Doug Ford (golfer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doug Ford
Personal information
Full name	Douglas Michael Ford Sr.
Born	(1922-08-06)August 6, 1922 West Haven, Connecticut
Died	May 14, 2018(2018-05-14) (aged 95) Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Nationality	United States
Career
Turned professional	1949
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	34
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	19
Other	12 (regular) 3 (senior)
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1957
U.S. Open	T5: 1959
The Open Championship	T24: 1964
PGA Championship	Won: 1955
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	2011
PGA Player of the Year	1955

Douglas Michael Ford Sr. (born Douglas Michael Fortunato; August 6, 1922 – May 14, 2018) was a famous American professional golfer. He won two major golf championships during his career. Ford became a professional golfer in 1949. He went on to win the 1955 PGA Championship and the 1957 Masters Tournament. He was also part of four Ryder Cup teams and was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

Doug Ford's Golf Journey

Early Life and Start in Golf

Doug Ford was born in West Haven, Connecticut, on August 6, 1922. During World War II, he served in the Coast Guard Air Division. After the war, he became a professional golfer in 1949. His first big win came in 1952 at the Jacksonville Open.

This win in Jacksonville was quite unusual. Doug Ford and another famous golfer, Sam Snead, were tied. They were supposed to have an 18-hole playoff the next day. But Snead decided to give up and let Ford win! Snead explained that he wanted to be fair. He didn't want anyone to think he had an unfair advantage from a rule earlier in the tournament.

Winning Major Championships

Ford's first major title was the PGA Championship in 1955. This tournament was played as match play, where golfers compete head-to-head. He beat Cary Middlecoff in the final match. Because of his great performance, Ford was named the PGA Player of the Year in 1955.

In 1957, he won the Masters Tournament. On the very last hole, he hit a shot from a tough spot in a sand bunker. This amazing shot helped him come from behind and beat Sam Snead by three strokes. His last of 19 PGA Tour wins happened in 1963.

His Amazing Masters Record

Doug Ford played in the Masters Tournament 49 times. This was a record for many years! Later, Arnold Palmer broke it when he played his 50th Masters in 2004. Ford's last Masters was in 2001 when he was 78 years old. He had to stop playing early in that tournament.

Team USA Golfer

Ford was a key player for the United States in the Ryder Cup. He played on the team four times: in 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1961. The Ryder Cup is a famous competition between teams from the U.S. and Europe. He also played on the Hopkins Trophy team three times, winning all of them.

Hall of Fame and Later Years

Doug Ford was recognized for his achievements many times. He was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame in 1972. Then, in 1992, he joined the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Finally, in 2011, he was inducted into the prestigious World Golf Hall of Fame.

During his Hall of Fame speech, Ford shared a cool story. He was good enough at baseball to get an offer from the New York Yankees! But his father asked him how long he expected to play baseball. When Doug said about 10 years, his father told him, "Why don't you stay with the golf. You'll last forever." His father was right! Doug Ford continued to play golf regularly even when he was 88 years old.

Doug Ford passed away in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on May 14, 2018. He was 95 years old.

Doug Ford's Big Wins

Doug Ford had a very successful career, winning many tournaments. He won a total of 34 professional tournaments.

PGA Tour Wins

He won 19 tournaments on the PGA Tour. His two major championship wins were part of these 19 victories:

• 1955 PGA Championship
• 1957 Masters Tournament

Some of his other notable PGA Tour wins include:

• 1952 Jacksonville Open
• 1953 Virginia Beach Open
• 1953 Labatt Open
• 1953 Miami Open
• 1954 Greater Greensboro Open
• 1954 Fort Wayne Open
• 1955 All American Open
• 1955 Carling Golf Classic
• 1957 Los Angeles Open
• 1957 Western Open
• 1958 Pensacola Open Invitational
• 1959 Canadian Open
• 1960 500 Festival Open Invitation
• 1961 500 Festival Open Invitation (his second time winning this event)
• 1962 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am
• 1962 Eastern Open Invitational
• 1963 Canadian Open (his second time winning this event)

Other Wins

Ford also won 12 other tournaments that were not part of the main PGA Tour:

• 1956 Metropolitan Open
• 1957 Panama Open, Metropolitan PGA Championship, Westchester PGA Championship
• 1958 Metropolitan PGA Championship
• 1959 Eldorado Professional (tied with Sam Snead)
• 1960 Metropolitan PGA Championship
• 1961 Westchester Open, Westchester PGA Championship
• 1963 Westchester Open, Metropolitan PGA Championship, Westchester PGA Championship

Senior Wins

Later in his career, as a senior golfer, he won 3 more tournaments:

• 1981 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am
• 1987 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Legendary Division (with Jerry Barber)
• 1996 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Art Wall Jr.)

Major Championship Summary

Doug Ford won 2 major championships and had strong finishes in others:

• He made the cut in 31 tournaments in a row from 1951 to 1963.
• He had a streak of 4 top-10 finishes from 1955 to 1956.

U.S. National Team Appearances

• Ryder Cup: 1955 (winners), 1957, 1959 (winners), 1961 (winners)
• Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1956 (winners)

See also

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins