Ralph Guldahl

American professional golfer (1911–1987)

Ralph Guldahl

Personal information
Full name| Ralph J. Guldahl
Born| (1911-11-22)November 22, 1911
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died| June 11, 1987(1987-06-11) (aged 75)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Height| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight| 175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality|  United States
Spouse| Laverne
Children| 1
Career
College| None
Turned professional| 1931
Former tour(s)| PGA Tour
Professional wins| 16
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour| 16
Best results in major championships
(wins: 3)
Masters Tournament| Won: 1939
PGA Championship| T3: 1940
U.S. Open| Won: 1937, 1938
The Open Championship| T11: 1937
Achievements and awards
| World Golf Hall of Fame| 1981 (member page)

|

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.[1][2] He won sixteen PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, including three majors (two U.S. Opens and one Masters).

## Early life and education

[edit]

Born in Dallas, Texas, Guhldahl was a 1930 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School.[3]

## Professional tournament career

[edit]

### Initial success, slump

[edit]

Guldahl started playing on the professional tournament circuit in 1931, and won an event in his rookie season before turning 20 years of age, setting a record that would not be matched until 2013, when Jordan Spieth won the John Deere Classic. 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.

### Comeback

[edit]

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."[4]

### Breakthrough at major level

[edit]

Guldahl won three major championships. He claimed the U.S. Open title in 1937, with a then-record score of 281. He successfully defended the national title with his win in 1938, and was the last to win the U.S. Open while wearing a necktie during play in 1938.[5] Guldahl was runner-up at the Masters in both 1937 and 1938, before taking that title in 1939. He played on his only Ryder Cup team in 1937, the last before a decade hiatus due to World War II.

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. Guldahl put together five straight seasons, from 1936 to 1940, with multiple PGA Tour titles.

## Book contract and decision to retire

[edit]

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."[4] His son, Ralph, claimed that his father over-analyzed his swing and it fell apart. According to his wife, Laverne: "When he sat down to write that book, that's when he lost his game."[4]

In an interview with The New York Times in 1979, Guldahl himself offered a different explanation for the slump in his game. When asked about destroying his talent by practicing in front of a mirror while writing the book, he responded: "Nonsense. No such thing ever happened."[4] During the interview, he offered several reasons for retiring: he was tired of life on the road; he wanted more time with his family; and the wartime slowdown in tournaments caused his game to grow rusty and he had little inclination to train. "I never did have a tremendous desire to win."[4]

Paul Collins summed up Guldahl's decision to retire with these words: "Guldahl's fate had little to do with overthinking his game, and much to do with the untutored Dallas boy who once loved to play abandoned courses and baseball diamonds alone. Far more than fame, what Ralph Guldahl wanted was a nice, quiet game of golf."[4] Guldahl played occasionally in the 1940s but then quit tournament golf for good, except for several seasons in the 1960s, when he played in the Masters, as an eligible past champion, without notable success.

## Club professional

[edit]

Guldahl with 1937 U.S. Open trophy.

He spent the rest of his working life as a club professional. In 1961, he became the club pro at the new Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, California, where he was an instructor until his death.[2] Among his students was billionaire Howard Hughes.

## Legacy

[edit]

Guldahl was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1980.[6] Guldahl was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. He died in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1987 at age 75.

In 1989, Guldahl was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame when it was created during the celebration of the school's 60th Anniversary. He is a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.[7]

## PGA Tour wins (16)

[edit]

* 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 are shown in bold.

## Major championships

[edit]

### Wins (3)

[edit]

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

|
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|
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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

[edit]

Tournament  | 1930  | 1931  | 1932  | 1933  | 1934  | 1935  | 1936  | 1937  | 1938  | 1939

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Masters Tournament | NYF  | NYF  | NYF  | NYF  |  |  |  | 2  | T2  | 1
U.S. Open | T39  | T32  | T58  | 2  | T8  | T40  | T8  | 1 | 1 | T7
The Open Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | T11  |  |
PGA Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | R32  | R32  | R32
Tournament  | 1940  | 1941  | 1942  | 1943  | 1944  | 1945  | 1946  | 1947  | 1948  | 1949

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Masters Tournament | T14  | T14  | 21  | NT  | NT  | NT  | 48  |  | T35  |
U.S. Open | T5  | T21  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | CUT  | T55  | T32  | 22
The Open Championship | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  | NT  |  |  |  |
PGA Championship | SF  | R16  |  | NT  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tournament  | 1950  | 1951  | 1952  | 1953  | 1954  | 1955  | 1956  | 1957  | 1958  | 1959

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Masters Tournament |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. Open |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
The Open Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
PGA Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tournament  | 1960  | 1961  | 1962  | 1963  | 1964  | 1965  | 1966  | 1967  | 1968  | 1969

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Masters Tournament |  |  |  |  | CUT  | CUT  |  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT
U.S. Open |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
The Open Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
PGA Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tournament  | 1970  | 1971  | 1972  | 1973

