Lewis Elmer Worsham, Jr. (October 5, 1917 – October 19, 1990) was an American professional golfer, the U.S. Open champion
Early life Worsham was born on October 5, 1917, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. 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.
Professional career 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. 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
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,
Personal life Worsham married Virginia. He had one daughter and two sons: Lynda, Richard L and Thomas E.
Worsham died on October 19, 1990, at age, 73 in Poquoson, Virginia. He is buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Awards and honors
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.
Professional wins (13) 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) 1942 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship 1945 Maryland Open 1946 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship 1947 Middle Atlantic PGA Championship 1948 Cavalier Specialists Invitational 1952 Miami Beach International Four-Ball (with Ted Kroll) 1961 Tri-State PGA Championship
Major championships
Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-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).
Results timeline Tournament19381939Masters TournamentU.S. OpenWDPGA Championship
Tournament1940194119421943194419451946194719481949Masters TournamentNTNTNTT33T306U.S. OpenCUTCUTNTNTNTNTT2216T27PGA ChampionshipNTR32QFR16R16
Tournament1950195119521953195419551956195719581959Masters TournamentT42T3T744T12T49T34CUTCUTCUTU.S. OpenCUTT14T7CUTT23CUTCUTT38T45PGA ChampionshipR32R32R32R64QFR16
Tournament1960196119621963Masters Tournament44T22T29U.S. OpenCUTPGA ChampionshipT37CUTCUT
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 madeMasters Tournament 0 0 1 1 3 5 16 13U.S. Open 1 0 0 1 3 6 17 9The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0PGA Championship 0 0 0 2 5 9 11 11Totals 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)
References