When I begin working on one of these Sunday columns for the Tribune-Star, there is usually some amount of research I do to get me started, usually through the Internet but I also use magazines or books.
For this weeks’ column I had a question in mind that I wanted to find an answer to, but I have drawn a blank. When did the Masters’ and The PGA Championship replace the U.S. Amateur and the British Amateur as golf’s majors? Seems like a perfectly viable question to me.
Sure, I can go to the History section of the PGA Championship web site and find out when the first PGA Championship was played (1916), but that’s not when it became a major. The Masters Tournament was first played in 1934, four years after Bobby Jones won what was then the grand slam of golf. So was 1934 the year when the major championships changed?
From what I can decipher from all the different histories I’ve read, it would be hard to pinpoint a year when the majors changed.
What we today consider the “modern” majors, might be a media invention, or maybe a PGA tour invention, as the popularity of events changed. Although four golfers are credited with having won the four current majors in their lifetimes: Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. Gene Sarazen capped his off in 1935 with his Masters win, so perhaps that is the beginning of the modern majors.
• What to know about the PGA Championship — The PGA Championship was the result of a meeting held on January 17, 1916, hosted by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, with Walter Hagen and 34 other golf professionals in attendance. Wanamaker said he would provide a trophy for the event and a purse of $2,580 for the match play event.
In 1958 the PGA Championship changed format to a stroke play event. In the 1920’s Walter Hagen won five PGA Championships. That record held until it was tied by Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear won his first PGA in 1963 and his fifth in 1980.
The PGA Championship is for professional golfers only, specifically, members of the PGA of America. This means club pros can play alongside PGA Tour players.
At one time the PGA Tour was a branch of the PGA. In order to play on tour, a pro had to get a PGA card, which meant he had to serve an apprenticeship working at a golf club. Then he needed letters of recommendation attesting to his playing ability. If he was approved by the PGA he could go on tour. He had to then make his way into events by going through Monday qualifying. That is how Lee Trevino made it onto the pro tour. He didn’t go through Q-school.
When the 1960s came and Arnold Palmer increased the popularity of golf, the tour pros tired of the club pros telling them what they could do. Club pros, for instance, could take up spots on tour events because they happened to sell a lot of sweaters that year. In 1968, the tour players revolted and formed the Tournament Players Division, giving them more control over schedules and entries. In 1975, they called themselves the PGA Tour and broke completely away from the PGA of America.
• More lore — Golf is full of interesting stories and lore, and one of my favorites happened during the PGA Championship in 1921 at Inwood Country Club.
In the first round, Walter Hagen played the 17th hole by hitting his drive down the fairway of the parallel 18th hole. Doing so, he had a more open shot for his second into the right-hand side of the green.
That evening, while golfers were gathered in the men’s grill talking about their rounds, several officials decided that a tree should be planted to thwart that strategy. So Jack Mackie, the golf professional, and Morton Wild, a landscaper, uprooted a 15-foot weeping willow tree that they found in the woods. They planted it strategically between the 17th tee and 18th fairway.
When Hagen arrived at the tee the next day he said, “I never saw such fast-growing trees in my life.” Within minutes of his remark, the wind caught the wires that were holding the willow tree in place, and the tree fell, opening up the eighteenth fairway for Hagen’s drive. He went on to win the championship that year.
• More golf — An interesting note about the PGA: the weather and elevation. Temperatures are expected to be very hot next week, which has an affect on ball flight and distance. Tulsa’s elevation is 700 feet, which combined with hot weather and humidity can cause shots to go similar distances to balls hit at 5,000 feet. … Congratulations to Cara Stuckey for winning her 8th Women’s City Championship! … The Terre Haute Women’s Golf Association’s Rally for the Cure/His & Her Golf Tournament will be at Hulman Links on Aug. 26 at noon. Registration and lunch begin at 11:00. Cost is $50 per player. Men will tee off from the green tees, ladies from the first cut. Sign up at Hulman Links, 812-877-2096. Hole sponsors are welcome.
• Quote of the Day — “It’s a compromise between what your ego wants you to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.” — Bruce Crampton, on tournament play.
Jennifer Myers is a golf columnist for the Tribune-Star.
Vigo County golf leagues
Rea Park First Financial Bank Ladies 9-hole — Standings: Shepard’s Gas 555, VFW No. 2 497, VFW No. 1 470, Elliotts Jewelers 469, Bratt Animal Hospital 448, Tabco 425. Low gross: Kay Gard, V. Talkington 49. Low net: Wanda Delauter 35. Play of the day: Gard, Anderson, Delauter. Chip-ins: Sawtelle (8), Miller (2), Pestoff (4). Birdies: Talkington (1), Delauter (3).
T.H. Elk’s Ladies 9-hole — Low gross: Mary Shake. Low net: Vivian Niemeyer. Low putts: Betty McKee, Mid Wills, Frances Curley. Play of day: Niemeyer. Chip-ins: Mary Silvers, Carol Hermann, Naomi Summerlot.
