Lew_Worsham
Lew Worsham
American professional golfer
Lewis Elmer Worsham, Jr. (October 5, 1917 – October 19, 1990) was an American professional golfer, the U.S. Open champion in 1947.[1][2]
| Lew Worsham | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Worsham after winning the 1947 U.S. Open | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Lewis Elmer Worsham Jr. | ||
| Born | (1917-10-05)October 5, 1917 Pittsylvania County, Virginia | ||
| Died | October 19, 1990(1990-10-19) (aged 73) Poquoson, Virginia | ||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1935 | ||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 13 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| PGA Tour | 6 | ||
| Other | 7 | ||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||
| Masters Tournament | 6th: 1949 | ||
| PGA Championship | T5: 1947, 1955 | ||
| U.S. Open | Won: 1947 | ||
| The Open Championship | DNP | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Lew Worsham | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Unit | United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Worsham was born on October 5, 1917, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.[citation needed] He grew up in Long Island, Virginia. Worsham attended Hampton High School and was a member of the golf team from 1933 to 1935. He served in the United States Navy during World War II.[3]
Worsham won the U.S. Open in 1947 by defeating Sam Snead by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff at the St. Louis Country Club in Clayton, Missouri.[4][5][6][7] This was the first U.S. Open to be televised locally and the winner's share was $2,000. In July 1947, Worsham appeared on the cover of Golfing magazine. In 1953, he led the PGA Tour money list with $34,002 in earnings. That same year he won the first golf tournament to be broadcast nationally in the United States and golf's first $100,000 tournament, the Tam O'Shanter World Championship of Golf, in spectacular fashion. He holed out a wedge from 104 yards for an eagle-2 to win over Chandler Harper by one shot.[4][8]
Worsham made his only Ryder Cup appearance in 1947 and won both of his matches. Like most tour players of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional, and was the longtime pro at Oakmont Country Club, northeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[9]
Worsham was honored as the "Sportsperson of the Year" for 1953 by Pittsburgh's Dapper Dan Charities. He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2017.[10]
Worsham married Virginia. He had one daughter and two sons: Lynda, Richard L and Thomas E.[3]
Worsham died on October 19, 1990, at age, 73 in Poquoson, Virginia.[4] He is buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.[3]
PGA Tour wins (6)
- 1946 Atlanta Invitational
- 1947 U.S. Open, Denver Open
- 1951 Phoenix Open
- 1953 Jacksonville Open, World Championship of Golf
Major championship is shown in bold.
Other wins (7)
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | U.S. Open | 1 shot lead | −2 (70-70-71-71=282) | Playoff 1 |  Sam Snead |
1 Defeated Snead in an 18-hole playoff - Worsham 69 (−2), Snead 70 (−1).[5]
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||
| U.S. Open | WD | |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NT | NT | NT | T33 | T30 | 6 | ||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T22 | 1 | 6 | T27 |
| PGA Championship | NT | R32 | QF | R16 | R16 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T42 | T3 | T7 | 44 | T12 | T49 | T34 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T14 | T7 | CUT | T23 | CUT | CUT | T38 | T45 | |
| PGA Championship | R32 | R32 | R32 | R64 | QF | R16 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 44 | T22 | T29 | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship | T37 | CUT | CUT |
Note: Worsham never played in The Open Championship.
NT = No tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" = tied
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 13 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 44 | 33 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1946 U.S. Open – 1950 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1948 U.S. Open – 1949 Masters)
- Shapiro, Leonard (June 11, 1997). "Congressional and the pros". Washington Post. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- "Lew Worsham". PGA: Middle Atlantic section. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- "Lewis E. Worsham Jr". Daily Press. October 20, 1920. p. 22. Retrieved August 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Lew Worsham; Golfer, 73". New York Times. October 22, 1990. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- "Lew Worsham downs Snead by stroke for Open crown". Prescott Evening Courier. (Arizona). Associated Press. June 16, 1947. p. 1, part 2.
- "Worsham's nerve wins golf title". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. June 16, 1947. p. 16.
- "National Open playoff detail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 16, 1947. p. 16.
- "Tam O'Shanter Golf Course". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- Diaz, Jaime (August 19, 1996). "Head Pro". Sports Illustrated. p. G12.
- "Gary Player, Renee Powell, Mickey Wright, Lew Worsham lead inductees to PGA of America Hall of Fame". PGA of America. September 7, 2017.
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