Horton Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horton Smith
Smith in 1929
Personal information
Nickname	The Joplin Ghost
Born	(1908-05-22)May 22, 1908 Springfield, Missouri
Died	October 15, 1963(1963-10-15) (aged 55) Detroit, Michigan
Nationality	United States
Career
College	Southwest Missouri State - Now Missouri State University
Turned professional	1926
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	34
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	30
Other	4
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1934, 1936
U.S. Open	3rd: 1930, 1940
The Open Championship	T4: 1930
PGA Championship	T3: 1928
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1990
PGA Tour leading money winner	1936
Bob Jones Award	1962

Horton Smith (born May 22, 1908 – died October 15, 1963) was an American professional golfer. He is most famous for winning the very first Masters Tournament in 1934. He also won the Masters again in 1936. Smith was a top player during the early years of the PGA Tour.

A Golfing Star is Born

Horton Smith was born in Springfield, Missouri. He started his professional golf career in 1926. Just two years later, in 1928, he won his first big tournament, the Oklahoma City Open.

In 1929, he had an amazing year, winning eight different golf titles! This was a time when professional golf was growing fast. The PGA Tour was officially started in 1934. Horton Smith quickly became one of its best players. He even earned the most money on the tour in 1936.

Winning the Masters

Smith won a total of 30 PGA Tour events. His biggest wins were his two major championships at the Masters Tournament. He won the very first Masters in 1934. He won it again in 1936. The 1936 Masters was special because it was the first time the tournament ended on a Monday due to rain.

Horton Smith was also a member of the Ryder Cup team five times. The Ryder Cup is a major golf competition between teams from the United States and Europe. He played in 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, and 1937. His record in the Ryder Cup was very good, with three wins and only one tied match.

A cool fact about Smith is that he was the only golfer to beat Bobby Jones in 1930. That was the year Bobby Jones achieved his famous Grand Slam in golf. Smith beat him at the Savannah Open in February. Horton Smith played in every Masters Tournament until 1963, the year he passed away.

Life After Playing Golf

During World War II, Horton Smith served in the United States Army Air Forces. He worked in a special division that organized sports for soldiers. He left the army as a captain.

After the war, in 1946, he became the main golf professional at the Detroit Golf Club in Michigan. He stayed there until he died. He also served as the president of the PGA of America from 1952 to 1954.

During his time as president, there was a rule in the PGA of America that only allowed white golfers to be members. Horton Smith supported reviewing this rule, but it wasn't changed until 1961.

His older brother, Renshaw Smith, also became a golf professional. When Horton left Oak Park Country Club in 1936, Renshaw took his place.

His Final Years

Horton Smith died in 1963 at the age of 55. He passed away from Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. He had lost a lung to cancer six years before. He is buried in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. He was the first Masters champion to pass away.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Horton Smith received many honors for his contributions to golf:

• He was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1984.
• In 1990, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• In 1960, golf writers gave him the Ben Hogan Award. This award is for golfers who overcome physical challenges and continue to play.
• In 1962, he received the Bob Jones Award. This is the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association for great sportsmanship in golf.
• The PGA of America used to give out the Horton Smith Award every year. It was for golf professionals who helped with PGA education. However, in 2020, it was renamed the PGA Professional Development Award. This change happened because Smith had supported the "Caucasian-only" membership rule in the PGA's past.
• A public golf course in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri, is named after him.
• A golf tournament at the Detroit Golf Club is also named in his honor.
• Many believe he was the first professional golfer to really study putting. He used it as a way to gain an advantage over his opponents.
• In September 2013, Horton Smith's green jacket sold for over $682,000 at an auction. This jacket was given to him in 1949 for his Masters wins. It was the highest price ever paid for a piece of golf history.

Major Championship Summary

Horton Smith had a very successful career in major golf championships.

• He made the cut in 43 tournaments in a row from 1927 to 1946.
• He had a streak of finishing in the top 10 three times, and he did this twice!

See Also

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins