Walter Hagen
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A biography of Walter Hagen. |
Walter Charles Hagen (
December 21,
1892 –
October 6,
1969) was a major figure in
golf in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in
Rochester, New York. His tally of eleven
majors is 3rd equal with
Tiger Woods behind
Jack Nicklaus's eighteen and Bobby Jones's 13. He won the
U.S. Open twice and in 1922 he became the first American to win the
British Open, which he went on to win four times in total. He also won the
PGA Championship five times (1921, 24-27), the
Western Open five times, totalled forty PGA wins in his career, and was a six time
Ryder Cup captain.
Hagen was also very skilled at baseball. He cancelled a tryout for the
Philadelphia Phillies in order to play in a golf tournament. Later that week, Hagen was the U.S. Open Champion, and his career was changed forever.
Hagen was a key figure in the development of professional golf. He emerged in an era when the division between amateurs and professionals was often stark, with the amateurs having the upper hand in some sports, golf among them. This was especially true in the
United Kingdom, which was the leading country in competitive golf when Hagen began his career. Golf professionals were often not allowed to partake of the facilities of the clubhouse and were sometimes not allowed to enter the clubhouse by the front door. On one occasion he hired a Rolls Royce to serve as his dressing room because he was refused entrance to the clubhouse dressing room. On another occasion he refused to enter a clubhouse to claim his prize because he had earlier been denied entrance.
Walter Hagen served as the first club professional at the now legendary
Oakland Hills Country Club, in
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Hagen was a dashing and assertive character who raised the status of professional golfers and improved their earnings as well. He may have been the first sportsman to earn a million dollars in his career. He once stated that he "never wanted to be a millionaire, just to live like one".
Gene Sarazen, who was ten years Hagen's junior commented, "All the professionals ... should say a silent thanks to Walter Hagen each time they stretch a check between their fingers. It was Walter who made professional golf what it is."
Hagen died in
Traverse City, Michigan at the age of 76. He now rests at the Holy Sepulchre Mausoleum,
Southfield, Michigan, next to his grandson. At the time of his death, Hagen was well-respected. His pall bearers included some legendary sport figures,
Arnold Palmer and George Morris.
Hagen's major victories were as follows:
*
U.S. Open: 1914, 1919.
*
British Open: 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929.
*
PGA Championship:1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927.
He was past his peak by the time the other major,
The Masters Tournament, was established.
Hagen captained the
United States in the first six
Ryder Cups.
Walter Hagen has been inducted into the
World Golf Hall of Fame.
*1916 (3) Metropolitan Open, Shawnee Open,
Western Open*1918 (1)
North and South Open*1919 (2)
U.S. Open, Metropolitan Open
*1920 (3) Florida West Coast Open, Metropolitan Open, Bellevue C.C. Open
*1921 (3)
Western Open, Michigan Open,
PGA Championship*1922 (4) Deland Open Championship, Florida West Coast Open, White Sulphur Springs Open,
British Open*1923 (5)
Texas Open, Florida West Coast Open, Asheville-Biltmore Open Championship,
North and South Open, Kansas Mid-Continent Pro Championship (tie with
Joe Kirkwood, Sr.)
*1924 (5)
North and South Open, Metropolitan PGA,
British Open,
PGA Championship, Princess Anne C.C. Open
*1925 (1)
PGA Championship*1926 (4) Florida West Coast Open, Eastern Open Championship,
Western Open,
PGA Championship*1927 (2)
Western Open,
PGA Championship*1928 (1)
British Open*1929 (4) Long Beach Open, Miami International Four-Ball (with
Leo Diegel),
British Open, Great Lakes Open
*1931 (2) Coral Gables Open,
Canadian Open*1932 (2)
Western Open, St. Louis Open
*1933 (1) Tournament of the Gardens Open
*1935 (1) Gasparilla Open-Tampa
*1936 (1) Inverness Four-Ball (with
Ky Laffoon)
Major championships are shown in
bold.
