| Amateur Highlights |
|
At age 10 |
carded 51 in the first nine holes he ever played... won the Scioto Club
Juvenile Trophy. |
|
At age 11 |
won the Scioto Club Juvenile Trophy for a second time. |
|
At age 12 |
won the Ohio State Junior Championship to launch a consecutive streak of
five straight wins (1952 to 1956 inclusive). |
|
At age 13 |
played in his first national tournament (U.S.G.A. Junior Championship for
ages 17 and under) and captured first three matches before being eliminated.
Won the Columbus Junior Match-Play Championship and Ohio State Junior title.
|
|
At age 14 |
won the Columbus Junior Championship in both the stroke-play and match-play
competitions as well as the Ohio State Junior crown. |
|
At age 15 |
again claimed both Columbus Junior Championships along with Columbus District
Amateur title...for the first time, qualified for the U.S. Amateur, losing
in first round, 1-down...won Ohio Jaycees and Ohio State Junior again. |
|
At age 16 |
among most notable victories during these early years was the Ohio State
Open, which featured a strong field in 72-hole stroke-play. He won easily
on two-round final day with scores of 64 and 72 ... again won the Ohio State
Junior title and Ohio Jaycees, but lost the U.S. National Jaycees Championship
in playoff. |
|
At age 17 |
won his first national title by capturing the U.S. National Jaycees Championship.
Qualified for the first time at the U.S. Open and missed cut. |
|
At age 18 |
won Trans-Mississippi Championship...qualified again for U.S. Open, thi
this time making the cut and finishing in tie for 41st place; playing in
first PGA tour event (Rubber City Open at Akron's Firestone), was one stroke
back of lead at halfway point with rounds of 67 and 66 and finished 76-68
for 12th spot. |
|
At age 19 |
captured 1959 U.S. Amateur, defeating Charles Coe, 1-up, in 36-hole final
at Broadmoor, Colorado Springs ... also played on winning Walker Cup squad
against Britain at Muirfield, Scotland ... won North-South and Trans-Mississippi
championships ... reached quarterfinal at British Amateur. |
|
At age 20 |
runner-up to Arnold Palmer in U.S. Open by two strokes at Cherry Hills and
established a record 282 for an amateur entry ... emerged individual winner
in World Amateur Team Championship by 13 strokes with 269, eclipsing Ben
Hogan's record by 18 shots at Merion Golf Club, where Hogan had finished
Open with 287...Colonial Amateur Champion. |
|
At age 21 |
in last year as amateur, won U.S. Amateur a second time, defeating Dudley
Wysong, 8 and 6, at Pebble Beach, California...member of winning Walker
Cup squad; Western Amateur Champion, NCAA and Big Ten Champion; finished
tied for fourth at U.S. Open. |
