Kel Nagle

Kelvin David George Nagle AM (21 December 1920 – 29 January 2015) was an Australian professional golfer best known for winning The Open Championship in 1960. He won at least one tournament each year from 1949 to 1975.

Early life Nagle was born in North Sydney. Because of five-and-a-half years of World War II military service (1939–45), Nagle got a late start on pro golf, as he played no golf between ages 19 and 24, and turned pro at age 25 (1946). He made up for lost time by winning at least one tournament each year from 1949 to 1975.

Professional career During his early career, he had a long swing and was regarded as the longest hitter on the Australasia tour, as evidenced by the Australian press dubbing him as "the Pymble Crusher". By age 39 (in 1960, when he won The Open Championship), Nagle had shortened his swing and become a straight hitter with what Gary Player described as "the best short game out here".

Although he had won over 30 tournaments in Australia, and had won the Canada Cup for Australia in partnership with five-time Open champion Peter Thomson in 1954 and 1959, Nagle was a shock winner of The Open, as he was 39 years old but had never finished in the top-10 at a major championship before. Thomson told Nagle a few weeks prior to the 1960 Open championship that he "had the game" to win and that "you can beat me". He beat the rising star of American golf Arnold Palmer into second place, and it was Palmer who deprived him of his title in 1961.

Although he never regained The Open title, Kel Nagle had six top-five finishes at the Open between 1960 and 1966 (ages 39 to 45). His best result in a United States major was second in the 1965 U.S. Open—the year after he won the Canadian Open—when he and Gary Player finished the 72-hole tournament in a tie. Nagle lost to Player the next day in an 18-hole playoff, during which Nagle hit a female spectator in the forehead on the fifth hole and was visibly affected to the point that he hit another spectator on the same hole. Player won the playoff by 3 strokes.

As late as 1970, the year he turned 50, Nagle was ranked among the top ten players in the world on the McCormack's World Golf Rankings, the forerunner of the modern world ranking system. Nagle played on the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) in the U.S. in the 1980s, when he was in his 60s and early 70s. His best finishes were a pair of T-3s: at the 1981 Eureka Federal Savings Classic and the 1982 Peter Jackson Champions. In July 2007, Nagle was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and was inducted in November 2007.

Death Nagle died in Sydney on 29 January 2015 at the age of 94.

Award and honors In 1980, he was awarded Member of the Order of Australia for the service to the sport of golf. In 1986, he was awarded Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee.

PGA Tour of Australia wins (3)

Other Australian wins (47) 1949 (1) Australian PGA Championship 1950 (1) WA Open 1951 (4) North Coast Open, New South Wales Close, WA Open, ACT Open 1952 (3) North Coast Open, WA Open, NSW PGA Championship 1953 (3) NSW PGA Championship, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament, McWilliam's Wines Tournament 1954 (5) Australian PGA Championship, North Coast Open, Lakes Open, ACT Open, Riverside and Tasmanian Tyre Services £500 Tournament 1955 (2) North Coast Open, NSW PGA Championship 1956 (1) NSW PGA Championship 1957 (2) New South Wales Close, Lakes Open 1958 (3) Australian PGA Championship, Lakes Open, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament 1959 (5) Australian Open, Australian PGA Championship, Queensland Open, NSW PGA Championship, Ampol Tournament (tie with Gary Player) 1962 (2) Victorian PGA Championship, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament 1963 (1) Lake Karrinyup Bowl 1964 (1) Queensland Open 1965 (2) Australian PGA Championship, NSW PGA Championship 1966 (2) Wills Masters, West End Tournament (tie with Murray Crafter), 1967 (2) Victorian Open, West End Tournament 1968 (3) New South Wales Open, Australian PGA Championship, West End Tournament 1969 (1) Victorian Open 1970 (1) NBN-3 Tournament 1971 (1) NSW PGA Championship 1972 (1) West End Tournament 1975 (1) Forbes Open

New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (19)

Other New Zealand wins (7) 1957 (2) New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA Championship, 1958 (2) New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA Championship 1960 (2) New Zealand PGA Championship, Caltex Tournament 1962 (1) New Zealand Open

European wins (11) 1960 Open Championship 1961 French Open, Swiss Open, Irish Hospitals Tournament, Dunlop Tournament 1962 Bowmaker Tournament, Carling-Lancastrian Tournament 1963 Esso Golden Tournament 1965 Bowmaker Tournament 1967 Esso Golden Tournament (tie with Peter Thomson) 1971 Volvo Open

Other wins (3) 1954 Canada Cup (with Peter Thomson) 1959 Canada Cup (with Peter Thomson) 1961 Hong Kong Open

Senior wins (5) this list may be incomplete 1971 Pringle of Scotland Seniors Championship, World Senior Championship 1973 Pringle of Scotland Seniors Championship 1975 PGA Seniors Championship, World Senior Championship

Major championships Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 1960 The Open Championship 2 shot lead −10 (69-67-71-71=278) 1 stroke Arnold Palmer

Results timeline

CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1974 Open Championship) "T" = tied

Summary Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (twice) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1965 U.S. Open – 1965 Open Championship)

Team appearances Canada Cup (representing Australia): 1954 (winners), 1955, 1958, 1959 (winners), 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 Lakes International Cup (representing Australia): 1952, 1954 (winners) Vicars Shield (representing New South Wales): 1948 (winners), 1949 (winners), 1950 (winners), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners)