Graham Vivian Marsh MBE (born 14 January 1944) is an Australian golfer. In 1968, Marsh turned pro and won several tournaments on the Australasian circuits early in his career. He joined the PGA Tour in the mid-1970s and won the 1977 Heritage Classic. However, he elected to focus the remainder of his career overseas, ultimately winning ten times on the European Tour and twenty times on the Japan Golf Tour. As a senior, he continued with much success on the Champions Tour, winning two senior majors, including the U.S. Senior Open.
Early life Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. His brother was cricketer Rod Marsh.
Marsh attended the University of Western Australia and Claremont Teachers College. Marsh is a former mathematics teacher.
Professional career Marsh's first professional tournament was in May 1968 at South Australian Open. He finished in solo third place. Peter Thomson, writing about the event for The Age, stated that "this talented player seems sure to finish higher before long." In 1970 he played well at New Zealand's Caltex Tournament. Entering the par-5 18th hole he was tied for the lead with Maurice Bembridge and Terry Kendall. However, he could only make par. His competitors played the hole under par to defeat him. Marsh finished in solo third at 287, one behind.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Marsh was a regular winner on the European Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. He also won several events in Asia outside Japan, winning the Asia Golf Circuit overall title in 1972 and 1973, and one on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, the 1977 Heritage Classic. Marsh had an outstanding win rate on the European Tour, where he accumulated eleven titles even though he never played more than seven events in Europe in a season. He also won the Colgate World Match Play Championship, which was not an official money European Tour event at the time, in England in 1977. He had 56 wins in all in his regular career, making him one of the most successful players of his era not to win a major championship.
Senior career As a senior, Marsh has played extensively in the United States on the Champions Tour winning six events including two senior majors: the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and the 1999 Tradition. He has also won the Japan Senior Open twice.
Marsh is also active in golf course design through Graham Marsh Golf Design which he established in 1986. The company's early projects were in Australia and Japan, but it later branched out to other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States. His work has included courses such as The Vines Resort (Perth), Palm Meadows Resort (Gold Coast) Old Silo (Kentucky), Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club (New South Wales) and Terrey Hills Golf & Country Club just to name a few. During this era, Marsh was also the chairman of the PGA Tour of Australasia as well.
In 2004, he became the first player on the four main golf tours (PGA Tour, European Tour, Champions Tour or the European Senior Tour) to ace the same hole twice in a tournament when he had a hole-in-one on No. 11 at Royal Portrush Golf Club during the 2004 Senior British Open Championship.
Awards and honors In 1977, Marsh was voted Australian Sportsman of the year In 1977, Marsh was awarded the Golf Digest Rookie of the Year. In 1984, Marsh was made an MBE for services to golf.
Professional wins (70) PGA Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up127 Mar 1977Heritage Classic−11 (65-72-67-69=273)1 stroke Tom Watson
Source:
European Tour wins (10) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up130 Jul 1972Swiss Open−14 (67-67-66-70=270)1 stroke Tony Jacklin26 Aug 1972German Open−13 (70-70-67-64=271)4 strokes Brian Huggett330 Jun 1973Sunbeam Electric Scottish Open−2 (72-69-68-77=286)6 strokes Peter Oosterhuis425 Sep 1976Benson & Hedges International Open−12 (67-66-71-68=272)2 strokes Mark James529 Jul 1979Dutch Open−3 (71-70-74-70=285)1 stroke Antonio Garrido, Malcolm Gregson66 Oct 1979Dunlop Masters−5 (70-68-72-73=283)1 stroke Isao Aoki, Neil Coles710 Aug 1980Benson & Hedges International Open (2)−16 (65-64-73-70=272)2 strokes John Bland86 Sep 1981Dixcel Tissues European Open−13 (67-72-68-68=275)2 strokes Seve Ballesteros913 Jul 1985Lawrence Batley International Golf Classic−5 (69-71-70-73=283)2 strokes Rick Hartmann1028 Jul 1985KLM Dutch Open (2)−6 (68-68-73-73=282)1 stroke Bernhard Langer
European Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11975Scandinavian Enterprise Open George BurnsLost to par on first extra hole
Other European wins (3) 1970 Swiss Open 1977 Lancome Trophy, Colgate World Match Play Championship
PGA of Japan Tour wins (20) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up112 Aug 1973Fujisankei Classic−16 (68-66-70-68=272)1 stroke Tōru Nakamura212 May 1974Fujisankei Classic (2)−12 (71-67-71-67=276)1 stroke Tōru Nakamura319 May 1974Dunlop Tournament−12 (68-67-68-69=276)3 strokes Masashi Ozaki, Teruo Sugihara426 May 1974Pepsi-Wilson Tournament−4 (71-74-72-67=284)Playoff Hsieh Yung-yo53 Nov 1974Bridgestone Tournament−10 (67-75-67-69=278)1 stroke Seiichi Numazawa615 Jun 1975Sapporo Tokyu Open−8 (71-71-71-67=280)1 stroke Hsieh Yung-yo, Shozo Miyamoto729 Aug 1976KBC Augusta−9 (69-69-69=207)Playoff Haruo Yasuda812 Sep 1976Suntory Open−15 (66-68-66-73=273)3 strokes Isao Aoki928 Nov 1976Dunlop Phoenix Tournament−16 (66-69-65-72=272)6 strokes Miller Barber101 May 1977Chunichi CrownsE (71-73-70-66=280)4 strokes Kenji Mori112 Sep 1979ANA Sapporo Open−4 (71-73-68-72=284)2 strokes Kikuo Arai123 May 1981Chunichi Crowns (2)−3 (73-72-65-67=277)2 strokes D. A. Weibring1321 Jun 1981Pepsi-Wilson Tournament (2)−18 (70-68-66-66=270)1 stroke Yutaka Hagawa1430 May 1982Mitsubishi Galant Tournament (2)−13 (66-69-69-67=271)Playoff Teruo Sugihara1519 Jun 1983Yomiuri Open−12 (72-71-67-70=280)Playoff Tōru Nakamura166 Oct 1985Tokai Classic−10 (70-71-68-69=278)1 stroke Isao Aoki1714 Sep 1986Suntory Open (2)−13 (67-69-67-72=275)Playoff Isao Aoki1815 Nov 1987Visa Taiheiyo Club Masters−12 (70-69-71-66=276)1 stroke Tom Watson1911 Jun 1989Sapporo Tokyu Open (2)−6 (71-65-76-70=282)3 strokes Katsuji Hasegawa, Tsuneyuki Nakajima2030 Sep 1990Tokai Classic (2)−10 (70-72-64=206)2 strokes Saburo Fujiki, Tadami Ueno
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (5–5) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11973World Friendship Isao Aoki, Lu Liang-HuanLu won with birdie on first extra hole21974Pepsi-Wilson Tournament Hsieh Yung-yoWon with birdie on fourth extra hole31976Pepsi-Wilson Tournament Brian Jones, Shozo Miyamoto, Peter ThomsonThomson won with par on fourteenth extra holeJones eliminated by par on fourth holeMiyamoto eliminated by par on first hole41976KBC Augusta Haruo YasudaWon with birdie on first extra hole51978Japan Open Golf Championship Seve BallesterosLost to birdie on first extra hole61982Fujisankei Classic Tsuneyuki NakajimaLost to par on first extra hole71982Mitsubishi Galant Tournament Teruo SugiharaWon with par on first extra hole81983Pocari-Sweat Hakuryuko Open Saburo Fujiki, Shinsaku Maeda, Hiroshi MakinoMakino won with birdie on second extra hole after three-hole aggregate playoff;Fujiki: −1 (3-4-4=11),Makino: −1 (3-4-4=11),Marsh: +1 (3-5-5=13),Maeda: +2 (4-5-5=14)91983Yomiuri Open Tōru NakamuraWon with birdie on third extra hole101986Suntory Open Isao AokiWon with par on first extra hole
Other Japan wins (5) 1972 Dunlop Tournament 1973 Japan vs Australia Match individual 1975 Dunlop Wizard 1976 Dunlop Wizard 1977 Dunlop Wizard
Asia Golf Circuit wins (5) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up121 Mar 1971Indian Open−17 (66-66-74-69=275)1 stroke David Graham225 Mar 1973Indian Open (2)−12 (71-73-68-68=280)3 strokes Stewart Ginn31 Apr 1973Thailand Open−2 (75-73-66-72=286)2 strokes Ben Arda, Mitsutaka Kono410 Mar 1974Malaysian Open−10 (69-70-69-70=278)1 stroke Wally Kuchar59 Mar 1975Malaysian Open (2)−12 (66-69-71-70=276)2 strokes Hsieh Min-Nan
Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (0–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11974Hong Kong Open Lu Liang-HuanLost to birdie on third extra hole21974Indonesia Open Ben Arda, Hsu Chi-sanArda won with par on sixth extra holeHsu eliminated by par on first hole
Other Asian wins (1) 1976 Dunhill International Match-Play (Hong Kong)
PGA Tour of Australia wins (7) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up19 Apr 1978Western Australia PGA Championship−8 (71-70-69-70=280)7 strokes Graham Johnson224 Jan 1982Ford Dealers South Australian Open−13 (71-67-67-70=275)8 strokes Bill Dunk321 Feb 1982Australian Masters−3 (71-72-71-75=289)1 stroke Stewart Ginn417 Oct 1982Dunhill Queensland Open−3 (73-69-70-73=285)Playoff Wayne Grady57 Nov 1982Mayne Nickless Australian PGA Championship−6 (71-69-70-72=282)3 strokes John Clifford, Ben Crenshaw, Bob Shearer630 Oct 1983Resch's Pilsner Tweed Classic−12 (69-70-70-67=276)1 stroke Terry Gale711 Dec 1983New Zealand PGA Championship−11 (70-72-68-67=277)2 strokes Vaughan Somers
PGA Tour of Australia playoff record (1–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11976Victorian Open Guy WolstenholmeLost to birdie on third extra hole21982Dunhill Queensland Open Wayne GradyWon with par on first extra hole
Other Australian wins (6) 1966 Royal Fremantle Open (as an amateur) 1966 Nedlands Masters (as an amateur) 1967 Nedlands Masters (as an amateur) 1968 Western Australian Open 1969 Western Australia PGA Championship 1976 Western Australian Open
New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up119 Dec 1970Wattie's Tournament−18 (65-65-62-70=262)3 strokes Kel Nagle23 Jan 1971Spalding Masters−14 (67-67-66-66=266)2 strokes Guy Wolstenholme
Champions Tour wins (6) LegendChampions Tour major championships (2)Other Champions Tour (4) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up14 Jun 1995 Bruno's Memorial Classic −15 (68-63-70=201)5 strokes J. C. Snead25 May 1996PaineWebber Invitational−10 (66-71-69=206)1 stroke Brian Barnes, Tom Wargo31 Sep 1996Franklin Quest Championship−14 (70-65-67=202)2 strokes Kermit Zarley422 Jun 1997Nationwide Championship−18 (67-68-70=205)1 stroke Hale Irwin529 Jun 1997U.S. Senior Open−8 (72-67-67-74=280)1 stroke John Bland64 Apr 1999 The Tradition−8 (69-67=136)3 strokes Larry Nelson
Champions Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12004MasterCard Classic Ed FioriLost to par on third extra hole
Other senior wins (4) 1997 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with John Bland) 1998 Japan Senior Open 1999 Japan Senior Open 2010 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with John Bland)
Results in major championships Tournament1970197119721973197419751976197719781979Masters TournamentT31T22T9T31T28U.S. OpenT35CUTT16The Open ChampionshipT2557T50T31T446T17T15CUTT7PGA ChampionshipT58T7T16
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989Masters TournamentT33U.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipT45T19T254T9T20T56T11T38PGA Championship
Tournament199019911992199319941995199619971998Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTThe Open ChampionshipT44PGA Championship
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 1 2 6 6U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 2The Open Championship 0 0 0 1 4 11 20 19PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 3Totals 0 0 0 1 6 16 33 30 Most consecutive cuts made – 16 (1978 PGA – 1991 Open Championship) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 1997 U.S. Senior Open E (72-67-67-74=280) 1 stroke John Bland 1999 The Tradition −8 (69-67=136) 3 strokes Larry Nelson
Team appearances Dunhill Cup (representing Australia): 1985 (winners) Four Tours World Championship (representing Australasia): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991
See also Fall 1976 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates List of golfers with most Japan Golf Tour wins List of golfers with most European Tour wins
Notes