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Norman Von Nida
Personal information
Full name Norman Guy Von Nida
Born (1914-02-14)14 February 1914
Strathfield, Australia
Died 20 May 2007(2007-05-20) (aged 93)
Gold Coast, Australia
Nationality  Australia
Career
Turned professional 1933
Former tour(s) PGA Tour of Australasia
Professional wins 48
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour of Australasia 32
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament T27: 1950, 1952
U.S. Open T59: 1939
The Open Championship T3: 1948
PGA Championship DNP
Achievements and awards
Harry Vardon Trophy 1947

Norman Guy Von Nida OAM (14 February 1914 – 20 May 2007) was an Australian professional golfer.

Von Nida was born in Strathfield and grew up in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1933, after attracting attention by winning the 1932 Queensland Amateur aged just 18. He became one of Australia's finest professional golfers, and the first Australian to win regularly on the British tour, although World War II certainly deprived him of competition during what might have been his peak years. In 1946 he travelled to Britain for the first time and finished second on the Order of Merit; in 1947, he returned and won seven tournaments and topped the Order of Merit. He was renowned for his short temper – at a tournament in 1948 he became involved in an argument with future U.S. Ryder Cup player Henry Ransom that resulted in the local sheriff having to pull them apart, and he was also known to hurl his putter into the undergrowth after missing putts, on occasions breaking or even losing them mid-round.

Von Nida was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1985 Australia Day Honours for "service to the sport of golf".

The PGA Tour of Australasia's developmental tour is named the Von Nida Tour after him.

Von Nida died in a Gold Coast, Queensland nursing home, aged 93.

Amateur wins

  • 1932 Queensland Amateur

Professional wins (48)

  • 1935 Queensland Open
  • 1936 Queensland Open, New South Wales PGA
  • 1937 Queensland Open
  • 1938 Philippine Open, Lakes Open
  • 1939 Philippine Open, New South Wales Close, Lakes Open
  • 1940 Queensland Open
  • 1946 Australian PGA Championship, New South Wales Close, New South Wales PGA, News Chronicle Tournament
  • 1947 New South Wales Close, Dunlop-Southport Tournament, The Star Tournament, North British-Harrogate Tournament, Lotus Tournament, Penfold Tournament (tie with Dai Rees and Reg Whitcombe), Yorkshire Evening News Tournament (tie with Henry Cotton), Brand-Lochryn Tournament
  • 1948 Daily Mail Tournament, Spalding Tournament, Manchester Evening Chronicle Tournament, Lotus Tournament, Dunlop Masters, Australian PGA Championship, New South Wales Close, New South Wales PGA
  • 1949 Queensland Open, McWilliam's Wines Tournament, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament
  • 1950 Australian Open, Australian PGA Championship
  • 1951 Australian PGA Championship, New South Wales PGA, McWilliam's Wines Tournament, Yorkshire Evening News Tournament (tie with Dai Rees)
  • 1952 Australian Open, McWilliam's Wines Tournament, Ampol Tournament (Oct)
  • 1953 Australian Open, Queensland Open, New South Wales Close
  • 1954 New South Wales Close
  • 1961 Queensland Open
  • 1965 North Coast Open

Results in major championships

Tournament 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Masters Tournament NT NT NT
U.S. Open T59 NT NT NT NT
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT T4 T6 T3
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament T27 T27 43
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship T20 WD T9 T35 CUT
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968
Masters Tournament CUT CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUT CUT CUT

Note: Von Nida never played in the PGA Championship.
     Top 10      Did not play NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

  • Canada Cup (representing Australia): 1956
  • Lakes International Cup (representing Australia): 1952, 1954 (winners)
  • Slazenger Trophy (representing British Commonwealth and Empire): 1956
  • Vicars Shield (representing New South Wales): 1937 (winners), 1938 (winners), 1939, 1949 (winners), 1950 (winners), 1951, 1952, 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners)
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