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Masters Tournament | CUT  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT
U.S. Open |  |  |  |
The Open Championship |  |  |  |
PGA Championship |  |  |  |

Win

Top 10

Did not play

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

[edit]

Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made

|
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Masters Tournament | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 8
U.S. Open | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 15
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5
Totals | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 21 | 39 | 29

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

## See also

[edit]

* List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
* List of men's major championships winning golfers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Thomas, Robert McG. Jr. (June 14, 1987). "Ralph Guldahl dies at 75; golfer dominated tour, then quit". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
2. ^ a b Glick, Shav (June 18, 1987). "A gentle man praised: Ralph Guldahl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
3. ^ "Wildcat Alumni Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 20, 2013.
4. ^ a b c d e f Collins, Paul (June 13, 2009). "How the world's greatest golfer lost his game". New Scientist. No. 2712\. pp. 44–5. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
5. ^ "The Year in Golf, 1938". Retrieved November 23, 2007.
6. ^ "Ralph Guldahl: Class of 1980". Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
7. ^ "Hall of Famers". Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 25, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Ralph Guldahl at the World Golf Hall of Fame
* Texas State Historical Association – Ralph Guldahl
* Braemar Country Club – History – Ralph Guldahl
* Ralph Guldahl at Find a Grave

Ralph Guldahl in the major championships

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Masters Tournament champions

* 1934 Horton Smith
* 1935 Gene Sarazen†
* 1936 Horton Smith
* 1937 Byron Nelson
* 1938 Henry Picard
* 1939 Ralph Guldahl
* 1940 Jimmy Demaret
* 1941‡ Craig Wood
* 1942 Byron Nelson†
* 1946 Herman Keiser
* 1947 Jimmy Demaret
* 1948 Claude Harmon
* 1949 Sam Snead
* 1950 Jimmy Demaret
* 1951 Ben Hogan
* 1952 Sam Snead
* 1953 Ben Hogan
* 1954 Sam Snead†
* 1955 Cary Middlecoff
* 1956 Jack Burke Jr.
* 1957 Doug Ford
* 1958 Arnold Palmer
* 1959 Art Wall Jr.
* 1960‡ Arnold Palmer
* 1961 Gary Player
* 1962 Arnold Palmer†
* 1963 Jack Nicklaus
* 1964 Arnold Palmer
* 1965 Jack Nicklaus
* 1966 Jack Nicklaus†
* 1967 Gay Brewer
* 1968 Bob Goalby
* 1969 George Archer
* 1970 Billy Casper†
* 1971 Charles Coody
* 1972‡ Jack Nicklaus
* 1973 Tommy Aaron
* 1974 Gary Player
* 1975 Jack Nicklaus
* 1976‡ Raymond Floyd
* 1977 Tom Watson
* 1978 Gary Player
* 1979 Fuzzy Zoeller†
* 1980 Seve Ballesteros
* 1981 Tom Watson
* 1982 Craig Stadler†
* 1983 Seve Ballesteros
* 1984 Ben Crenshaw
* 1985 Bernhard Langer
* 1986 Jack Nicklaus
* 1987 Larry Mize†
* 1988 Sandy Lyle
* 1989 Nick Faldo†
* 1990 Nick Faldo†
* 1991 Ian Woosnam
* 1992 Fred Couples
* 1993 Bernhard Langer
* 1994 José María Olazábal
* 1995 Ben Crenshaw
* 1996 Nick Faldo
* 1997 Tiger Woods
* 1998 Mark O'Meara
* 1999 José María Olazábal
* 2000 Vijay Singh
* 2001 Tiger Woods
* 2002 Tiger Woods
* 2003 Mike Weir†
* 2004 Phil Mickelson
* 2005 Tiger Woods†
* 2006 Phil Mickelson
* 2007 Zach Johnson
* 2008 Trevor Immelman
* 2009 Ángel Cabrera†
* 2010 Phil Mickelson
* 2011 Charl Schwartzel
* 2012 Bubba Watson†
* 2013 Adam Scott†
* 2014 Bubba Watson
* 2015‡ Jordan Spieth
* 2016 Danny Willett
* 2017 Sergio García†
* 2018 Patrick Reed
* 2019 Tiger Woods
* 2020 Dustin Johnson
* 2021 Hideki Matsuyama
* 2022 Scottie Scheffler
* 2023 Jon Rahm
* 2024 Scottie Scheffler

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943–1945 cancelled due to World War II

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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

† 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

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United States Ryder Cup team – 1937

* Ed Dudley
* Ralph Guldahl
* Tony Manero
* Byron Nelson
* Henry Picard
* Johnny Revolta
* Gene Sarazen
* Denny Shute
* Horton Smith
* Sam Snead

* Walter Hagen (non-playing captain)

Won: 8 - 4

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