| Walter Hagen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Hagen in 1914 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Walter Charles Hagen | ||
| Nickname | Sir Walter, The Haig | ||
| Born | December 21, 1892 Rochester, New York, U.S. | ||
| Died | October 6, 1969 (aged 76) Traverse City, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) | ||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||
| Spouse | Margaret Johnson (m. 1917–1921) Edna Crosby Straus (m. 1923–1937) | ||
| Children | 1 | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1912 | ||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 58 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| PGA Tour | 45 (Tied 8th all time) | ||
| Other | 13 | ||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 11) | |||
| Masters Tournament | T11: 1936 | ||
| PGA Championship | Won: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 | ||
| U.S. Open | Won: 1914, 1919 | ||
| The Open Championship | Won: 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929 | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Walter Charles Hagen (December 21, 1892 – October 6, 1969) was an American professional golfer and a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century.[1] His tally of 11 professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (15). Known as the "father of professional golf," he brought publicity, prestige, big prize money, and lucrative endorsements to the sport.[2] Hagen is rated one of the greatest golfers ever.[3]
Hagen won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win The Open Championship, and won the Claret Jug three more times.[4] He also won the PGA Championship a record-tying five times (all in match play), and the Western Open five times when it had near-major championship status. Hagen totaled 45 PGA wins in his career, and was a six-time Ryder Cup captain.
- ^ "Walter Hagen dies". Nashua Telegraph. New Hampshire. Associated Press. October 6, 1969. p. 16.
- ^ Murry R. Nelson, ed., Encyclopedia of Sports in America: A History from Foot Races to Extreme Sports' (2009) 1:179–80.
- ^ Auclair, T.J. (August 12, 2018). "15 Greatest Golfers of All Time". PGA of America. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ "1922 Walter Hagen". The Open. Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2013.