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Walter Hagen

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Golfer

The Resume

    (December 21, 1892-October 6, 1969)
    Born in Rochester, New York
    45 PGA Tour wins
    Won two US Opens (1914,1919), four British Opens (1922,1924,1928-29) and five PGA Championships (1921,1924-27)
    Captained the US in the first six Ryder Cups (1927-37)
    Charter member of the World Golf Hall of Fame (1974)

Why he might be annoying:

    One of his careers before becoming a full-time golf pro was as a taxidermist.
    He had a pronounced sway in his swing that produced an erratic long game.
    He never defeated rival Bobby Jones in a major tournament.
    His bag contained 22 clubs rather than the standard 14 because his endorsement contract paid him $500 for each club he carried.
    He spent money as fast as he earned it, noting 'I never wanted to be a millionaire, just to live like one.'
    During their divorce, wife Edna Strauss said, 'Unless a woman is a golf addict herself, she should never marry a confirmed golfer. Walter lived golf, asleep and awake. Before dinner and after he was practicing strokes in the living room.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a good enough baseball player to be invited to a tryout for the Philadelphia Phillies (1914).
    He was known for his great recovery shots, with Bobby Jones saying, 'When a man misses his drive, then misses his second shot, then wins the hole with a birdie, it gets my goat.'
    He worked with Wilson Sports to produce the first set of matched irons for sale.
    He was the first golfer to be a full-time touring professional.
    He was known for his efforts to get professionals accepted on the same level as amateurs.
    When pros were banned from the clubhouse at the 1920 British Open, he hired a limo to serve as his dressing room.
    Gene Sarazen said, 'All the professionals should say a silent thanks to Walter Hagen each time they stretch a check between their fingers. It was Walter who made professional golf what it is.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 20 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying