Hubert Green
Hubert Green | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Hubert Myatt Green | ||
Nickname | Hubie | ||
Born | Birmingham, Alabama | December 28, 1946||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st) | ||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||
Residence | Mountain Brook, Alabama | ||
Spouse | Becky Blair | ||
Career | |||
College | Florida State University | ||
Turned professional | 1969 | ||
Current tour(s) | Champions Tour | ||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
Professional wins | 28 | ||
Number of wins by tour | |||
PGA Tour | 19 | ||
European Tour | 1 | ||
Japan Golf Tour | 2 | ||
PGA Tour Champions | 4 | ||
Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |||
Masters Tournament | T2: 1978 | ||
PGA Championship | Won: 1985 | ||
U.S. Open | Won: 1977 | ||
The Open Championship | 3rd: 1977 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
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Hubert Myatt Green (born December 28, 1946) is an American professional golfer who won 26 professional golf tournaments, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open and the 1985 PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.
Early life
Green was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended and played golf for Shades Valley High School in Birmingham and then Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Florida. While at FSU, he won the Southern Amateur in 1966 on his home course at the Country Club of Birmingham. In 1967, he became the Alabama Amateur golf champion, a title he successfully defended in 1968. He also won the Cape Coral Inter-Collegiate Tournament by eight strokes and the Miami Invitational by five strokes, among others. His fourth-place finish in the 1968 U.S. Amateur in Columbus, Ohio, earned him an invitation to play in the 1969 Masters as an amateur. Green graduated from FSU in 1968 with a degree in marketing. That year he also enlisted in the Alabama National Guard at Enterprise, Alabama. However, in 1969, Green won the Southern Amateur for a second time, and as one of the top 10 amateurs in the country, he decided to turn pro. He took a year to earn his PGA of America credentials.[1]
Career
In his 26 years on the PGA Tour, Green had 19 victories, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the 1985 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. He finished in the top-25 in a third of the PGA Tour events he entered. He also played on three Ryder Cup teams (1977, 1979, and 1985) and was undefeated in singles play.[2][3]
In 1971, Green won the Houston Champions International and was the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year.[2] He went on to multiple victories throughout 1970s, but he was at his peak in the latter part of that decade.
In March 1976, Green won three PGA Tour events in consecutive weeks, an unusual achievement in any era.
At the 1977 U.S. Open, as Green walked to the 15th tee of the final round, he was notified of a caller anonymously phoning in a death threat on his life. The police presented him with options, and he courageously opted to play on, winning by one stroke over Lou Graham.[4]
A month later at the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, Green finished third behind Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, who were respectively eleven and ten shots clear of Green in their famous "Duel in the Sun."[5]
Green was ranked third in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in 1977, having also won the 1977 Irish Open in August.
Green finished in the top 10 of the Masters six times in seven years from 1974 to 1980. At the 1978 Masters he came to the final hole about 30 minutes after Gary Player had finished a round of 64. Player had a 1-shot lead over Green, who hit a good drive and then a great approach to within three feet of the cup. Green had to back away from the putt when he overheard radio announcer Jim Kelly say something. When Green took the stroke, he pushed it a little to the right and the putt slid by. Green never blamed Kelly, however, telling Golf Digest, "Only an amateur would have been put off by the interruption — or would try to make excuses about it."[3]
At the 1985 PGA Championship, Green won his second major title, two strokes ahead of defending champion Lee Trevino. It was Green's 19th and final victory on the PGA Tour.
In 1998, his second season on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour), Green won the Bruno's Memorial Classic in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. He shot a final round of 64, playing the last six holes with an eagle, four birdies, and one par to beat Hale Irwin by one stroke.
Green has also been active in golf course design, having worked on TPC Southwind, the site for the PGA Tour's St. Jude Classic; Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia; and Greystone Golf & Country Club, the site of his Bruno's Classic victory.
