About Bud Ward
Lived 1913 – 1968 (aged 54). Bud Ward was an American golfer.
Marvin Harvey "Bud" Ward (May 1, 1913 – January 2, 1968) was an American golfer best known for twice winning the U.S. Amateur, in 1939 and 1941.
Early life In 1913, Ward was born in Elma, Washington.
Amateur career Ward excelled as an amateur golfer, winning the U.S. Amateur twice, the Western Amateur three times, and his home state Washington Amateur twice. He played on the Walker Cup team in 1938 and 1947. His best performance in a major came in 1939 U.S. Open when he finished one shot out of a playoff with Byron Nelson, Craig Wood, and Denny Shute.
Professional career In 1949, Ward turned professional. He worked as a club pro until his death in 1968 from cancer. He died in San Mateo, California.
Awards and honors
In 1979, Ward was elected to the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame In 1981, Ward was elected to the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America Hall of Fame In 1981, he was also elected to the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame
Amateur wins this list may be incomplete
1938 Washington Amateur 1939 U.S. Amateur 1940 Western Amateur 1941 U.S. Amateur, Western Amateur, Pacific Northwest Amateur 1942 Tam O'Shanter All American Amateur 1946 Washington Amateur 1947 Western Amateur
Professional wins this list may be incomplete
1938 Washington Open (as an amateur) 1939 Northwest Open (as an amateur) 1940 Northwest Open (as an amateur) 1946 Northwest Open (as an amateur) 1947 Northwest Open (as an amateur) 1948 Northwest Open (as an amateur) 1949 Montana Open (as an amateur), Washington Open (as an amateur) 1951 Northern California Open 1952 Utah Open 1955 Washington Open, Northern California PGA Championship 1956 Northern California Open 1958 Northern California PGA Championship 1961 Northwest Open
Major championships
Amateur wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreRunner-up 1939 U.S. Amateur 7 & 5 Ray Billows 1941 U.S. Amateur 4 & 3 Patrick Abbott
Results timeline Amateur
Professional Note: Ward never played in The Open Championship or the PGA Championship.
LA = low amateur NT = no tournament WD = withdrew CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1938 Amateur Championship: The Glasgow Herald, May 25, 1938, pg. 21.
Source for 1947 Amateur Championship: The Glasgow Herald, May 31, 1947, pg. 5.
U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1938, 1947 (winners)
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Important facts
People in Bud Ward's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Bud Ward's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Bud Ward?
professional golfer (1913-1968)
When was Bud Ward born?
Bud Ward was born on 1 May 1913 in Elma.
When did Bud Ward die?
Bud Ward died on 2 January 1968 in San Mateo.
What was Bud Ward's occupation?
Bud Ward was a golfer.
What nationality was Bud Ward?
Bud Ward was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bud Ward. https://biography.guide/bud-ward/
MLA: "Bud Ward." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bud-ward/.
Chicago: "Bud Ward." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bud-ward/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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