Jack Burke Jr.
Jack Burke Jr. | ||
---|---|---|
PGA Player of the Year 1956 | | |
PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award | 2003 | |
Bob Jones Award | 2004 |
John Joseph Burke Jr. (January 29, 1923 – January 19, 2024) was an American professional golfer who was most prominent in the 1950s. The son of a professional golfer, Jack Burke Sr., he won two major titles, both in 1956, the Masters and PGA Championship, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Burke won 16 PGA Tour events between 1950 and 1963. He won four times in 1950 and five times in 1952, including four in consecutive weeks in February and March. He had not won since 1953 when he won the 1956 Masters, coming from eight strokes behind in the final round to overtake leader Ken Venturi, an amateur, who took 80. Later in 1956 he won the PGA Championship, beating Ted Kroll 3&2 in the final. His last tour win came in 1963, just before his 40th birthday. Burke was on five successive American Ryder Cup teams from 1951 to 1959, serving as playing captain in 1957, when Great Britain won for the first time since 1933, and as the non-playing captain in 1973. He had a successful playing record, winning 7 of his 8 matches, only losing his singles match in 1957.
In 1957, Burke and Jimmy Demaret founded Champions Golf Club in Houston. The club has hosted a number of important events including the 1967 Ryder Cup and the 1969 U.S. Open.
Early life
Born in
Golf career
After the war, Burke resumed his golf career after first considering work in the oil fields of Texas. His first job was as a teaching professional at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, New Jersey, which was followed by a position as an assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club,[7] where he was mentored by Claude Harmon. From early 1948 he was the club professional at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York.[1]
In January 1949, Burke finished tied for the third place in the
Burke won a further PGA tour event in 1953 but only finished 19th in the money list.[18] He did not win in 1954 but he finished second in the Vardon Trophy standings and second in the money list, helped by $7,500 won for a runner-up finish in the big money World Championship of Golf. In 1955 he dropped to 15th in the money list. He reach the quarterfinals of 1955 PGA Championship, losing a nine-hour, 40-hole quarterfinal match to Cary Middlecoff.[19]
Burke won two majors in 1956, the Masters and the PGA Championship.
After 1956, Burke had less success although he won further PGA Tour events in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1963 bringing his total to 16 over his career.[23] In 1958, he finished 14th in the tour money list, his best season after 1956.[24]
Burke was in five successive American Ryder Cup teams from 1951 to 1959.[25] He was the playing captain in 1957 and the non-playing captain in 1973.[25] He had a successful playing record, winning his first 7 matches; two matches in 1951, 1953 and 1955, and winning in the foursomes in 1957, before losing to Peter Mills in the singles.[25] Mills won 5 holes in a row from the 6th to the 10th to be 5 up, finished the morning round 5 ahead and eventually won the match 5&3. Great Britain won 6 of the 8 singles and halved another to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1933.[26] Burke was in the 1959 Ryder Cup team but had a hand injury and was not selected for any matches.[27]
Burke partnered with
Burke shares his permanent locker at Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters, with Tiger Woods. Both kept their green jackets in the locker, awarded to the winners of the tournament. Burke coached several current PGA Tour stars, including Phil Mickelson, in putting.[28][29]
Personal life
Burke was first married to Ielene Lang in 1952.