Green retired as a touring professional in 2009 but remains Alabama's most outstanding amateur and professional golfer.[6][1]
Cancer survivor
In the spring of 2003, Green was diagnosed with oral cancer after his dentist noticed an unusual swelling on the back of his tongue[3] after a routine cleaning and referred him to a medical specialist for evaluation. Green underwent a very difficult and painful regimen of radiation and chemotherapy treatments during the summer of 2003.[2] By the end of 2003, however, his cancer was in remission; his weight crept up to 165 pounds from a low of 143 pounds.[7]
Honors
Green was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Southern Amateur Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Champions Tour Comeback Player of the Year award in 2002 and 2004, and the American Cancer Life Inspiration Award in 2004. At the 2005 Masters Tournament, Green was presented with the Ben Hogan Award for continuing to be active in golf despite a serious illness. In 2007, he was recognized again when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.[1][3]
Amateur wins
this list may be incomplete
- 1966 Southern Amateur
- 1967 Alabama Amateur
- 1968 Alabama Amateur
- 1969 Southern Amateur
Professional wins (28)
PGA Tour wins (19)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 16, 1971 | Houston Champions International | −4 (68-69-72-71=280) | Playoff | ![]() |
2 | Apr 22, 1973 | Tallahassee Open | −11 (69-67-70-71=277) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
3 | Sep 23, 1973 | B.C. Open | −18 (69-65-65-67=266) | 6 strokes | ![]() |
4 | Feb 10, 1974 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | −19 (72-69-66-69-65=341) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
5 | Mar 17, 1974 | Greater Jacksonville Open | −12 (70-67-68-71=276) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
6 | Jun 9, 1974 | IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic | −17 (70-67-66-68=271) | 4 strokes | ![]() |
7 | Nov 3, 1974 | Walt Disney World National Team Championship (with ![]() |
−33 (64-64-63-64=255) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
8 | Sep 7, 1975 | Southern Open | −16 (68-66-66-64=264) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
9 | Mar 14, 1976 | Doral-Eastern Open | −18 (66-70-65-69=270) | 6 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
10 | Mar 21, 1976 | Greater Jacksonville Open | −12 (72-67-67-70=276) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
11 | Mar 28, 1976 | Sea Pines Heritage Classic | −10 (68-67-66-73=274) | 5 strokes | ![]() |
12 | Jun 19, 1977 | U.S. Open | −2 (69-67-72-70=278) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
13 | Feb 5, 1978 | Hawaiian Open | −14 (69-66-68-71=274) | Playoff | ![]() |
14 | Mar 26, 1978 | Heritage Classic | −7 (70-70-70-67=277) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
15 | Feb 11, 1979 | Hawaiian Open | −21 (68-67-63-69=267) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
16 | Apr 29, 1979 | First NBC New Orleans Open | −15 (69-67-69-68=273) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
17 | Aug 16, 1981 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | −20 (68-65-67-64=264) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
18 | Oct 14, 1984 | Southern Open | −15 (65-66-67-67=265) | 6 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
19 | Aug 11, 1985 | PGA Championship | −6 (67-69-70-72=278) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–3)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1971 | Houston Champions International | ![]() |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 1975 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
3 | 1978 | Hawaiian Open | ![]() |
Won with par on second extra hole |
4 | 1978 | World Series of Golf | ![]() |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
5 | 1986 | Doral-Eastern Open | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on fourth extra hole |
European Tour wins (1)
Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
- 1975 Dunlop Phoenix
- 1985 Casio World Open
Other wins (1)
- 1980 Jerry Ford Invitational (co-winner)
Champions Tour wins (4)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 3, 1998 | Bruno's Memorial Classic | −13 (70-69-64=203) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
2 | Mar 12, 2000 | Audi Senior Classic | −19 (65-70-62=197) | 5 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | Sep 17, 2000 | Kroger Senior Classic | −10 (66-70-64=200) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
4 | Aug 4, 2002 | Lightpath Long Island Classic | −14 (67-64-68=199) | Playoff | ![]() |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2000 | Home Depot Invitational | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
2 | 2002 | Lightpath Long Island Classic | ![]() |
Won with birdie on seventh extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
- 1999 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gil Morgan)
Major championships
Wins (2)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | U.S. Open | 1 shot lead | −2 (69-67-72-70=278) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
1985 | PGA Championship | 3 shot lead | −6 (67-69-70-72=278) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | DNP | DNP | T22 | T14 | T9 | T8 | T19 | T8 | T2 | T10 |
U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | T55 | CUT | T26 | T18 | 6 | 1 | CUT | 24 |
The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 4 | T32 | T5 | 3 | T29 | T41 |
PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | T16 | DQ | T3 | DNP | T30 | T62 | T26 | T16 |
Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 4 | T11 | T43 | DNP | DNP | CUT | T36 | T35 | T19 | T34 |
U.S. Open | T32 | T37 | CUT | T60 | T30 | CUT | T55 | CUT | CUT | T9 |
The Open Championship | T6 | T23 | CUT | T19 | CUT | DNP | WD | DNP | T52 | DNP |
PGA Championship | T68 | T27 | CUT | CUT | T14 | 1 | T41 | T56 | WD | 66 |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
U.S. Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | T51 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 18 | 15 |
U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 12 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 10 |
PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 14 |
Totals | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 27 | 74 | 51 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 16 (1974 Masters – 1978 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Hubert Green". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ a b c "World Golf Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Kelly, Brent. "Hubert Green bio". About.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ "Green recalls life-and-death 1977 win". USA Today. August 12, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Garrity, John (28 July 2008). "The Duel in the Sun: Watson vs. Nicklaus at Turnberry in 1977". Golf.com. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ^ Thompson, Ian (June 18, 2009). "Hubert Green's happy in Birmingham". Birmingham News.
- ^ "Sports Figures – Hubert Green". Oral Cancer Foundation. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
External links
- Hubert Green at the PGA Tour official site
- Hubert Green at the European Tour official site
- Hubert Green at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- World Golf Hall of Fame profile
- American male golfers
- Florida State Seminoles men's golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- Champions Tour golfers
- Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
- Winners of men's major golf championships
- World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
- Golf course architects
- Golfers from Alabama
- Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
- People from Mountain Brook, Alabama
- People from Panama City, Florida
- 1946 births
- Living people