Jack Burke Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Burke Jr. |
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Burke, circa 1950
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Joseph Burke Jr. |
| Nickname | Jackie |
| Born | January 29, 1923 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 2024 (aged 100) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1941 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 19 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 16 |
| Other | 3 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 1956 |
| U.S. Open | T10: 1955 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
| PGA Championship | Won: 1956 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 2000 |
| Vardon Trophy | 1952 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 1956 |
| PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award |
2003 |
| Bob Jones Award | 2004 |
John Joseph Burke Jr. (born January 29, 1923, died January 19, 2024) was an American professional golfer. He was very famous in the 1950s. His father, Jack Burke Sr., was also a professional golfer.
Jack Jr. won two big golf tournaments, called "majors," in 1956. These were the Masters and the PGA Championship. He is also a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, a special place for golf legends.
Burke won 16 PGA Tour events between 1950 and 1963. In 1950, he won four times. In 1952, he won five times, including four weeks in a row. His last big win was in 1963, just before he turned 40.
He was part of the American Ryder Cup team five times, from 1951 to 1959. In 1957, he was the playing captain. Great Britain won that year, which was their first win since 1933. He was also the non-playing captain in 1973. He had a great record, winning 7 out of 8 matches.
In 1957, Burke and Jimmy Demaret started the Champions Golf Club in Houston. This club has hosted many important golf events. These include the 1967 Ryder Cup and the 1969 U.S. Open.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Jack Burke Jr. was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He started playing golf when he was seven years old. His father, Jack Burke Sr., was a golf professional at Houston's River Oaks Country Club. Sadly, his father passed away in 1943. Jack Sr. had been a runner-up at the U.S. Open in 1920.
Young Jack Burke Jr. finished high school at St. Thomas High School in Houston in 1940. He went to Rice University in 1941. While still an amateur player, he played in the 1941 U.S. Open. This was the first time the U.S. Open was held in Texas.
In 1942, he became a professional golfer at Galveston Country Club. From 1942 to 1946, he served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. There, he taught combat skills to Marines.
Golf Career Highlights
After the war, Burke decided to continue his golf career. He had thought about working in the oil fields of Texas. His first golf job was teaching at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, New Jersey. Then, he worked as an assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club. There, he learned a lot from Claude Harmon. In 1948, he became the club professional at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York.
In January 1949, Burke almost won the Long Beach Open, finishing tied for third. In September, he won the Metropolitan Open at his home club. He finished six strokes ahead of famous golfer Gene Sarazen.
Rising to Fame
Burke started 1950 well, finishing third in the Los Angeles Open. A few days later, he was one of four players who tied for first in the Bing Crosby Pro-Am. In February, he won his first solo PGA Tour event, the Rio Grande Valley Open. He won two more times that year. He ended up fifth on the PGA Tour money list.
In 1951, he didn't win any tournaments but finished second five times. He was again fifth on the money list. The year 1952 was amazing for Burke. In February and March, he won four tournaments in four weeks. He won three of these by six or more strokes. He won another in a three-way playoff. He had his fifth win of the season in December. He also lost two playoffs that year and finished second in the Masters. Burke won the Vardon Trophy in 1952. This award is for the golfer with the lowest average score. He finished third on the money list.
Burke won another PGA Tour event in 1953. In 1954, he didn't win but finished second for the Vardon Trophy. He also finished second on the money list. This was helped by a $7,500 prize from the World Championship of Golf. In 1955, he reached the quarterfinals of the 1955 PGA Championship. He lost a very long 40-hole match to Cary Middlecoff.
Major Wins in 1956
Burke won two major championships in 1956. These were the Masters and the PGA Championship.
In his Masters victory, Burke started the final round eight strokes behind. He had to catch up to Ken Venturi, who was an amateur player. After three rounds, Venturi was four strokes ahead of Cary Middlecoff. Everyone else was at least seven shots behind. After 8 holes in the final round, Venturi was six strokes ahead of Middlecoff and Burke. Middlecoff made a big mistake on the 17th hole. Burke played steadily, finishing the last 10 holes with a level score. Venturi, however, made seven bogeys. This allowed Burke to win by one shot over Venturi.
For the 1956 PGA Championship, the tournament format was different. 128 players competed in a match play style. Burke won 7 matches to reach the 36-hole semifinals. In his semifinal against Ed Furgol, Burke was 5 holes down after 14 holes. But he made an amazing comeback and won on the 37th hole. He then faced Ted Kroll in the final. Kroll was 3 holes up after 19 holes. But Burke made 5 birdies in 6 holes to go 2 holes up. He eventually won the match 3&2. Because of his great year, he was named PGA Player of the Year in 1956.
After 1956, Burke had fewer wins. But he still won more PGA Tour events in 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1963. This brought his total career wins to 16. In 1958, he had his best season after 1956, finishing 14th on the tour money list.
Ryder Cup and Champions Golf Club
Burke was on five American Ryder Cup teams from 1951 to 1959. He was the playing captain in 1957. He was also the non-playing captain in 1973. He had a very good playing record. He won his first 7 matches in 1951, 1953, and 1955. In 1957, he won in the foursomes but lost his singles match to Peter Mills. Great Britain won that Ryder Cup, their first win since 1933. In 1959, Burke was on the team but had a hand injury. He did not play any matches.
In 1957, Burke and Jimmy Demaret started the Champions Golf Club in Houston. This club has 36 holes. It hosted a PGA Tour event from 1966 to 1971. This event is now known as the Shell Houston Open. The club also hosted the 1967 Ryder Cup, the 1969 U.S. Open, and the 1993 U.S. Amateur. It also hosted the PGA Tour Championship several times.
Burke received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.
Jack Burke Jr. shared his permanent locker at Augusta National Golf Club with Tiger Woods. Augusta National is where the Masters tournament is held. Both golfers kept their green jackets in the locker. The green jacket is given to the winners of the Masters. Burke also coached several PGA Tour stars, including Phil Mickelson, on putting.
Personal Life
Jack Burke Jr. was first married to Ielene Lang in 1952. His second wife was Robin Moran, who was also an amateur golfer. She was runner-up in the 1997 U.S. Women's Amateur. She played in the 1998 Curtis Cup and was the captain of the American 2016 Curtis Cup team. She was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2016. Jack and Robin ran the Champions Golf Club together.
Jack Burke Jr. turned 100 years old on January 29, 2023. He was the first known major golf winner to reach 100 years old.
Death
Jack Burke Jr. passed away on January 19, 2024. This was 10 days before his 101st birthday. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living major golf champion.
U.S. National Team Appearances
- Ryder Cup: 1951 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1957 (playing captain), 1959 (winners), 1973 (winners, non-playing captain)
- Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1955 (winners)
See also
In Spanish: Jack Burke Jr. para niños
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
- List of longest PGA Tour win streaks
