Walter Hagen has won 11 professional titles, more than each golfer not named Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus. But more compared to the victories, Hagen's effect is felt in his virtually single-handed legitimizing in the PGA Tour, and also the standing of expert athletes around the world.
At the beginning of Hagen's career, it wasn't uncommon for golf clubs to refuse admission to their clubhouses to pro golfers. Hagen fights to raise standards for pro golfers. When with a contest in England, he borrowed a Pierce-Arrow limousine, parked it as you're watching clubhouse and utilized it as a changing room following the club refused him admission to its locker room.
Hagen's presence at the tournament guaranteed excellent crowd, and he commanded big appearance money for exhibition matches. He was among the first golfers to exploit item endorsements; and he is a first athlete to earn $1 million in a career.
Hagen spent my childhood years just some miles from your famed Oak Hill Country Club. As being a youth, he caddied at Rochester (N.Y.) Country Club, where later however be head pro.
His first win in a very significant was the 1914 U.S. Open, at age 22, but his greatest success came in the early to mid-1920s. In all of the, he won 11 majors, such as five PGA Championships, 4 of them consecutively. Additionally, he won the Western Open 5 times, which in this time was considered a major.
Hagen brought color and glamour to golf, playing in two-toned and plus-four shoes (he was the first sportsperson ever called on the set of Best Dressed Americans). His moves was inconsistent and he probability hit more poor drives and approaches than one of the all-time bests, but his recovery game is excellent he generally got away regarding his mistakes.
He was equally exciting and flamboyant off of the course, earning and spending funds lavishly. Hagen frequently stayed at the top hotels, threw the best party, and hire limousines to consider him to competitions (in some cases pulling the limo proper around the very first tee).
Walter Hagen was introduced into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Image official credit website:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Hagen
