Ralph Guldahl

Ralph J. Guldahl (November 22, 1911 – June 11, 1987) was an American professional golfer, one of the top five players in the sport from 1936 to 1940. He won sixteen PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, including three majors championships (two U.S. Opens and one Masters).

Early life In 1911, Guldahl was born in Dallas, Texas. In 1930, Guldahl graduated of Woodrow Wilson High School.

Professional career In 1931, Guldahl turned professional. He won an event in his rookie season before turning 20 years of age, setting a record that would not be matched until 2013. In 1933, at the age of 21, Guldahl went into the last hole of the U.S. Open tied for the lead with Johnny Goodman. A par would have taken him into a playoff but he made bogey and finished second. After further frustrating failures, Guldahl quit the sport temporarily in 1935 and became a car salesman.

Guldahl made a comeback part way through the next PGA Tour season in 1936, won the prestigious Western Open and finished second on the money list. He won the Western Open in 1937 and 1938 as well. That tournament was recognized as one of the world's most important events at the time, on the level of a major championship or close to it.

Guldahl's manner of play was relaxed: "He paused to comb his hair before every hole, and would forestall any suspense by announcing exactly where he intended to plant the ball."

Guldahl won three major championships. He claimed the 1937 U.S. Open with a then-record score of 281. He successfully defended the national title a win at the 1938 U.S. Open. He was the last to win the U.S. Open while wearing a necktie during play in 1938. Guldahl was runner-up at the 1937 Masters Tournament and 1938 Masters Tournament. He played on the 1937 Ryder Cup team.

Guldahl reached the top in golf ahead of more famous players of his generation, including Sam Snead and fellow Texans Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, and Jimmy Demaret, who all went on to build much longer and more productive pro careers. Guldahl's 16 PGA Tour wins all came in a ten-year span between 1931 and 1940. He put together five straight seasons, from 1936 to 1940, with multiple PGA Tour titles.

Guldahl was offered a book contract for a guide to golf, taking two months to complete Groove Your Golf, a book that used high-speed photographs of Guldahl on each page to create "flip-book" movies. After completing the book in 1939, he returned to the PGA Tour. His last two wins came in 1940. Two-time PGA champion Paul Runyan commented, "It's the most ridiculous thing, really. Guldahl went from being temporarily the best player in the world to one who couldn't play at all." He is also a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. In 1981, Guldahl was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1989, he was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame. The induction part of a celebration of the school's 60th anniversary.

Professional wins (16) PGA Tour wins (16) 1931 (1) Santa Monica Open 1932 (1) Arizona Open 1934 (1) Westwood Golf Club Open Championship 1936 (3) Western Open, Augusta Open, Miami Biltmore Open 1937 (2) U.S. Open, Western Open 1938 (2) U.S. Open, Western Open 1939 (4) Greater Greensboro Open, Masters Tournament, Dapper Dan Open, Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (with Sam Snead) 1940 (2) Milwaukee Open, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Sam Snead)

Major championships wins are shown in bold.

Source:

Major championships Wins (3) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 1937 U.S. Open 1 shot deficit −7 (71-69-72-69=281) 2 strokes Sam Snead 1938 U.S. Open (2) 4 shot deficit E (74-70-71-69=284) 6 strokes Dick Metz 1939 Masters Tournament 1 shot lead −9 (72-68-70-69=279) 1 stroke Sam Snead

Results timeline

NYF = tournament not yet founded 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

Summary Most consecutive cuts made – 25 (1930 U.S. Open – 1946 Masters) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (five times)