“DID YOU KNOW”
- John J. “Johnny” “Jack” McDermott attempted a comeback in 1924! (4/14/2021)
- Leo Fraser held a senior open at his Atlantic City CC 23 years before the USGA’s first one! (3/25/2021)
- At one time, big name golf professionals like Byron Nelson played in local tournaments! (3/11/2021)
- Instead of defending his Philadelphia PGA title, Gene Kunes won the 1936 Canadian Open! (2/27/2021)
- Golf’s leading touring professionals played in the Wood Memorial at Jeffersonville GC! (2/6/2021)
- A young Ben Hogan finished second to Byron Nelson on and off the golf course! (1/27/2021)
- A former Merion Golf Club locker room employee was runner-up in a major golf championship! (12/4/2020)
- Whitemarsh Valley CC hosted a substitute for the 1917 US Open, for charity only! (11/19/2020)
- With a unique plan, Torresdale-Frankford CC held a PGA Tour tournament! (10/17/2020)
- In 1930 the Philadelphia Cricket Club hosted a championship for senior PGA pros! (8/21/2020)
- There was threat of a players strike at the 1939 PGA Championship! (8/2/2020)
- The final 4 spots on the 1931 Ryder Cup Team were decided by a 72-hole playoff! (7/25/2020)
- The 1959 Ryder Cup was awarded to Atlantic City CC, but it was moved to California! (7/18/2020)
- Due to minority golfer issues, the PGA Championship was and was not at Aronimink GC! (7/12/2020)
- Aronimink GC’s pro in 1899 was the USA’s first African American golf professional! (7/3/2020)
- A Philadelphia PGA pro was the only person to play in a World Series and a Masters! (6/20/2020)
- 82 holes were needed to determine a winner at the two-day 1936 Wildwood Open! (6/15/2020)
- The PGA selected two wartime Ryder Cup teams! (6/8/2020)
- A Philadelphia PGA professional would have been host to the cancelled 1939 Ryder Cup! (5/30/2020)
- A little-known Philadelphia professional, helped stop Byron Nelson’s 1945 winning streak! (5/22/2020)
- The world’s greatest trick shot artist was a great golfer! (5/10/2020)
- More than 200 players teed off in the first round of the 1946 Orlando Open! (5/1/2020)
- Three Philadelphia PGA members who were not eligible played in the 1931 PGA! (4/20/2020)
- When the PGA was founded in 1916 there were only seven PGA Sections for the entire USA! (4/16/2020)
- A Philadelphia PGA pro won the 1952 Tucson Open and wasn’t invited to the Masters! (4/9/2020)
- Gene Sarazen left Miami on an exhibition tour two days before the first Masters Tournament! (4/5/2020)
- Philadelphia hosted a long drive contest 3 days after Bobby Jones completed his Grand Slam! (3/30/2020)
- The Philadelphia PGA Championship was won twice by someone not a member of the Section. (3/23/2020)
- Charlie Sifford was not the best black golfer at Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek Golf Club! (3/17/2020)
- A Philadelphia golf club raised $3 million for WWII US War Bonds in one day! (3/10/2020)
- A man who would win 3 major golf titles was a patient at Valley Forge General Hospital! (2/27/2020)
- The Philadelphia PGA professionals taught the world’s greatest blind golfer how to play! (2/20/2020)
- Art Wall won the 1959 Crosby Pro-Am, while making only one par on the last nine! (2/4/2020)
- A Philadelphia golf pro called in the 1987 Craig Stadler rules infraction at San Diego! (1/21/2020)
- Al Besselink won the Tournament of Champions and donated half to charity! (12/30/2019)
- The Berks County PA golfers provided financial assistance for the 1953 US Ryder Cup Team! (12/7/2019)
- A Delaware Valley professional golfer was the military’s longest serving professional athlete! (12/1/2019)
- Jim Thomson’s honesty paid dividends! (11/14/2019)
- Ed Dudley saved golf during World War II! (11/5/2019)
- Before there was a PGA, there was an Eastern Professionals Golf Association! (10/9/2019)
- It took 55 holes of golf to decide the 1915 Pennsylvania Open! (8/26/2019)
- Leo Diegel played 90 holes in two days to win the 1924 Shawnee Open! (8/3/2019)
- A Philadelphia PGA founder won the first Irish Pro Championship at Royal Portrush GC! (7/15/2019)
- An amateur could have, maybe should have, won the 1939 US Open! (6/9/2019)
- A club professional was responsible for changing the PGA Championship to stroke play! (5/10/2019)
- Byron Nelson’s 1937 first place Master’s check was far from his largest that year! (4/5/2019)
- A golf Professional who left his mark on Eastern PA was the first president of the PGA! (1/30/2019)
- A Philadelphia golf professional was the father of the PGA Merchandise Show! (1/30/2019)
- A Philly man hit his first golf ball at age 23, won the US Am, and almost won the Masters! (1/30/2019)
- The graphite golf shaft was created in a golf ball factory at Plymouth Meeting, PA! (1/30/2019)
- Forty eight golf professionals came out of the East Falls Section of Philadelphia! (1/30/2019)
- Ben Hogan won his first PGA Tour event at the Hershey Country Club! (1/30/2019)
- Wanamaker’s was instrumental in starting the PGA of America! (1/30/2019)
- The 1921 Philadelphia Open dates Were changed because of President Warren G. Harding! (1/30/2019)
- A doctor of veterinary medicine changed the golf industry! (1/30/2019)
- Ed Dougherty delivered his own Vietnam draft notice and wound up on the PGA Tour! (1/30/2019)
- Ed “Porky” Oliver tied for first at the 1940 U.S. Open and was disqualified! (1/30/2019)
- The Philadelphia Electric Co.’s golf pro was struck by lightning qualifying for the US Open! (1/30/2019)
- Big money purses in 1915 could be a dilemma for the golf professionals! (1/30/2019)
- There was a black member of the PGA of America before Charlie Sifford! (1/30/2019)
- A Philadelphia PGA club pro may have been the victim of an Augusta National ruling! (1/30/2019)
- The PGA Tour pros played with 16 clubs during World War II! (1/30/2019)
- A Philadelphia golf pro motivated the USGA to keep the stymie rule for another 30 years! (1/30/2019)
- A Philadelphia golfer’s connection to the movie “Caddy Shack”! (1/30/2019)
- Once upon a time the USGA let the air out of the golf ball! (1/30/2019)
- The origin of the trophy for the first Philadelphia PGA Championship! (1/30/2019)
- Johnny McDermott gambled to double his prize! (1/30/2019)
- The state of PA erected a historical marker for 2-time US Open winner Johnny McDermott! (1/30/2019)
- It may not be possible to be over golfed! (1/30/2019)
- A match between American and British golf professionals was played in 1921! (1/30/2019)
- What happened to Byron Nelson’s tee shot on the 70th hole at the Hershey Open? (1/30/2019)
- The PGA built a practice green for President Eisenhower! (1/30/2019)
- Babe Didrikson played in the 1937 True Temper Open at Whitemarsh! (1/30/2019)
- Dick Sleichter might have defeated Dow Finsterwald except for his honesty! (1/30/2019)
- Philadelphia Section professionals dominated the Canadian Open! (1/30/2019)