Burke became a centenarian on January 29, 2023, and also became the first known major winner to turn 100.[33]
Death
Burke died on January 19, 2024, 10 days before what would have been his 101st birthday.[34] At the time of his death in 2024, Burke was the oldest living major golf champion.[35]
Professional wins (19)
PGA Tour wins (16)
Legend |
Major championships (2) |
Other PGA Tour (14) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jan 15, 1950 | Bing Crosby Pro-Am
|
−2 (75-67-72=214) | Shared title with Dave Douglas, Smiley Quick and Sam Snead | |
2 | Feb 19, 1950 | Rio Grande Valley Open | −20 (66-67-66-65=264) | 2 strokes | Skip Alexander |
3 | Mar 5, 1950 | St. Petersburg Open
|
−12 (67-67-69-69=272) | 1 stroke | Chick Harbert |
4 | Jul 30, 1950 | Sioux City Open | −20 (65-68-65-70=268) | 3 strokes | Skip Alexander |
5 | Feb 17, 1952 | Texas Open
|
−24 (67-65-64-64=260) | 6 strokes | Doug Ford |
6 | Feb 24, 1952 | Houston Open | −11 (69-67-69-72=277) | 6 strokes | Frank Stranahan (a) |
7 | Mar 3, 1952 | Baton Rouge Open
|
−7 (68-70-72-71=281) | Playoff | Tommy Bolt, Bill Nary |
8 | Mar 9, 1952 | St. Petersburg Open (2)
|
−22 (66-69-65-66=266) | 8 strokes | Al Besselink |
9 | Dec 14, 1952 | Miami Open | −7 (69-66-69-69=273) | Playoff | Dick Mayer |
10 | Jun 21, 1953 | Inverness Invitational
|
−12 (68-64-69-71=272) | 2 strokes | Fred Haas |
11 | Apr 8, 1956 | Masters Tournament | +1 (72-71-75-71=289) | 1 stroke | Ken Venturi (a) |
12 | Jul 24, 1956 | PGA Championship | 3 and 2 | Ted Kroll | |
13 | Jul 13, 1958 | Insurance City Open Invitational
|
−16 (63-67-69-69=268) | 3 strokes | Dow Finsterwald, Art Wall Jr. |
14 | Apr 20, 1959 | Houston Classic (2)
|
−11 (69-66-72-70=277) | Playoff | Julius Boros |
15 | Jul 4, 1961 | Buick Open Invitational
|
−4 (71-71-72-70=284) | Playoff | Billy Casper, Johnny Pott |
16 | Jan 27, 1963 | Lucky International Open | −8 (70-69-70-67=276) | 3 strokes | Don January |
Source:[23]
PGA Tour playoff record (4–4)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1952 | Los Angeles Open | Tommy Bolt, Dutch Harrison | Bolt won 18-hole playoff; Bolt: −2 (69), Burke: E (71), Harrison: +3 (74) |
2 | 1952 | Baton Rouge Open
|
Tommy Bolt, Bill Nary | Won with birdie on second extra hole Bolt eliminated by par on first hole after 18-hole playoff; Burke: −2 (70), Bolt: −2 (70), Nary: −2 (70) |
3 | 1952 | Kansas City Open
|
Cary Middlecoff | Lost 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −6 (66), Burke: E (72) |
4 | 1952 | Miami Open | Dick Mayer | Won with birdie on fifth extra hole |
5 | 1955 | Rubber City Open
|
Jackson Bradley, Doug Ford, Henry Ransom |
Ransom won with birdie on first extra hole |
6 | 1958 | Eastern Open Invitational | Bob Rosburg, Art Wall Jr. | Wall won with birdie on first extra hole |
7 | 1959 | Houston Classic
|
Julius Boros | Won 18-hole playoff; Burke: −8 (64), Boros: −3 (69) |
8 | 1961 | Buick Open Invitational
|
Billy Casper, Johnny Pott | Won 18-hole playoff; Burke: −1 (71), Casper: +2 (74), Pott: +2 (74) |
Other wins (3)
Note: This list may be incomplete.
Major championships
Wins (2)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1956 | Masters Tournament | 8 shot deficit | +1 (72-71-75-71=289) | 1 stroke | Ken Venturi |
1956 | PGA Championship | n/a | 3 & 2 | Ted Kroll |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | NT | NT | NT | ||||||
U.S. Open | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T27 | |||
PGA Championship | NT | R64 |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | WD | 11 | 2 | 8 | T6 | T13 | 1 | T7 | CUT | T34 |
U.S. Open | CUT | T41 | T14 | T15 | T10 | CUT | WD | |||
PGA Championship | QF | R32 | R64 | QF | 1 | R64 | 4 | T17 |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T11 | T7 | T39 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T44 | T53 | CUT | T24 |
U.S. Open | CUT | T21 | CUT | |||||||
PGA Championship | T29 | T52 | T17 | T34 | T44 | T8 | T66 | T42 | T69 |
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | |||
U.S. Open | |||||
PGA Championship | T45 | CUT | 67 | T56 |
Note: Burke never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Source:[40]
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 14 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 6 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 21 |
Totals | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 56 | 41 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (1951 Masters – 1956 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1955 U.S. Open – 1956 Masters)
Source:[40]
U.S. national team appearances
- Ryder Cup: 1951 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1957 (playing captain), 1959 (winners), 1973 (winners, non-playing captain)[25]
- Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners),[41] 1953 (winners),[42] 1955 (winners)[43]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sport: Texas Grass Fire". Time. March 13, 1950. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Member bio: Jack Burke Jr". World Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ^ Montgomery, Philip (Fall 2002). "Par for the course" (PDF). Sallyport. pp. 26–29.
