Dick Mayer
| Dick Mayer | ||
|---|---|---|
| Personal information | ||
| Full name | Alvin Richard Mayer | |
| Born | August 28, 1924 PGA Player of the Year 1957 | |
| PGA Tour leading money winner | 1957 | |
Alvin Richard Mayer (August 28, 1924 – June 2, 1989) was an American professional golfer.
Early life
Mayer was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He apprenticed with renowned player and teacher Claude Harmon at the Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City.[1]
Professional career
Mayer won seven times on the PGA Tour, between 1953 and 1965. Mayer almost won the 1954 U.S. Open, but a triple bogey on the final hole left him tied for third, two shots back, as Ed Furgol won.
Mayer's career year was 1957, when he finished the regulation 72 holes of the
Personal life
Mayer battled alcoholism, which kept him from winning more often on the Tour.[2] Mayer died at age 64 in Palm Springs, California.
Awards and honors
In 2008, Mayer was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame.
Professional wins (7)
PGA Tour wins (7)
| Legend |
| Major championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (6) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13, 1953 | Eastern Open
|
−9 (69-70-70-70=279) | 4 strokes |  Charlie Bassler, Doug Ford, Chandler Harper
|
| 2 | Mar 21, 1954 | ) | −30 (67-61-65-65=258) | Playoff | Julius Boros and Dutch Harrison
|
| 3 | May 22, 1955 | Kansas City Open
|
−17 (69-67-68-67=271) | 6 strokes | Chandler Harper, Billy Maxwell
|
| 4 | Jun 24, 1956 | Philadelphia Daily News Open | −3 (70-65-63-71=269) | Playoff | Bud Holscher
|
| 5 | Jun 16, 1957 | U.S. Open | +2 (70-68-74-70=282) | Playoff | Cary Middlecoff
|
| 6 | Aug 11, 1957 | World Championship of Golf | −9 (72-69-70-68=279) | 1 stroke |  Al Balding, Sam Snead
|
| 7 | May 16, 1965 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational
|
−15 (72-67-66-68=273) | 1 stroke |  Bruce Devlin, Billy Martindale
|
PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1952 | Miami Open | Jack Burke Jr.
|
Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole |
| 2 | 1954 | ) | Julius Boros and Dutch Harrison
|
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1956 | Philadelphia Daily News Open | Bud Holscher
|
Won with par on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1957 | U.S. Open | Cary Middlecoff
|
Won 18-hole playoff; Mayer: +2 (72), Middlecoff: +9 (79) |
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | +2 (70-68-74-70=282) | Playoff 1 | Cary Middlecoff
|
1 Defeated Middlecoff in an 18-hole playoff: Mayer 72 (+2), Middlecoff 79 (+9).
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||
| U.S. Open | T41 | |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T25 | T16 | T29 | T10 | T43 | T35 | CUT | T4 | ||
| U.S. Open | T12 | CUT | T28 | T54 | T3 | CUT | T41 | 1 | T23 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | R64 | 5 | T14 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T19 | CUT | T15 | CUT | CUT | DQ | ||
| U.S. Open | T42 | CUT | ||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT |
Note: Mayer never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1959 PGA Championship)
DQ = disqualified
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" = tied
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 32 | 21 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (twice)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1957 U.S. Open – 1957 PGA)
U.S. national team appearances
References
- ISBN 978-0307338037.
- ^ Sommers, Robert (1995). The U.S. Open: Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament (second ed.).
External links
- Dick Mayer at the PGA Tour official site
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Lost: 4.5 – 7.5 | ||