Willie Hunter (golfer)
Willie Hunter | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | William Irvine Hunter |
Nickname | Wee Willie |
Born | Forest Row, England | January 29, 1892
Died | October 18, 1968 Palm Springs, California, U.S. | (aged 76)
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Weight | 150 lb (68 kg; 11 st) |
Sporting nationality | Scotland United States |
Career | |
Turned professional | 1923 |
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
Professional wins | 8 |
Number of wins by tour | |
PGA Tour | 6 |
Other | 2 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | DNP |
PGA Championship | T17: 1923 |
U.S. Open | 8th: 1926 |
The Open Championship | T17: 1931 |
U.S. Amateur | T3: 1921 |
British Amateur | Won: 1921 |
William Irvine Hunter (January 29, 1892 – October 18, 1968)
Early life
Willie Hunter was the son of Harry (Henry) Hunter, golf professional and course superintendent at the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, located on the Strait of Dover in the town of Deal, Kent, England. Harry Hunter had been hired by that Club when it was founded in 1892, and in addition to his golf professional duties, assisted in laying out and maintaining the golf course, starting a 50-year association with the club.[3][4] Willie Hunter was born in Forest Row, East Sussex, England, but was "as Scotch as the heather at Troon".[1]
Early career
He worked as a
Emigration to the United States
Hunter traveled to the United States later that same year, to contest the
In early 1922, Hunter announced his intention of becoming an American citizen. He traveled extensively through the western U.S. and
Later career
Hunter won six times on the PGA Tour.[14] These included the California State Open in 1926 and 1927. In 1936 he won the Catalina Open, as well as the San Francisco Match Play, held at the golf club at the Presidio of San Francisco. He became the head professional at the elite Riviera Country Club, one of the world's top courses, in 1936, and held that position until 1964, when he retired. His son, Mac Hunter, then took over that job until 1973. Willie Hunter saved the Riviera course from severe flooding in 1939, and helped rescue the club from bankruptcy during World War II.[15]
U.S. Open
Hunter competed in 12 U.S. Opens between 1920 and 1938, making the 36-hole cut each time. He played in 1920, 1922, 1925–30, 1934–36, and 1938. His best finish, and only top-10 result, came in 1926 at Scioto Country Club, when he shot 75-77-69-79 for a 300 total, good for eighth place.[16] He was awarded an honorary membership by the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club.[7]
Death
Hunter died on October 18, 1968, in Palm Springs, California.
Amateur wins (2)
- Note: This list may be incomplete.
- 1921 (1) British Amateur
- 1923 (1) Southern California Amateur
Professional wins
PGA Tour wins (6)
- 1926 (1) California State Open
- 1927 (1) California State Open
- 1934 (1) Southern California Open Championship
- 1936 (2) San Francisco National Match Play Open, Catalina Open[17]
- missing one other win (before 1930)[14]
Other wins (2)
- Note: This list may be incomplete.
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|
1921 | The Amateur Championship | 12 & 11 | Allan Graham |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | T24 | T13 | 8 | T44 | T28 | T23 | ||||
The Open Championship | T26 LA | T23 | ||||||||
PGA Championship | R64 | R32 | ||||||||
U.S. Amateur
|
SF | R16 | R16 | R32 | – | – | – | – | – | |
The Amateur Championship | QF | 1 | SF | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | T17 | CUT | T14 | T28 | T50 | CUT | 15 | |||
The Open Championship | T17 | |||||||||
PGA Championship |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | |||||
The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | |||
PGA Championship | NT |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 |
---|---|---|---|
U.S. Open | CUT | ||
The Open Championship | CUT | ||
PGA Championship |
Note: Hunter never played in the Masters Tournament.
LA = Low amateur
NT = no tournament
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
- Sources: U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur,[18] British Open,[19] PGA Championship,[20] 1920 British Amateur,[21] 1921 British Amateur,[22] 1922 British Amateur[23]
Team appearances
Amateur
- England–Scotland Amateur Match (representing Scotland): 1922 (winners)
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-87000-225-2.
- ^ "Willie Hunter, Former Golf Great, Dies". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. AP. 20 October 1968. p. 11-S.
- ^ "Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club - Club History". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-57965-395-8.
- ^ a b "Willie Hunter Here In Quest Of Title" (PDF). The New York Times. 29 August 1921. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-58536-009-3.
- ^ a b Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club - Club History - Lighthearted
- ^ a b Jones, John. "The George Von Elm Story". Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Golf on the Pacific Coast" (PDF). Golf Illustrated. May 1923. p. 46. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ "National Amateur Golf Body Declares Willie Hunter Technically Ineligible" (PDF). The New York Times. 14 August 1922. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ "Golf on the Pacific Coast" (PDF). Golf Illustrated. January 1922. p. 32. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ "Lakeside Golf Club - History". Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-385-26145-4.
- ^ "The Riviera Country Club - Club History - 1963-76". Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ "Willie Hunter Jr". Golf Major Championships. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ "Willie Hunter Wins Catalina Golf Open". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. AP. 2 February 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ USGA Championship Database
- ^ www.theopen.com
- ^ PGA Championship Media Guide – Willie Hunter
- ^ The Glasgow Herald, June 11, 1920, pg. 6.
- ^ The American Golfer, June 4, 1921, pg. 24.
- ^ The American Golfer, July 1, 1922, pg. 31.