Henry Picard

This article is about the golfer. For the Lord Mayor of London, see Henry Picard (Lord Mayor). For the English cricketer and clergyman, see Henry Pickard.

Henry Picard
Picard in 1934
Personal information
Full nameHenry Gilford Picard
NicknamePick
Born(1906-11-28)November 28, 1906
Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedApril 30, 1997(1997-04-30) (aged 90)
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseAnnie Addison Picard
(1905–1983)[1]
Children3 sons, 1 daughter
Career
CollegeNone
Turned professional1925
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins35
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour26
Best results in major championships
(wins: 2)
Masters TournamentWon: 1938
PGA ChampionshipWon: 1939
U.S. OpenT5: 1936
The Open Championship6th: 1935
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame2006 (member page)
PGA Tour
leading money winner		1939

Henry Gilford Picard (November 28, 1906 – April 30, 1997) was an American professional golfer.[2]

Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Picard learned to play golf while caddying at the Plymouth Country Club. Already a talented player by his early 20s, he came to prominence after coaching from the leading instructor Alex Morrison.[3] A leading player on the PGA Tour in the 1930s and early 1940s, he won two major championships: the Masters in 1938[4] and the PGA Championship in 1939, where he defeated Byron Nelson on the 37th hole of the final.[5] Picard ("Pick" to friends) played on both the 1935 and 1937 Ryder Cup teams, winning both singles matches and one of two pairs matches.

Picard helped a struggling Ben Hogan with his game in the late 1930s, advising him to weaken his grip, and Hogan combined this advice with his own hard work to become one of golf's all-time great players. When he left the sought-after pro's position at Hershey Country Club in early 1941, Picard recommended Hogan as his replacement,[6] and he got the job.[3][7] Hogan dedicated his first book, "Ben Hogan's Power Golf," to Picard in 1953.[2][8]

Picard was pro at the Country Club of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 1925–34; Hershey Country Club, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 1934–41;[9] then moving to Twin Hills G & CC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,[6][10] for two years, then returned to his South Carolina farm in early 1943.[11] Other professional positions include CC of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio; and Seminole Golf Club, Palm Beach, Florida. Among his students was Jack Grout, who later taught Jack Nicklaus.[12]

Picard retired from Seminole in 1973 and returned to Charleston and was named to the South Carolina athletic hall of fame in 1977.[13] He was a fixture in the local golf community in his later years, and helped future LPGA hall of famer Beth Daniel in her teens.[2][14] Picard played regularly into his 80s and died at age 90 in 1997.[2] He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in April 2006 and inducted in that October.[15]

  1. ^ "Mrs. Henry G. Picard, wife of golfer, dies". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. July 15, 1983. p. 19A.
  2. ^ a b c d Braswell, Tommy (May 1, 1997). "Former Masters winner Picard dies at 90". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. p. 1D.
  3. ^ a b Barkow, Al (1986). Gettin' to the Dance Floor: An Oral History of American Golf. Atheneum. ISBN 978-0689115172.
  4. ^ Rice, Grantland (April 5, 1938). "Sore thumb helps Henry Picard win". Milwaukee Journal. p. 6, part 2.
  5. ^ McLemore, Henry (July 16, 1939). "Picard wins P.G.A. golf crown". Eugene Register-Guard. United Press. p. 6.
  6. ^ a b "Picard recommends Hogan for Hershey job". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. February 20, 1941. p. 25.
  7. ^ "Ben Hogan named new Hershey pro". Reading Eagle. United Press. February 25, 1941. p. 1.
  8. ^ Campbell, Ed (March 27, 1959). "Picard helped Hogan get start". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. p. 3B.
  9. ^ "Henry Picard new pro at Hershey club". Reading Eagle. October 17, 1934. p. 15.
  10. ^ Bealmear, Austin (April 1941). "Picard drops out of golf tournaments". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. p. 13.
  11. ^ "Picard quits golf to run his farm". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. December 24, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  12. ^ "Country club honors 1938 Masters champ on 'Henry Picard Day'". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. April 17, 1983. p. 14B.
  13. ^ "Golfer Henry Picard named to athletic hall of fame". Spartanburg Herald. Spartanburg, South Carolina. Associated Press. April 27, 1977. p. D1.
  14. ^ Braswell, Tommy (May 4, 1997). "Legendary Picard touched Lowcountry golf". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. p. 7C.
  15. ^ Braswell, Tommy (October 29, 2006). "For Picard, induction at last". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. p. 1C.