Walter Hagen
Walter Charles Hagen ( December 21, 1892 in Rochester, New York (NY ); † 6 October 1969 in Traverse City, Michigan ) was an American professional golfer. With its eleven major victories, he was one of the most successful golfers in the first half of the 20th century and the pioneer of professional golf.
The successes
Walter Hagen won the U.S. Open twice, in 1922 was the first American victory in the Open Championship ( four times ) and was the PGA Championship five times decide for themselves. He recorded a further 34 victories in North American tournaments - the PGA TOUR, it did not yet exist - and was captain ( five times as a player, once as a non -playing ) in the first six Ryder Cup matches. The fourth major tournament, the Masters, was first established as Hagen had already exceeded his athletic peak. Instead, he won the Western Open five times, a tournament which was viewed at the time as "Major".
Hagen is indisputably regarded as the best player of all time in Match Play ( Match Play ). He lost 1921-1928 of 33 betting games in this mode, only a single one. Hagen defeated Bobby Jones in 1926 in a 72 -hole competition, which determine the best players in golf history at that time, with the unique result of 12 & 11 ( ie, after 61 holes the match was already decided ). The stunned Bobby Jones said afterwards: "When a man misses his drive, and then misses his second shot, and then wins the hole with a birdie, it gets my goat. " ( German: "If a man verschlägt his drive and then his second shot verschlägt and then wins the hole with a birdie, this brings me up the wall " ) in fact, Walter Hagen was able to mend his often moderate reductions and fairway beats with an excellent short game around the greens and in putti he was already at the very best.
Hagen was also a very talented baseball player, but he gave up an audition for the Philadelphia Phillies in order to compete in a golf tournament can. In the same week he was U.S. Open Champion and decided finally for a golf career.
The pioneering work
Walter Hagen became a key figure in the development of professional golf in an era when even the amateurs had the upper hand. This was especially true for the UK, then the leading country in the competition- even golf. Professional golfers were allowed in these times often do not take advantage of the amenities of a clubhouse, and mostly that not even enter through the main entrance. In the 1922 Open Championship at Royal St George's Golf Club Hagen rented a luxury sedan, used this as a changing room and took his meals there because he was not allowed to enter the clubhouse. Another time he refused his prize in the clubhouse answer, because the access he was denied before the competition.
Hagen became the world's first full-time professional golfers in the tournament scene and was also the first club professional at the now legendary Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan ( last venue of the 2004 Ryder Cup ).
With courage and tenacity Walter Hagen fought for the recognition of professional golfers status and improved their income. He may have been the first athlete who has earned in his career more than a million dollars. Hagen commented once that he never aspired to become a millionaire, but only to live like a millionaire. Gene Sarazen, who was ten years his pupil, said that professional golfers should every time a silent thanks to Walter Hagen judge if they held a price check between the fingers. For it would have been Hagen, who made the world of professional golf to what he is today.
Walter Hagen died a highly respected figure at the age of 76 years. One of the pallbearers was Arnold Palmer. Hagen was inducted into the Hall of Fame World Golf Sports World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
The Major Victory
- U.S. Open: 1914, 1919.
- Open Championship: 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929.
- PGA Championship: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927.