Johnny Goodman

American amateur and professional golfer (1909–1970)

For other people with the same name, see John Goodman (disambiguation).

Johnny Goodman

Personal information
Full name| John George Goodman
Born| (1909-12-28)December 28, 1909
South Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Died| August 8, 1970(1970-08-08) (aged 60)
South Gate, California, U.S.
Height| 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight| 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st)
Sporting nationality|  United States
Spouse| Josephine A. Kersigo[1][2] Goodman (1910–2002)
(m. 1938–1970)
Career
Turned professional| 1960
Professional wins| 1
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour| 1
Best results in major championships
(wins: 2)
Masters Tournament| 43rd: 1936
PGA Championship| DNP
U.S. Open| Won: 1933
The Open Championship| DNP
U.S. Amateur| Won: 1937
British Amateur| T9: 1934

John George Goodman (December 28, 1909 – August 8, 1970) was the last amateur golfer to win the U.S. Open, 92 years ago in 1933,[3][4] and also won the U.S. Amateur in 1937.[5][6][7]

## Early life

[edit]

Born to Lithuanian immigrants in South Omaha, Nebraska,[8][9] Goodman was orphaned at the age of 14. His mother died when he was 11,[10] after giving birth to her 13th child, and his father later abandoned the family. Goodman became a caddie at the Field Club in Omaha,[9] and while a student at Omaha South High School,[11] he won the Omaha city championship in 1925.

## Golf career

[edit]

In 1929, he won the first of five consecutive Nebraska Amateur titles. [6] He won the Trans-Mississippi Amateur three times (1927, 1931, and 1935). He gained national notoriety at age 19 in 1929 when he defeated Bobby Jones in the first round of match play competition at the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach.[12]

Goodman served in the U.S. Army during World War II,[13] and did not turn professional until 1960; he supported himself throughout his career by selling insurance.[14] A municipal golf course in Omaha is named for him.[15][16]

## Tournament wins (60)

[edit]

this list may be incomplete

* 1925 Omaha Caddie Championship, Omaha Metropolitan Golf Championship
* 1927 Trans-Mississippi Amateur
* 1929 Nebraska Amateur
* 1930 Nebraska Amateur
* 1931 Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Nebraska Amateur
* 1932 Nebraska Amateur [6]
* 1933 U.S. Open, Nebraska Amateur [6]
* 1935 Trans-Mississippi Amateur
* 1936 Mexican Amateur, Arcola Country Club Invitational
* 1937 U.S. Amateur, Mexican Amateur
* 1939 Arcola Country Club Invitational

Major championships are shown in bold.

## Major championships

[edit]

### Wins (1)

[edit]

Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

1933 | U.S. Open | 6 shot lead | −1 (75-66-70-76=287) | 1 stroke |  Ralph Guldahl

### Amateur wins (1)

[edit]

Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up

|
|
|

1937 | U.S. Amateur | 2 up |  Ray Billows

### Results timeline

[edit]

Tournament  | 1927  | 1928  | 1929

|
|
|

U.S. Open |  |  | T45
U.S. Amateur | DNQ  |  | R16
British Amateur |  |  |
Tournament  | 1930  | 1931  | 1932  | 1933  | 1934  | 1935  | 1936  | 1937  | 1938  | 1939

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | NYF  | NYF  | NYF  | NYF  |  |  | 43  |  |  |
U.S. Open | T11  |  | T14 LA | 1 LA | T43  | T36  | T22  | 8 LA |  | CUT
U.S. Amateur | R32  | R32  | 2  | R32  | R128  | SF  | SF  | 1 | QF  | R32
British Amateur |  |  |  |  | R16  |  |  |  | R32  |
Tournament  | 1940  | 1941  | 1942  | 1943  | 1944  | 1945  | 1946  | 1947

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament |  |  |  | NT  | NT  | NT  |  |
U.S. Open | CUT  | CUT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | CUT  |
U.S. Amateur | DNQ  | R64  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | DNQ  | R32
British Amateur | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  |  |

Note: Goodman never played in The Open Championship or the PGA Championship.

Win

Top 10

Did not play

LA = low amateur
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
DNQ = did not qualify for match play portion
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1934 British Amateur: Reading Eagle, May 24, 1934, pg. 17.

Source for 1936 Masters: www.masters.com

Source for 1938 British Amateur: Time Magazine, June 6, 1938

## U.S. national team appearances

[edit]

Amateur

* Walker Cup: 1934 (winners), 1936 (winners), 1938

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sports in brief". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. June 29, 1938. p. 1.
2. ^ "Amateur golf king weds". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 28, 1938. p. 1, sports.
3. ^ Sixty, Billy (June 11, 1933). "Goodman wins golf title by one stroke with 287". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, sports.
4. ^ "Johnny Goodman takes Open crown shooting near record golf in field of pro artists". Palm Beach Post. Florida. Associated Press. June 11, 1933. p. 2.
5. ^ "Johnny Goodman wins national amateur golf crown". Palm Beach Post. Florida. Associated Press. August 29, 1937. p. 6.
6. ^ a b c d "Johnny Goodman worthy successor to Jones as leading amateur golfer". Lewiston Daily Sun. Maine. September 29, 1937. p. 8.
7. ^ Rice, Grantland (June 10, 1933). "A brave, bold finish and a stout heart explains Goodman's play". Milwaukee Journal. p. 8.
8. ^ "Goodman, from poor boy to throne, finds fame as Open champ". The Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. NEA. June 30, 1933. p. 5A.
9. ^ a b Smith, Chester L. (September 8, 1938). "Goodman close to being world's no. 1 amateur". Pittsburgh Press. p. 21.
10. ^ "He used to caddy, play with borrowed sticks, ride the cattle cars, but now look at Johnny Goodman". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 11, 1933. p. 1, sports.
11. ^ ""Hobo of Links" rises to fame". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. September 8, 1929. p. 4, sports.
12. ^ "Bobby Jones is eliminated by smart play of young Omaha star, John Goodman". Sarasota Herald. Florida. Associated Press. September 5, 1929. p. 6.
13. ^ "Golf pays dividends, says John Goodman". Milwaukee Journal. (final). October 15, 1943. p. 2, part 2.
14. ^ Sixty, Billy (September 8, 1937). "Golf has been good to Johnny Goodman". Milwaukee Journal. p. 3, part 2.
15. ^ "Johnny Goodman Golf Course". Golfing Nebraska. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
16. ^ "Golf courses". City of Omaha Parks. Retrieved June 29, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Washington Post review of The King of Swings: Johnny Goodman, the Last Amateur to Beat the Pros at Their Own Game
* Field Club of Omaha Golf and Country Club

