Jim Ferrier

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For other people of the same name, see James Ferrier (disambiguation).
Jim Ferrier
Personal information
Full name James B. Ferrier
Born 24 February 1915(1915-02-24)
Sydney, Australia
Died 13 June 1986(1986-06-13) (aged 71)
California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 192 lb (87 kg; 13.7 st)
Nationality  Australia
 United States
Career
Turned professional 1940
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 30
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 18
PGA Tour of Australasia 10
Other 2
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 1)
Masters Tournament 2nd: 1950
U.S. Open T5: 1950
The Open Championship T44: 1936
PGA Championship Won: 1947
British Amateur 2nd: 1936

James B. Ferrier (24 February 1915 – 13 June 1986) was an Australian professional golfer from Manly, New South Wales. He became an American citizen in 1944.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Ferrier was born in Sydney, Australia. He was taught golf as a youth by his father, a low handicap player. Ferrier injured a leg playing soccer in his teens, and he had to contend with a severe limp for the rest of his life.[1] Ferrier was playing to a scratch handicap by his mid-teens, when he left school to be able to play more golf. He was runner-up in the 1931 Australian Open at the age of sixteen. He won the Australian Amateur title in 1935, 1936, 1938 and 1939. He was also victorious in the Australian Open as an amateur in 1938 and 1939, and won several other significant Australian events. He was runner-up in the British Amateur at St Andrews in 1936. Ferrier worked as a golf reporter and writer for several Australian publications.[2]

[edit] Joins PGA Tour

In 1940, Ferrier went to the United States, where he turned professional and joined the PGA Tour. He and his wife Norma worked in defence industry jobs during World War II; this was part of conditions to become American citizens.[2]

His most significant win came at the PGA Championship, one of golf's four major championships, in 1947. He was the first Australian to win a major, and at the time this gave him a lifetime exemption to PGA Tour events. He later led Jimmy Demaret by three shots with six holes to play in the 1950 Masters, eventually finishing second to Demaret. Ferrier scored 16 of his 18 PGA titles between 1947 and 1952, with a peak of five wins in 1951. His other significant victories included the Canadian Open in 1950 and 1951. He was also runner-up in the 1960 PGA Championship at age 45. He was renowned as an outstanding putter.

In June 1954, he appeared on the television game show You Bet Your Life hosted by Groucho Marx, of Marx Brothers fame. Paired with Marilyn Pierce, a dog trainer and former model, he showed a conservative betting style and great charm, as evidenced by this short exchange with Groucho:

Groucho: "I play golf too, you know. What is your handicap, Jim?"
Ferrier: "Well, as a pro, I don't have a handicap."
Groucho: "Well congratulations. How is it a tall, handsome man like you isn't married?"
Ferrier: "I'm married. I have a wife."
Groucho: "You just said you didn't have a handicap. Haven't you got the same handicap that fifty million other men have?"
Ferrier: "Well, I don't consider my wife a handicap."

[edit] Later years

In his later years, Ferrier stirred some controversy by appearing in PGA Tour events when he was well past his prime, and was no longer competitive, thereby depriving younger players of spots in the playing field. However, Ferrier was within his rights to do this, as he had earned a lifetime Tour exemption with his 1947 PGA Championship win. The eligibility rules were later tightened up. The Champions Tour, which began in the late 1970s, came about a decade too late for him to compete effectively. Ferrier has not yet been inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame, but his career achievements are comparable or even superior to those of Tommy Bolt, a Hall member born in 1916, who played on the PGA Tour during approximately the same era as Ferrier.

Ferrier died in California.

[edit] Professional wins (30)

[edit] PGA Tour wins (18)

Major championship is shown in bold.

[edit] Australasian Tour wins (10)

Note: all wins as an amateur

[edit] Other wins (2)

[edit] Major championships

[edit] Wins (1)

Year Championship Winning score Runner-up
1947 PGA Championship 2 & 1 United States Chick Harbert

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958

[edit] Results timeline

Tournament 1936 1937 1938 1939
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship T44 DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Amateur Championship 2 DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Masters 26 T29 T15 NT NT NT T4 T6 T4 T16
U.S. Open T29 T30 NT NT NT NT CUT T6 CUT T23
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP NT DNP DNP R16 1 R32 SF
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters 2 7 T3 T15 WD DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open T5 CUT DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship R32 R16 R32 R32 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T38
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters DNP DNP CUT DNP T5 CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open CUT T22 DNP DNP CUT WD DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship 2 T45 T39 7 T56 CUT T49 T64 CUT CUT
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP CUT CUT DNP DNP DNP WD

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Eternal Summer, by Curt Sampson, 1992, p. 191.
  2. ^ a b Gettin' to the Dance Floor, by Al Barkow, 1986.
Match play
era
Stroke play
era
† indicates the event was won in a playoff ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Eternal Summer, by Curt Sampson, 1992, p. 191.
  2. ^ a b Gettin' to the Dance Floor, by Al Barkow, 1986.
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