Doug Sanders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Doug Sanders |
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|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | George Douglas Sanders |
| Nickname | Peacock of the Fairways |
| Born | July 24, 1933 Cedartown, Georgia |
| Died | April 12, 2020 (aged 86) Houston, Texas |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | University of Florida |
| Turned professional | 1956 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 24 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 20 |
| Champions Tour | 1 |
| Other | 3 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| The Masters Tournament | T4: 1966 |
| U.S. Open | T2: 1961 |
| The Open Championship | T2/2nd: 1966, 1970 |
| PGA Championship | T2: 1959 |
| U.S. Amateur | R64: 1956 |
| British Amateur | R256: 1956 |
George Douglas Sanders (July 24, 1933 – April 12, 2020) was a famous American professional golfer. He won 20 tournaments on the PGA Tour. He also came in second place four times in major golf championships.
Contents
Early Life
Doug Sanders grew up in a poor family in Cedartown, Georgia. His father worked on a farm and drove trucks. Doug was the fourth of five children. As a teenager, he helped pick cotton. Their family home was close to a nine-hole golf course. Doug taught himself how to play golf.
Amateur Golf Career
Doug Sanders received a sports scholarship to the University of Florida. He played for the Gators golf team in 1955. In his only year there, his team won a championship. They also finished sixth at the NCAA championship tournament. This was the Gators' best national finish at that time.
In 1956, Sanders won the Canadian Open. He was still an amateur golfer when he won. He is the only amateur ever to win that tournament. Soon after, he became a professional golfer. He was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour until 1985.
Professional Golf Career
Doug Sanders had a very successful professional career. He finished in the top ten thirteen times in major golf championships. He came in second place four times. These were at the 1959 PGA Championship, the 1961 U.S. Open, and the 1966 and 1970 Opens.
In 1966, he achieved something special. He was one of the few golfers to finish in the top ten of all four major championships in one year. However, he did not win any of them that year.
A famous moment happened at the 1970 Open Championship. Sanders was leading on the final hole. He was only 74 yards from the hole. But he took four shots to get the ball in. He missed a short putt that would have won him the tournament. The next day, he lost an 18-hole playoff to Jack Nicklaus by just one stroke.
His last win on the PGA Tour was in 1972. He won the Kemper Open by one stroke. He beat Lee Trevino in that tournament.
Doug Sanders was known for his very short and flat golf swing. This was because he had a painful neck condition. It made it hard for him to move much.
He was also part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1967. His team won the tournament in Houston.
Personal Life and Legacy
Doug Sanders was famous for his stylish and colorful clothes on the golf course. This earned him the nickname "Peacock of the Fairways." Esquire magazine even named him one of America's Ten Best Dressed Jocks in 1972.
Sanders wrote a golf instruction book called "Compact Golf" in 1964. The title was a nod to his short golf swing. His autobiography, "Come Swing with Me," was published in 1974.
In his autobiography, Sanders shared a close call. He had planned to fly with fellow golfer Tony Lema in 1966. But Sanders changed his plans at the last minute. The private plane Lema was on crashed, and there were no survivors.
After he stopped playing golf professionally, Sanders ran his own golf entertainment company. He also sponsored the Doug Sanders International Junior Golf Championship in Houston, Texas. From 1988 to 1994, he sponsored the Doug Sanders Celebrity Classic.
Doug Sanders passed away in Houston, Texas, on April 12, 2020. He was 86 years old.
Honors and Achievements
Doug Sanders received many honors for his golf career. He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. The University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame also recognized him as a "Gator Great."
Summary of Major Championship Results
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 10 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 11 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 9 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 12 |
| Totals | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 49 | 42 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (from the 1965 PGA to the 1969 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10 finishes – 4 (from the 1966 Masters to the 1966 PGA)