* v
* t
* e

U.S. Open champions

* 1895 Horace Rawlins
* 1896 James Foulis
* 1897 Joe Lloyd
* 1898 Fred Herd
* 1899 Willie Smith
* 1900 Harry Vardon
* 1901 Willie Anderson†
* 1902 Laurie Auchterlonie
* 1903 Willie Anderson†
* 1904 Willie Anderson
* 1905 Willie Anderson
* 1906 Alex Smith
* 1907 Alec Ross
* 1908 Fred McLeod†
* 1909 George Sargent
* 1910 Alex Smith†
* 1911 John McDermott†
* 1912 John McDermott
* 1913 Francis Ouimet#†
* 1914‡ Walter Hagen
* 1915 Jerome Travers#
* 1916 Chick Evans#
* 1919 Walter Hagen†
* 1920 Ted Ray
* 1921‡ Jim Barnes
* 1922 Gene Sarazen
* 1923 Bobby Jones#†
* 1924 Cyril Walker
* 1925 Willie Macfarlane†
* 1926 Bobby Jones#
* 1927 Tommy Armour†
* 1928 Johnny Farrell†
* 1929 Bobby Jones#†
* 1930 Bobby Jones#
* 1931 Billy Burke†
* 1932 Gene Sarazen
* 1933 Johnny Goodman#
* 1934 Olin Dutra
* 1935 Sam Parks Jr.
* 1936 Tony Manero
* 1937 Ralph Guldahl
* 1938 Ralph Guldahl
* 1939 Byron Nelson†
* 1940 Lawson Little†
* 1941 Craig Wood
* 1946 Lloyd Mangrum†
* 1947 Lew Worsham†
* 1948 Ben Hogan
* 1949 Cary Middlecoff
* 1950 Ben Hogan†
* 1951 Ben Hogan
* 1952 Julius Boros
* 1953‡ Ben Hogan
* 1954 Ed Furgol
* 1955 Jack Fleck†
* 1956 Cary Middlecoff
* 1957 Dick Mayer†
* 1958 Tommy Bolt
* 1959 Billy Casper
* 1960 Arnold Palmer
* 1961 Gene Littler
* 1962 Jack Nicklaus†
* 1963 Julius Boros†
* 1964 Ken Venturi
* 1965 Gary Player†
* 1966 Billy Casper†
* 1967 Jack Nicklaus
* 1968 Lee Trevino
* 1969 Orville Moody
* 1970‡ Tony Jacklin
* 1971 Lee Trevino†
* 1972 Jack Nicklaus
* 1973 Johnny Miller
* 1974 Hale Irwin
* 1975 Lou Graham†
* 1976 Jerry Pate
* 1977 Hubert Green
* 1978 Andy North
* 1979 Hale Irwin
* 1980 Jack Nicklaus
* 1981 David Graham
* 1982 Tom Watson
* 1983 Larry Nelson
* 1984 Fuzzy Zoeller†
* 1985 Andy North
* 1986 Raymond Floyd
* 1987 Scott Simpson
* 1988 Curtis Strange†
* 1989 Curtis Strange
* 1990 Hale Irwin†
* 1991 Payne Stewart†
* 1992 Tom Kite
* 1993 Lee Janzen
* 1994 Ernie Els†
* 1995 Corey Pavin
* 1996 Steve Jones
* 1997 Ernie Els
* 1998 Lee Janzen
* 1999 Payne Stewart
* 2000‡ Tiger Woods
* 2001 Retief Goosen†
* 2002‡ Tiger Woods
* 2003 Jim Furyk
* 2004 Retief Goosen
* 2005 Michael Campbell
* 2006 Geoff Ogilvy
* 2007 Ángel Cabrera
* 2008 Tiger Woods†
* 2009 Lucas Glover
* 2010 Graeme McDowell
* 2011‡ Rory McIlroy
* 2012 Webb Simpson
* 2013 Justin Rose
* 2014‡ Martin Kaymer
* 2015 Jordan Spieth
* 2016 Dustin Johnson
* 2017 Brooks Koepka
* 2018 Brooks Koepka
* 2019 Gary Woodland
* 2020 Bryson DeChambeau
* 2021 Jon Rahm
* 2022 Matt Fitzpatrick
* 2023 Wyndham Clark
* 2024 Bryson DeChambeau
* 2025 J. J. Spaun

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; # indicates the event was won by an amateur; 1942–1945 cancelled due to World War II

