' |last=Hardwig |first=Greg |date=May 15, 1999 |newspaper=[[Naples Daily News]] |access-date=February 26, 2014}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
* In 1932, he was the [[Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year]]
* In 1962, he was inducted into the [[Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tampa Bay Times 05 Aug 1962, page 22 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/316311231/ |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>
* In 1974, he was inducted into the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]]
* In 1978, he received an honorary degree from [[Siena College]]
* In 1996, he earned the PGA Tour's first [[PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award|Lifetime Achievement Award]]
* In 2000, he was ranked as the 11th greatest golfer of all time by ''[[Golf Digest]]'' magazine<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Yocom |first=Guy |date=July 2000 |title=50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us |magazine=[[Golf Digest]]}}</ref>
* In 2018, T. J. Auclair ranked Sarazen as the ninth greatest golfer of all time<ref>{{cite web |last=Auclair |first=T.J. |date=March 5, 2018 |title=15 Greatest golfers of all time |url=https://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/10-greatest-golfers-all-time |publisher=PGA of America}}</ref>

==Professional wins (48)==
[[File:Gene Sarazen.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|Sarazen with the PGA Championship trophy in 1939]]

===PGA Tour wins (38)===
*1922 (3) [[Southern (Spring) Open]], '''[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]''', '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
*1923 (1) '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
*1923 (1) '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
*1925 (1) [[Metropolitan Open]]
*1925 (1) [[Metropolitan Open]]
*1926 (1) [[Miami Open]]
*1926 (1) [[Miami Open (golf)|Miami Open]]
*1927 (3) Long Island Open, Miami Open, Metropolitan PGA
*1927 (3) [[Long Island Open]], [[Miami Beach Open]], [[Metropolitan PGA]]
*1928 (4) Miami Beach Open, [[Miami Open]], [[Nassau Bahamas Open]], Metropolitan PGA
*1928 (4) [[Miami Beach Open]], [[Miami Open (golf)|Miami Open]], [[Nassau Bahamas Open]], [[Metropolitan PGA]]
*1929 (2) [[Miami Open]], Miami Beach Open
*1929 (2) [[Miami Open (golf)|Miami Open]], [[Miami Beach Open]]
*1930 (8) [[Miami Open]], Agua Caliente Open, Florida West Coast Open, Concord Country Club Open, United States Pro Invitational, [[Western Open]], Lannin Memorial Tournament, Middle Atlantic Open
*1930 (8) [[Miami Open (golf)|Miami Open]], [[Agua Caliente Open]], Florida West Coast Open, Concord Country Club Open, United States Pro Invitational, [[Western Open]], Lannin Memorial Tournament, Middle Atlantic Open
*1931 (3) Florida West Coast Open, La Gorce Open, Lannin Memorial Tournament
*1931 (3) Florida West Coast Open, [[La Gorce Open]], Lannin Memorial Tournament
*1932 (4) True Temper Open, [[Coral Gables Open]], '''[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]''', '''[[The Open Championship|British Open]]'''
*1932 (4) True Temper Open, [[Coral Gables Open]], '''[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]''', '''[[The Open Championship]]'''
*1933 (1) '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
*1933 (1) '''[[PGA Championship]]'''
*1935 (3) '''[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]''', [[Massachusetts Open]], Long Island Open
*1935 (3) '''[[Masters Tournament]]''', [[Massachusetts Open]], [[Long Island Open]]
*1937 (2) Florida West Coast Open, Chicago Open
*1937 (2) Florida West Coast Open, [[Chicago Open]]
*1938 (1) Lake Placid Open
*1938 (1) Lake Placid Open
*1941 (1) [[Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball]] (with [[Ben Hogan]])
*1941 (1) [[Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball]] (with [[Ben Hogan]])

(''missing one win'')


[[Men's major golf championships|Major championships]] are shown in '''bold'''.
[[Men's major golf championships|Major championships]] are shown in '''bold'''.


Source:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barkow |first=Al |author-link=Al Barkow |title=The History of the PGA TOUR |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |year=1989 |isbn=0-385-26145-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/266 266] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/266 }}</ref>
Source: {{Harv |Barkow|1989|pp=266}}


==Other wins==
===Other wins (7)===
''this list may be incomplete''
''this list may be incomplete''
*1923 [[Daily Dispatch Northern Professional Championship]]
*1928 [[Miami International Four-Ball]] (with [[Johnny Farrell]])
*1928 [[Miami International Four-Ball]] (with [[Johnny Farrell]])
*1936 [[Australian Open (golf)|Australian Open]]
*1939 [[Metropolitan PGA]]
*1945 Shoreline Open<!-- Mill River Country Club, Stratford, CT -->
*1948 Shoreline Open
*1966 [[Northeast New York PGA Championship]]


==Senior wins==
===Senior wins (3)===
*1954 [[PGA Seniors' Championship]]
*1954 [[PGA Seniors' Championship]], [[World Senior Championship]]
*1958 [[PGA Seniors' Championship]]
*1958 [[PGA Seniors' Championship]]


Line 111: Line 132:
===Wins (7)===
===Wins (7)===
{|class="sortable wikitable"
{|class="sortable wikitable"
!Year!!Championship!!54 Holes!!Winning Score!!Margin!!Runner(s)-up
!Year!!Championship!!54 holes!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner(s)-up
|-bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
|-style="background:#FBCEB1;"
| 1922 ||[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] ||4 shot deficit ||+8 (72-73-75-68=288) ||1 stroke ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]]
| [[1922 U.S. Open (golf)|1922]] || [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] || 4 shot deficit || +8 (72-73-75-68=288) || 1 stroke || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]]
|-bgcolor="#D8BFD8"
|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"
| 1922 ||[[PGA Championship]] ||n/a ||4 & 3 ||n/a ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Emmet French]]
| [[1922 PGA Championship|1922]] || [[PGA Championship]] || n/a || colspan=2 align=center|4 & 3 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Emmet French]]
|-bgcolor="#D8BFD8"
|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"
| 1923 ||[[PGA Championship]] <small> (2)||n/a ||38 holes ||n/a ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Walter Hagen]]
| [[1923 PGA Championship|1923]] || [[PGA Championship]] <small>(2)</small>|| n/a || colspan=2 align=center|38 holes || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Walter Hagen]]
|-bgcolor="#FBCEB1"
|-style="background:#FBCEB1;"
| 1932 ||[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] <small> (2) ||1 shot deficit ||+6 (74-76-70-66=286) ||3 strokes ||{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Bobby Cruickshank]], {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Phil Perkins]]
| [[1932 U.S. Open (golf)|1932]] || [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] <small>(2)</small> || 1 shot deficit || +6 (74-76-70-66=286) || 3 strokes || {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Bobby Cruickshank]], {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Philip Perkins]]
|-bgcolor="#ABCDEF"
|-style="background:#ABCDEF;"
| 1932 ||[[The Open Championship]] ||4 shot lead ||(70-69-70-74=283) ||5 strokes ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Macdonald Smith]]
| [[1932 Open Championship|1932]] || [[The Open Championship]] || 4 shot lead || −5 (70-69-70-74=283) || 5 strokes || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Macdonald Smith]]
|-bgcolor="#D8BFD8"
|-style="background:#D8BFD8;"
| 1933 ||[[PGA Championship]] <small> (3)||n/a||5 & 4 ||n/a ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Willie Goggin]]
| [[1933 PGA Championship|1933]] || [[PGA Championship]] <small>(3)</small>|| n/a|| colspan=2 align=center|5 & 4 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Willie Goggin]]
|-bgcolor="#D0F0C0"
|-style="background:#D0F0C0;"
| 1935 ||[[The Masters]] ||3 shot deficit ||-6 (68-71-73-70=282) ||Playoff <sup>1</sup> ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Craig Wood (golfer)|Craig Wood]]
| [[1935 Masters Tournament|1935]] || [[Masters Tournament]] || 3 shot deficit || −6 (68-71-73-70=282) ||Playoff <sup>1</sup> || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Craig Wood (golfer)|Craig Wood]]
|}
|}
''Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958'' <br>
''Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958'' <br>
<sup>1</sup> Defeated Craig Wood in 36-hole playoff - Sarazen (144), Wood (149)
<sup>1</sup> Defeated Craig Wood in a 36-hole playoff - Sarazen 144 (Even), Wood 149 (+5)


===Results timeline===
===Results timeline===
{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1920
!1920
!1921
!1921
Line 145: Line 165:
!1929
!1929
|-
|-
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|T30
|align="center"|NYF
|17
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center"|NYF
|T16
|align="center"|NYF
|T17
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:yellow;"|T5
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:yellow;"|3
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:yellow;"|T6
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|align="center"|NYF
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|T30
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|17
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|T16
|T41
|align="center"|T17
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T5
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|3
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T6
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:yellow;"|T8
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center"|T41
|R32
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|2
|style="background:yellow;"|SF
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T8
|style="background:yellow;"|QF
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center"|R32
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|}
|}


{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1930
!1930
!1931
!1931
Line 208: Line 215:
!1939
!1939
|-
|-
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]]
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF
|align="center"|NYF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|3
|style="background:yellow;"|3
|align="center"|T24
|T24
|align="center"|T13
|T13
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|5
|style="background:yellow;"|5
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align="center"|T28
|T28
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T4
|style="background:yellow;"|T4
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center"|T26
|T26
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|2
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T6
|style="background:yellow;"|T6
|align="center"|T28
|T28
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T10
|style="background:yellow;"|T10
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|10
|style="background:yellow;"|10
|align="center"|T47
|T47
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T3
|style="background:yellow;"|T3
|align="center"|T21
|T21
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T5
|style="background:yellow;"|T5
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|F
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|style="background:yellow;"|SF
|DNQ <!-- opted to participate in sectional qualifying, but did not advance http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1932/08/30/page/17/article/golf-pros-open-title-tourney-in-st-paul-today -->
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|'''1'''
|style="background:lime;"|'''1'''
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|R16
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center"|R32
|R32
|align="center"|R64
|R64
|align="center"|R32
|R32
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center"|R64
|R64
|}
|}


{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1940
!1940
!1941
!1941
Line 271: Line 277:
!1949
!1949
|-
|-
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]]
|align="center"|T21
|T21
|align="center"|T19
|T19
|T28
|align="center"|T29
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T26
|T26
|align="center"|T23
|T23
|align="center"|T39
|T39
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|2
|style="background:yellow;"|2
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T7
|style="background:yellow;"|T7
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|T39
|T39
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|style="background:yellow;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|style="background:yellow;"|SF
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|R64
|R64
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|R16
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|R16
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|align="center"|R32
|R32
|}
|}


{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1950
!1950
!1951
!1951
Line 334: Line 339:
!1959
!1959
|-
|-
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]]
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|T10
|style="background:yellow;"|T10
|align="center"|T12
|T12
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|T38
|align="center"|T36
|align="center"|T53
|T53
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|align="center"|T49
|T49
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align="center"|T38
|T38
|align="center"|T35
|T35
|align="center"|T33
|T33
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T17
|T17
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T17
|T17
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|T16
|T16
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|R64
|R64
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|R64
|R64
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|QF
|style="background:yellow;"|R16
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|WD
|align="center"|CUT
|}
|}


{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1960
!1960
!1961
!1961
Line 397: Line 401:
!1969
!1969
|-
|-
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]]
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|49
|align="center"|49
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|}
|}


{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
!Tournament
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
!align="left"|Tournament
!1970
!1970
!1971
!1971
Line 457: Line 460:
!1976
!1976
|-
|-
|[[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]]
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]]
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|-
|-
|[[The Open Championship]]
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]]
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|-
|-
|[[PGA Championship]]
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]]
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|align="center"|CUT
|CUT
|WD
|align="center"|WD
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|align="center"|DNP
|}
|}
{{legend|lime|Win}}

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}
NYF = Tournament not yet founded<br>
{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}
NT = No tournament<br>
DNP = Did not play<br>
NYF = tournament not yet founded<br>
WD = Withdrew<br>
NT = no tournament<br>
WD = withdrew<br>
DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion<br>
CUT = missed the half-way cut<br>
CUT = missed the half-way cut<br>
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF, F = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play<br>
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play<br>
"T" indicates a tie for a place<br>
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
===Summary===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made
|-
|align=left|[[Masters Tournament]] || 1 || 0 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 10 || 34 || 17
|-
|align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] || 2 || 2 || 3 || 9 || 14 || 17 || 33 || 26
|-
|align=left|[[The Open Championship]] || 1 || 1 || 2 || 5 || 6 || 10 || 17 || 11
|-
|align=left|[[PGA Championship]] || 3 || 1 || 3 || 12 || 18 || 22 || 31 || 27
|-
!Totals !! 7 !! 4 !! 9 !! 29 !! 42 !! 59 !! 115 !! 81
|}
*Most consecutive cuts made – 44 (1920 U.S. Open – 1937 U.S. Open)
*Longest streak of top-10s – 7 (1927 PGA – 1929 PGA)


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Grand Slam (golf)#Career Grand Slam|Career Grand Slam Champions]]
*[[Golfers with most PGA Tour wins]]
*[[Golfers with most major championship wins]]
*[[List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins]]
*[[List of men's major championships winning golfers]]
*[[Most PGA Tour wins in a year]]
*[[Most PGA Tour wins in a year]]
*[[Sarazen World Open]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>
{{citation |last=Barkow |first=Al |title=The History of the PGA TOUR |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |year=1989 |isbn=0-385-26145-4 }}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Gene Sarazen}}
*[http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1102 World Golf Hall of Fame profile]
*{{World Golf Hall of Fame|gene-sarazen}}
*[http://www.golflegends.org/gene-sarazen.php Gene Sarazen] Profile at Golf Legends
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060516124658/http://www.golflegends.org/gene-sarazen.php Gene Sarazen] Profile at Golf Legends
*[http://www.hickorygolfers.com/dublincore/dckeyword.php?dc_searchstring=sarazen Electronic Resources on Gene Sarazen from SoHG Archives]
*[http://www.hickorygolfers.com/swings/index.php Gene Sarazen swing sequences from SoHG Master Classes]
*[http://www.hickorygolfers.com/dublincore/dckeyword.php?dc_searchstring=sarazen Electronic Resources on Gene Sarazen from SoHG Archives]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5758965 Gene Sarazen Memorial] at [[Find A Grave]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070816005603/http://www.hickorygolfers.com/swings/index.php Gene Sarazen swing sequences from SoHG Master Classes]
*{{Find a Grave|5758965}}

{{start box}}
{{succession box | before = [[Pepper Martin]] | title = [[Associated Press Athlete of the Year|Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year]] | years = 1932 | after = [[Carl Hubbell]]}}
{{end box}}


{{navboxes|title=Gene Sarazen in the [[Men's major golf championships|major championships]]
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{{navboxes|title=Gene Sarazen in the [[Ryder Cup]]

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[[Category:American golfers]]
[[Category:Gene Sarazen| ]]
[[Category:American male golfers]]
[[Category:PGA Tour golfers]]
[[Category:PGA Tour golfers]]
[[Category:Ryder Cup competitors for the United States]]
[[Category:Winners of men's major golf championships]]
[[Category:Winners of men's major golf championships]]
[[Category:Members of the World Golf Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Men's Career Grand Slam champion golfers]]
[[Category:Sicilian-Americans]]
[[Category:World Golf Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:American golf commentators]]
[[Category:Golfers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:People from Harrison, New York]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Westchester County, New York]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Westchester County, New York]]
[[Category:Professional golfers who have hit an albatross]]
[[Category:Golf writers and broadcasters]]

[[de:Gene Sarazen]]
[[es:Gene Sarazen]]
[[fr:Gene Sarazen]]
[[it:Gene Sarazen]]
[[ja:ジーン・サラゼン]]
[[no:Gene Sarazen]]
[[fi:Gene Sarazen]]
[[sv:Gene Sarazen]]

Latest revision as of 21:38, 27 November 2024

Gene Sarazen
Sarazen in 1922
Personal information
Full nameEugenio Saraceni
NicknameThe Squire
Born(1902-02-27)February 27, 1902
Harrison, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 13, 1999(1999-05-13) (aged 97)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
Height5 ft 5+1⁄2 in (166 cm)
Weight162 lb (73 kg; 11.6 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceBrookfield, Connecticut, U.S.
SpouseMary Sarazen
(m. 1924–86, her death)
Children2
Career
Turned professional1920
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins48
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour38
Other10
Best results in major championships
(wins: 7)
Masters TournamentWon: 1935
PGA ChampionshipWon: 1922, 1923, 1933
U.S. OpenWon: 1922, 1932
The Open ChampionshipWon: 1932
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame1974 (member page)
PGA Tour Lifetime
Achievement Award		1996
Bob Jones Award1992
Associated Press
Male Athlete of the Year		1932

Gene Sarazen (/ˈsɑːrəzɛn/;[1] born Eugenio Saraceni,[2] February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of five players (along with Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods) to win each of the four majors at least once, now known as the Career Grand Slam: U.S. Open (1922, 1932), PGA Championship (1922, 1923, 1933), The Open Championship (1932),[3] and Masters Tournament (1935).

Early life

[edit]

Eugenio Saraceni was born on February 27, 1902, in Harrison, New York.[4] He was an Italian American as his parents were poor Sicilian immigrants.[5] He began caddying at age ten at local golf clubs, took up golf himself, and gradually developed his skills; Sarazen was essentially self-taught. Somewhat novel at the time, he used the interlocking grip to hold the club.

Amateur career

[edit]

Sarazen has a plaque in his honor placed 195 yards out from the 15th green at Hororata Golf Club where he famously made a double eagle in the final round of sectional qualifiers. He earned his spot in his first United States Open in 1920 at age 18. Some say it was his greatest achievement as an amateur.

Professional career

[edit]

Sarazen took a series of club professional jobs in the New York area from his mid-teens. In 1921, he became a professional at Titusville (Pa.) Country Club, and he contracted to be the professional at Highland Country Club near Pittsburgh in 1922. Sarazen arrived in April, stocked the golf shop and gave a few lessons, but spent most of his time at Oakmont Country Club practicing with Emil Loeffler. At some point, the pair visited Skokie Country Club to practice on the course that would hold the U.S. Open; in July, he came from four shots behind to win the tournament.[6] He returned to Pittsburgh and was feted at the William Penn Hotel, where he burst from a paper mâché golf ball.[7] He did not return to Highland CC, broke his contract and became a "touring" golf professional. Later that summer, he won the PGA Championship at Oakmont.

Sarazen was a contemporary and rival of amateur Bobby Jones, who was born in the same year; he also had many battles with Walter Hagen, who was nine years older. Sarazen, Jones, and Hagen were the world's dominant players during the 1920s. Rivalries among the three great champions significantly expanded interest in golf around the world during this period, and made the United States the world's dominant golf power for the first time, taking over this position from Great Britain.

The winner of 38 PGA tour events. He played on six U.S. Ryder Cup teams: 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, and 1937.

Invents modern sand wedge

[edit]

Sarazen claimed to have invented the modern sand wedge,[8] and debuted the club (while keeping it secret during preliminary practice rounds) at The Open Championship at Prince's Golf Club in 1932 (which he won). He called it the sand iron. The original club he used is no longer on display at Prince's as it is worth too much for the insurers to cover. However, a similar club was patented in 1928 by Edwin Kerr McClain, and it is possible Sarazen saw this club.[9]

Sarazen had previously struggled with his sand play and there had been earlier sand-specific clubs. But Bobby Jones's sand club, for example, had a concave face, which actually contacted the ball twice during a swing; this design was later banned. Sarazen's innovation was to weld solder onto the lower back of the club, building up the flange so that it sat lower than the leading edge when soled. The flange, not the leading edge, would contact the sand first, and explode sand as the shot was played. The additional weight provided punch to power through the thick sand. Sarazen's newly developed technique with the new club was to contact the sand a couple of inches behind the ball, not actually contacting the ball at all on most sand shots.