Paitson’s Roofing Eastside Ladies — Standings: Mowbray Consulting 542, Sandy’s Touch of Magic 514, Coach’s Corner 506, Daphne’s Beauty Shop 491, Baesler’s Market 487, Turner Coach 481, Advanced Chiropractic 422, Page’s Market 368. Low gross: Barb Kelley 38. Low net: Kelley 27. Play of the day: Sue Tipton. Chip-ins: Phyllis Pestoff (11). Birdies: Pestoff (11).
Mark’s Par Three Men’s Senior — Standings: Mattingly Collision (second half champions) 349, Midwest Gas 324, Tabco 307, Dew Drop Inn 306, Old National Trust 304, Vigo Bowl 298, Fuson Cadillac 289, Don Wills Cash Register 282. Low gross: Ray Boatman 36. Low net: Lloyd Boston 28. Closest to the pin: Frank Hettlinger (12). Longest drive: Boatman (18). Longest putt: Lee Higginbotham (17).
Rea Park Wednesday Ladies — Week 12 results: Cannon-Bocard 28, Honselman-Long 26, Padgett-Johnson 23, Anderson-Spurr 23, Hamilton-Hiatt 21, Durand-Petty 21, Horrall-Mozley 20, Meyer-Atterson 20, Lanke-Pair 20, Mann-Mahalek 19, Hyde-Rusk 18, Swalls-McAleese 18, Newton-Bedwell 17, McCord-Clements 16, Harden-Snow 16, Ugo-Whitaker 14. Low gross: Candy McCord 40. Low net: McCord 33. Chip-ins: Stacey Bocard (1), Sharon Hamilton (3), Mary Jean Petty (4).
Charlie’s Tuesday Night Men at Hulman Links — Low gross: Gregg Kluesner 36. Low net: Larry Tackett 33. Standings: Fleschner Law 446, Charlie’s No. 2 409, Charlie’s No. 1 355, Charlie’s No. 4 348, Charlie’s No. 3 275.
Rea Park Tuesday Ladies — Low gross: Linda Pair 82. Low net: Pair 64. Birdies: Carolyn Hyde (1), Myra Eble (1), Shelva Gaither (3), Shawn Durand (3), Beth Lowe (4, 13), Sharon Hamilton (7), Pair (8). Chip-ins: Verla Talkington (6), Pat Wardell (7), Virginia Anderson (8), Mary Jean Petty (12), Lowe (13), Sandy Stabler (17). Play of the day: Pair.
Idle Creek Wednesday Evening — Low net: Brad Burns 32. Longest putt: Sean Brinkman (1). Closest to pin: Ron Forster (9).
Idle Creek Home Builders — Low gross: Mark Tarrh 36. Low net: Steve Hutton 27. Longest putt: Tarrh (4). Closest to pin: Charlie Smith (3), Hutton (5).
Idle Creek Tuesday Ladies — Low gross: Sandy Sato 37. Low net: Susie Colligan 45. Longest putt: Katy Drummy (9). Closest to pin: Mary Cahill (3).
Terre Haute Savings Bank Senior Men — National Division standings: Complete Kitchen and Bath 103, Pizza Hut 95, Page’s Market 87, Fore Seasons Golf Complex 85, Terre Haute Savings Bank 83, SMC and Lough Bros. 79, Paitson Bros. 75. Low gross: Jim Gormong, Terry Liffick 39. Low net: Thomas Seibert, Robert Buckingham 32. American Division standings: Pabst Painting 101, Poplar Flower Shop and Spring Clean Car Wash 93, Gurman Container 87, VFW No. 972 86, Salt of the Earth 81, Callahan Funeral Home 77, Lee Appraisal Service 74. Low gross: Don Cuiksa 37. Low net: Cuiksa 32.
On & Off the Course
On and Off the Course: When did the Masters and PGA Championship become majors?
- On & Off the Course
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
• Gary R. Wright
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Donna Lynn Strahla Bown
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown passed away early Friday morning, Jan. 25, 2013, with her children by her side.
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‘The Match’ pitting amateurs vs. pros recalled 62 years later
Quote of the Day: “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” — Ben Hogan.
Bubba Watson has had a busy fall. Not only did he play all the way to the final round of the FedEx Championships, and in the Ryder Cup, he also played in an event commemorating a very famous match played at Cypress Point in 1956, pitting two of the greatest golf pros at the time against two of the best amateurs.
Come to think of it, all four were some of the best golfers of all time. This year’s event was celebrating The First Tee’s exceeding $100 million in pledges to reach 10 million new young people. It wasn’t televised and kept very quiet; only 225 people were in the gallery.
One of the people in the gallery was Mark Frost, the author of a book titled “The Match,” which is about that match played 62 years ago that was re-enacted in modern terms last week. The pros in 1956 were Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson and the amateurs were Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. It was supposed to have been a private affair, built around a wager by two millionaires, George Coleman and Eddie Lowery. -
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf from the wrong side of the brain
Imagine this scenario: a woman, small in stature (possibly freckled), walks into a hospital emergency room and says, “I have an emergency, I need a doctor quickly!” The admitting nurse, ever trying to be helpful, asks what the emergency is.
