Lew Worsham
| Lew Worsham | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Lewis Elmer Worsham, Jr. | ||
| Born | October 5, 1917 Pittsylvania County, Virginia | ||
| Died | October 19, 1990 (aged 73) Poquoson, Virginia | ||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1935 | ||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 12 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| PGA Tour | 6 | ||
| Other | 6 | ||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||
| Masters Tournament | 6th: 1949 | ||
| PGA Championship | T5: 1947, 1955 | ||
| U.S. Open | Won: 1947 | ||
| The Open Championship | DNP | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Lewis Elmer Worsham, Jr. (October 5, 1917 – October 19, 1990) was an American professional golfer.
Worsham was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In 1947, he won the U.S. Open by defeating Sam Snead in an 18-hole playoff at the St. Louis Country Club in Clayton, Missouri after the two men had finished tied at 282 in regulation.[1] This was the first U.S. Open to be televised locally and the winner's prize was $2,000. In July 1947, he appeared on the cover of Golfing magazine. In 1953, he topped the PGA Tour money list with winnings of US$34,002. That same year he won the first golf tournament to be broadcast nationally in the United States and golf's first $100,000 tournament, the Tam O'Shanter World Championship of Golf, in spectacular fashion. He holed out a wedge from 104 yards for an eagle-2 to win over Chandler Harper by one shot.[1][2] The event was televised by ABC.
Worsham made his only Ryder Cup appearance in 1947, winning both of his matches. Like most golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional. His employer was the Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[3] He died in Poquoson, Virginia at age 73.[1]
Worsham was honored as the "Sportsperson of the Year" for 1953 by Pittsburgh's Dapper Dan Charities.
Professional wins (12)
PGA Tour wins (6)
- 1946 Atlanta Invitational
- 1947 U.S. Open, Denver Open
- 1951 Phoenix Open
- 1953 Jacksonville Open, World Championship of Golf
Major championship is shown in bold.
Other wins (6)
- 1942 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship
- 1945 Maryland Open
- 1946 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship
- 1947 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship
- 1952 Miami Beach International Four-Ball (with Ted Kroll)
- 1961 Tri-State PGA Championship
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | U.S. Open | 1 shot lead | –2 (70-70-71-71=282) | Playoff 1 |  Sam Snead
|
1 Defeated Snead in an 18-hole playoff - Worsham 69 (–2), Snead 70 (–1).[4]
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | WD | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | NT | NT | DNP | T34 | T30 | 6 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T22 | 1 | 6 | T27 |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | NT | DNP | DNP | R32 | QF | R16 | R16 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T42 | T3 | T7 | T44 | T12 | T49 | T34 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T14 | T7 | CUT | T23 | CUT | CUT | T38 | T45 | DNP |
| PGA Championship | R32 | R32 | R32 | R64 | DNP | QF | R16 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 44 | T22 | T29 | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | T37 | CUT | CUT |
Note: Worsham never played in The Open Championship.
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
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 13 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 44 | 33 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1946 U.S. Open – 1950 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1948 U.S. Open – 1949 Masters)
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Lew Worsham; Golfer, 73". The New York Times. October 22, 1990. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ "Tam O'Shanter Golf Course". Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ Diaz, Jaime. "Head Pro". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ^ Lew Worsham Downs Snead by stroke for Open Crown
 | ||
Won: 11 – 1 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
