Max Elbin

Carl Maxwell Elbin (May 20, 1920 – December 12, 2008) was an American golf professional who served a three-year term as president of the Professional Golfers' Association of America during a time when professional tournament golfers split away to form the PGA Tour.

Biography

Elbin started out as a

Bedford Springs Hotel, he met Lew Worsham, the pro at the Burning Tree Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Worsham hired Elbin in 1940 as his assistant at Burning Tree for $19 per week. During the winter, Elbin worked at the Indian Creek Club in Miami Beach, Florida for $25 per week.^[1]

During World War II, Elbin joined the

B-29 Superfortress that saw action over New Guinea, the Philippines and Tokyo.^[1]

After the war, both Elbin and Worsham returned to Burning Tree. Worsham left the club for a career as a professional golfer, ultimately winning the 1947 U.S. Open over Sam Snead.^[1] Elbin took Worsham's position as pro at age 26 after making a deal over a handshake.^[2] As the pro at Burning Tree, he played with six U.S. Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush.^[1]

In 1965, Elbin was selected to serve a three-year term as the 15th president of the

World Series of Golf and the PGA of America taking control of the Ryder Cup, then a sparsely attended competition that became one golf's most popular events by the time of Elbin's death.^[2]

Personal life

Elbin died at age 88 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland due to heart failure.^[1] He was survived by his wife, Mary, and five children. His youngest son, Willam "Kelly" Elbin, was the Director of Communications and Publications for the PGA of America.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Max Elbin, 15th President of PGA of America, has died at age 88". Worldgolf.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Max Elbin, Former Head of P.G.A., Dies at 88". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 13, 2008.

External links

Max Elbin at Find a Grave

[WorldGolfObit-1] "Max Elbin, 15th President of PGA of America, has died at age 88". Worldgolf.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2008.

[NYTObit-2] "Max Elbin, Former Head of P.G.A., Dies at 88". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 13, 2008.

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