* v
* t
* e

U.S. Amateur champions

* 1895 Charles B. Macdonald
* 1896 H. J. Whigham
* 1897 H. J. Whigham
* 1898 Findlay S. Douglas
* 1899 Herbert M. Harriman
* 1900 Walter Travis
* 1901 Walter Travis
* 1902 Louis N. James
* 1903 Walter Travis
* 1904 Chandler Egan
* 1905 Chandler Egan
* 1906 Eben Byers
* 1907 Jerome Travers
* 1908 Jerome Travers
* 1909 Robert Gardner
* 1910 William C. Fownes Jr.
* 1911 Harold Hilton†
* 1912 Jerome Travers
* 1913 Jerome Travers
* 1914 Francis Ouimet
* 1915 Robert Gardner
* 1916 Chick Evans
* 1917–18 Cancelled due to World War I
* 1919 Davidson Herron
* 1920 Chick Evans
* 1921 Jesse Guilford
* 1922 Jess Sweetser
* 1923 Max Marston†
* 1924 Bobby Jones
* 1925 Bobby Jones
* 1926 George Von Elm
* 1927 Bobby Jones
* 1928 Bobby Jones
* 1929 Jimmy Johnston
* 1930 Bobby Jones
* 1931 Francis Ouimet
* 1932 Ross Somerville
* 1933 George Dunlap
* 1934 Lawson Little
* 1935 Lawson Little
* 1936 Johnny Fischer†
* 1937 Johnny Goodman
* 1938 Willie Turnesa
* 1939 Bud Ward
* 1940 Dick Chapman
* 1941 Bud Ward
* 1942–1945 Cancelled due to World War II
* 1946 Ted Bishop†
* 1947 Skee Riegel
* 1948 Willie Turnesa
* 1949 Charles Coe
* 1950 Sam Urzetta†
* 1951 Billy Maxwell
* 1952 Jack Westland
* 1953 Gene Littler
* 1954 Arnold Palmer
* 1955 Harvie Ward
* 1956 Harvie Ward
* 1957 Hillman Robbins
* 1958 Charles Coe
* 1959 Jack Nicklaus
* 1960 Deane Beman
* 1961 Jack Nicklaus
* 1962 Labron Harris Jr.
* 1963 Deane Beman
* 1964 William C. Campbell
* 1965 Bob Murphy
* 1966 Gary Cowan†
* 1967 Bob Dickson
* 1968 Bruce Fleisher
* 1969 Steve Melnyk
* 1970 Lanny Wadkins
* 1971 Gary Cowan
* 1972 Vinny Giles
* 1973 Craig Stadler
* 1974 Jerry Pate
* 1975 Fred Ridley
* 1976 Bill Sander
* 1977 John Fought
* 1978 John Cook
* 1979 Mark O'Meara
* 1980 Hal Sutton
* 1981 Nathaniel Crosby
* 1982 Jay Sigel
* 1983 Jay Sigel
* 1984 Scott Verplank
* 1985 Sam Randolph
* 1986 Buddy Alexander
* 1987 Billy Mayfair
* 1988 Eric Meeks
* 1989 Chris Patton
* 1990 Phil Mickelson
* 1991 Mitch Voges
* 1992 Justin Leonard
* 1993 John Harris
* 1994 Tiger Woods
* 1995 Tiger Woods
* 1996 Tiger Woods†
* 1997 Matt Kuchar
* 1998 Hank Kuehne
* 1999 David Gossett
* 2000 Jeff Quinney†
* 2001 Bubba Dickerson
* 2002 Ricky Barnes
* 2003 Nick Flanagan†
* 2004 Ryan Moore
* 2005 Edoardo Molinari
* 2006 Richie Ramsay
* 2007 Colt Knost
* 2008 Danny Lee
* 2009 An Byeong-hun
* 2010 Peter Uihlein
* 2011 Kelly Kraft
* 2012 Steven Fox†
* 2013 Matt Fitzpatrick
* 2014 Gunn Yang
* 2015 Bryson DeChambeau
* 2016 Curtis Luck
* 2017 Doc Redman
* 2018 Viktor Hovland
* 2019 Andy Ogletree
* 2020 Tyler Strafaci
* 2021 James Piot
* 2022 Sam Bennett
* 2023 Nick Dunlap
* 2024 José Luis Ballester

* † indicates the event was won in extra holes.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

Other|

* Yale LUX

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