Every top-class golfer since has utilized this wedge design and technique, and the same club design and method are also used by amateur players around the world. The sand wedge also began to be used by top players for shots from grass, shortly after Sarazen introduced it, and this led to a revolution in short-game techniques, along with lower scoring by players who mastered the skills.

Masters Tournament win

[edit]

Sarazen hit "the shot heard 'round the world" at Augusta National Golf Club on the fifteenth hole in the final round of the Masters Tournament in 1935. He struck a spoon (the loft of the modern four wood) 232 yards (212 m) into the hole, scoring a double eagle. At the time he was trailing Craig Wood by three shots, and was then tied with him. He parred the 16th, 17th and 18th holes to preserve the tie. The following day, the pair played a 36-hole playoff, with Sarazen winning by five shots.

The Sarazen Bridge, approaching the left side of the 15th green, was named in 1955 to commemorate the double eagle's twentieth anniversary,[10][11] which included a contest to duplicate, with the closest just over 4 feet (1.2 m) away.[12] It remains one of the most famous golf shots in golf history.

Later years, legacy

[edit]

In spite of his height of 5 ft 5+1⁄2 in (1.66 m),[13] Sarazen was one of the longest hitters of his era. He played several lengthy exhibition tours around the world, promoting his skills and the sport of golf, and earned a very good living from golf. One of his American tours in 1940 was sponsored by Golf Magazine and he played a match every day for 60 days.[14] As a multiple past champion, he was eligible to continue competing after his best years were past, and occasionally did so in the top events, well into the 1960s, and occasionally into the 1970s. Throughout his life, Sarazen competed wearing knickers or plus-fours, which were the fashion when he broke into the top level.

For many years after his retirement, Sarazen was a familiar figure as an honorary starter at the Masters. From 1981 to 1999, he joined Byron Nelson and Sam Snead in hitting a ceremonial tee shot before each Masters tournament. He also popularized the sport with his role as a commentator on the Wonderful World of Golf television show, and was an early TV broadcaster at important events.

At age 71, Sarazen made a hole-in-one at The Open Championship in 1973, at the "Postage Stamp" at Troon in Scotland. In 1992, he was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf. Sarazen had what is still the longest-running endorsement contract in professional sports – with Wilson Sporting Goods from 1923 until his death, a total of 75 years.[15]

In 1998, shortly before his death, the Sarazen Student Union was named in his honor. He also established an endowed scholarship fund at the college, The Gene and Mary Sarazen Scholarship, which is awarded annually to students reflecting the high personal, athletic, and intellectual ideals of Dr. Sarazen. For many years, kitted in his signature plus-fours, he hit the first ball in an annual golf tournament, held to raise funds for the scholarship.[16]

Personal life

[edit]

Sarazen died at age 97 in 1999 of complications from pneumonia in Naples, Florida. His wife Mary died 13 years earlier in 1986 with both interred at Marco Island Cemetery in Marco.[17]

Honors and awards

[edit]

Professional wins (48)

[edit]
Sarazen with the PGA Championship trophy in 1939

PGA Tour wins (38)

[edit]

Major championships are shown in bold.

Source:[21]

Other wins (7)

[edit]

this list may be incomplete

Senior wins (3)

[edit]

Major championships

[edit]

Wins (7)

[edit]
Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner(s)-up
1922 U.S. Open 4 shot deficit +8 (72-73-75-68=288) 1 stroke United States Bobby Jones
1922 PGA Championship n/a 4 & 3 United States Emmet French
1923 PGA Championship (2) n/a 38 holes United States Walter Hagen
1932 U.S. Open (2) 1 shot deficit +6 (74-76-70-66=286) 3 strokes Scotland Bobby Cruickshank, England Philip Perkins
1932 The Open Championship 4 shot lead −5 (70-69-70-74=283) 5 strokes United States Macdonald Smith
1933 PGA Championship (3) n/a 5 & 4 United States Willie Goggin
1935 Masters Tournament 3 shot deficit −6 (68-71-73-70=282) Playoff 1 United States Craig Wood

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958
1 Defeated Craig Wood in a 36-hole playoff - Sarazen 144 (Even), Wood 149 (+5)

Results timeline

[edit]
Tournament 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
U.S. Open T30 17 1 T16 T17 T5 T3 3 T6 T3
The Open Championship T41 2 T8
PGA Championship QF 1 1 R16 R32 R16 QF SF QF
Tournament 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Masters Tournament NYF NYF NYF NYF 1 3 T24 T13 5
U.S. Open T28 T4 1 T26 2 T6 T28 T10 10 T47
The Open Championship T3 1 T3 T21 T5 CUT
PGA Championship 2 SF DNQ 1 R16 R32 R64 R32 QF R64
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Masters Tournament T21 T19 T28 NT NT NT T26 T23 T39
U.S. Open 2 T7 NT NT NT NT CUT T39 CUT CUT
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT
PGA Championship QF SF NT R64 R16 R16 R32
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament T10 T12 WD T38 T53 WD T49 CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open T38 T35 T33 CUT WD CUT CUT
The Open Championship T17 T17 WD T16
PGA Championship R64 R64 R16 CUT WD
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Masters Tournament CUT CUT WD 49 WD CUT CUT WD CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship WD
PGA Championship
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUT CUT WD
PGA Championship CUT WD
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion
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

[edit]
Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 1 0 1 3 4 10 34 17
U.S. Open 2 2 3 9 14 17 33 26
The Open Championship 1 1 2 5 6 10 17 11
PGA Championship 3 1 3 12 18 22 31 27
Totals 7 4 9 29 42 59 115 81
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 44 (1920 U.S. Open – 1937 U.S. Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 7 (1927 PGA – 1929 PGA)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Asked how to say his name, he told the Literary Digest "Veteran Gene Sarazen/ Aims to play par again". (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)
  2. ^ Bleile, Gene (July 25, 2019). "Mr. (Sand Wedge) Eugenio Saraceni". Cape Gazette.
  3. ^ "1932 Gene Sarazen". The Open. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  4. ^ Dorman, Larry (May 14, 1999). "Gene Sarazen, 97, golf champion, dies". New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
  5. ^ Starn, Orin (2006). "Caddying for the Dalai Lama: Golf, Heritage Tourism, and the Pinehurst Resort" (PDF). South Atlantic Quarterly. 105 (2): 452. doi:10.1215/00382876-105-2-447.
  6. ^ Somers, Robert (1987) The U.S. Open Golf's Ultimate Challenge. Atheneum. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0689115253.
  7. ^ Sarazen, Gene (1950) Thirty Years of Championship Golf. pp. 80–81, 87
  8. ^ Barkow, Al (1986). Gettin' to the Dance Floor. Atheneum. ISBN 978-0689115172.
  9. ^ Davies' Dictionary of Golfing Terms, 1980, p. 147
  10. ^ "Special day for golfdom's Squire". Chicago Daily Tribune. United Press photo. April 7, 1955. p. 1, sec. 6.
  11. ^ "The Sarazen Bridge". masters.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Haas closest to Sarazen's double eagle". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 7, 1955. p. 18.
  13. ^ Elliott, Len; Kelly, Barbara (1976). Who's Who in Golf. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House. p. 168. ISBN 0-87000-225-2.
  14. ^ "Oliver, Sarazen to Play at Rye". The Daily Argus. Mount Vernon. August 20, 1940. p. 10.
  15. ^ Sarazen, Mary Ann (November 29, 2014). "Dad didn't invent the sand wedge, but he modernized it". Golf Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  16. ^ "Sarazen Student Union Naming Opportunities". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007.
  17. ^ Hardwig, Greg (May 15, 1999). "Golf: Ken Venturi remembers Gene Sarazen as 'dear friend'". Naples Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  18. ^ "Tampa Bay Times 05 Aug 1962, page 22". Newspapers.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  19. ^ Yocom, Guy (July 2000). "50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us". Golf Digest.
  20. ^ Auclair, T.J. (March 5, 2018). "15 Greatest golfers of all time". PGA of America.
  21. ^ Barkow, Al (1989). The History of the PGA TOUR. Doubleday. p. 266. ISBN 0-385-26145-4.
[edit]
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