- ^ "U.S. Open scores". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. June 7, 1941. p. 9.
- ^ "Burke instructs marines in golf". The Long Beach Sun. January 27, 1943. p. 11.
- ^ Mickey, Lisa D. (November 11, 2017). "Veterans Day Has Special Meaning for Jack Burke Jr". United States Golf Association. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^ Hauser, Melanie. "A Champion of Golf" (PDF). The Memorial Tournament magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. January 25, 1949. p. 5.
- ^ "Snead and Ben Hogan tie at 280 in Los Angeles Open Golf Tournament". The Spokesman-Review. January 11, 1950. p. 12.
- ^ "Four Deadlock At End of Crosby Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 16, 1950. p. 15.
- ^ "Burke Wins With a 264". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. February 20, 1950. p. 18.
- ^ "Snead Winnings Reach $35,758.83". The Spokesman-Review. December 13, 1950. p. 20.
- ^ "Mangrum Grabs Double Crown". The Spokesman-Review. December 23, 1951. p. Sports3.
- ^ "Bolt Shoots 69 to Win Los Angeles Open Playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 9, 1952. p. 18.
- ^ "Middlecoff Wins Playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. August 19, 1952. p. 15.
- ^ "Snead's 286 Wins Masters Golf Title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 7, 1952. p. 20.
- ^ "Boros Jumps From Nowhere to Top By Collecting $37,032 on Golf Trail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 18, 1952. p. 22.
- ^ "Worsham Wins Professional Golf's '53 Dollar Derby". The Spokesman-Review. December 27, 1953. p. Sports2.
- ^ "Middlecoff's Great Rally Beats Burke in PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 25, 1955. p. 19.
- ^ "Jack Burke Surprise Winner of Masters Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. April 9, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ Wind, Herbert Warren (April 16, 1956). "And Then—Jackie Burke Took Charge". Sports Illustrated. p. 28. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ "Burkes's Blazing Putter Wins PGA, 3 and 2". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 25, 1956. p. 15. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Jack Burke, Jr". PGA Tour. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Club History - Metropolis Country Club". www.metropoliscc.org.
- ^ a b c d "2012 Ryder Cup Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ "Ryder Cup regained after 24 years". The Times. October 7, 1957. p. 12.
- ^ "Judgment error gives U.S. lead". Dayton Daily News. November 7, 1959. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Murray, Ewan (April 2, 2017). "The 94-year-old Masters champion, who shares Tiger's locker, on why he won't go back". The Guardian.
- ^ Michaux, Scott (April 4, 2011). "Burke still has plenty to teach". www.augusta.com.
- ^ "Pro Jackie Burke Weds Golf Fan". Tyler Morning Telegraph. October 9, 1952. p. 10.
- ^ "Robin Burke". Texas Golf Hall of Fame.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ Yocam, Guy (January 19, 2024). "A former Masters champ is turning 100 and throwing an all-star bash to celebrate". Golf Digest. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ Schupak, Adam (January 19, 2024). "Jack Burke Jr., the oldest living member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, has died at age 100". Golfweek. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Jack Burke Jr., who was the oldest living Masters champion, dies at age 100". NPR. Associated Press. January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Bolt wins rich Los Angeles Open". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo). January 9, 1952. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway History". Metropolitan Golf Association. March 8, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Burke wins Yomiuri golf". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. October 20, 1958. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Texas State Open History & Past Champions | Northern Texas PGA". Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- The Montreal Gazette. p. 16.
- The Montreal Gazette. p. 23.
- The Montreal Gazette. January 20, 1955. p. 19.
Further reading
- Burke, Jackie Jr.; Yocom, Guy (March 23, 2006). It's Only a Game: Words of Wisdom from a Lifetime in Golf. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 978-1-1012-1663-7.