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Farmers looking at widely varying yields
Combines will roll through fields this weekend, bringing in the harvest from a summer with nearly no rain.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf debut in London would have been nice
As the Olympics get underway in London this weekend, I was thinking it’s too bad that the Olympic committee decided too late to add golf as one of the sports for this event; instead it will be added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Getting to Hoosier country’s best golfing venue part of the fun
If you are looking for Indiana’s premier golfing destination, then you should look no further than French Lick.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Indiana's Pete Dye courses worth the drive
You’ve probably heard of the Robert Trent Jones Golf trail throughout Alabama, but you might not be aware that Indiana has its own “Pete Dye Golf Trail” comprised of seven courses.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fathers typically a big influence on golfing sons
Some events fall naturally into place around holidays. The Fourth of July always falls somewhere during Wimbledon, giving all of the Yanks in attendance something to be boisterous about, to the chagrin of their hosts; The Masters often, but not always, ends on Easter Sunday, which is fitting since golfers find it such a reverent occasion.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Memorial just one of many visions of Jack Nicklaus
When Jack Nicklaus was a young man, the golfer he most admired was Bob Jones.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: With some tricky rules, golf is not a walk in the park
Golf is not a casual sport, even though it has a term called “casual water.”
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On and off the course: Sycamores seeded sixth heading into MVC golf tourney
It wasn’t too long ago that Indiana State University didn’t even have a women’s golf team.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: A hard ticket to come by
This is the weekend of the Masters Tournament, the first of the four major tournaments.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Some things on golf course are worse than steep putts
It’s not often that anything gets more scary on a golf course than a steep downhill putt, but on some courses around the world, things a little more on the supernatural side might give you a bigger fright!
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The shot heard round the world
I don’t know if the Golf Channel will show a “Best Shots of 2011” highlight reel, much like ESPN does for baseball or football.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Red, White and Blue visits the Isle of Green
In 2006, the Ryder Cup was held in Ireland at The K Club in County Kildare.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fall may be coming but golf season is far from over
Once the major tournaments are over with, what’s there to look forward to in the world of golf?
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf… simplified!
Golf is not a simple game. A golf course is made up of 18 holes, all different. There are par-3s, par-4s and par-5s; they all vary in length and elevation, and each has its own challenges. There can be water hazards, trees, sand bunkers, tall grass, hills, valleys — and then, if that’s not enough, there’s probably wind too.
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On and Off the Course: Northern Ireland builds on golf history
Northern Ireland is only about 5,452 square miles in area and has a population about the same as West Virginia, which is about 1,880,344.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Women’s Open at the Broadmoor
This is the weekend of the U.S. Women’s Open, and this year it’s being played at The Broadmoor, East Course, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Fort Golf Course: A Walk in the Park…
Indiana has some pretty spectacular state parks, but one of them gives you the ability to “spoil a good walk” by chasing a little white ball.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Father’s Day is a good day for golfers
Most people consider the time around Christmas to be the gift-buying season.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Playing with lead a difficult task
As exciting as last week’s Masters was, with six players being tied for the lead at one point on Sunday, it was very difficult watching Rory McIlroy fall apart to shoot an 80.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Masters a rite of spring
This is Masters weekend, the grand kickoff to the golf season for a lot of golfers. Sure, there have been tournaments on TV, because the professionals have been playing in Hawaii, California, Texas, Dubai, and other areas not so affected by winter as we are here in the Midwest, but to me, watching The Masters is a rite of spring.
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ON THE OFF THE COURSE: Some history on the Ryder Cup
I fell asleep in way too many history classes to ever qualify as a history buff. However, since I have grown up a bit (not much), I enjoy learning about all kinds of history. I often have questions about how something began, or how something came to be.
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On and Off the Course: Purdue's Kampen Course a gem in Indiana's rough
About a month ago, Indiana was still heavily mired in heat and humidity, making outdoor activities such as golf less appealing than usual. At that time it felt like the repressive heat would never go away, it would never rain again, and all of the grass was just going to continue to wither and die. And the month prior to that we kept getting rained out of golf events!
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On and Off the Course: Successful golfers know ... focus is the key
I have a good friend who coached his daughter’s basketball team for a number of years, and told me that his theme with the girls was always “focus”, until it was ingrained in their brains. Now when they play high school ball, if they hear “focus” yelled from the stands, they know the source.
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On and Off the Course: Technology adds even more fun to the course
You’ve hit a drive into some brush in an area marked as a hazard, but you can’t find the ball to prove it is there. And no one actually witnessed it go in the hazard. You just think that’s where it probably is. What is the rule for this situation?
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On and Off the Course: Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic a worthwhile charity event
On Monday, I worked as a volunteer for the Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic, Golf Tournament and Auction at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Indianapolis. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with clear blue skies, just a few wispy clouds here and there and a high temperature of about 76 degrees.
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On and Off the Course: Trends show golf in decline
You don’t have to watch the news or read the paper to understand that America is struggling on the economic front. The evidence can be witnessed at the local golf course.
- More On & Off the Course Headlines
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Today in History May 24
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Britain Braces for Possible Copycat Attacks
Today in History May 25
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
President Obama Heckled at National Security Speech
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
More lewd photos may soon come out: Weiner
