Jack Fleck

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Jack Fleck (born November 7, 1921) is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 1955 U.S. Open.

Fleck was born and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa. His parents were poor farmers who had lost their land in the 1920s. Fleck attended Davenport High School in Davenport, Iowa where he played on the golf team. He started as a caddy for a local dentist in the mid-1930s. He worked as an assistant golf pro before World War II. During the war, Fleck served in the Navy and participated in the D-Day invasion from a British rocket-firing ship off Utah Beach. Within two weeks after separation from the Navy, Fleck was on the PGA's winter golf tour with pro friends, trying to qualify for PGA Tour events.

After a few years of competing in local and PGA Tour events, Fleck decided to play full-time on the Tour for two years. Within six months, Fleck had his first win – on the biggest stage in men's professional golf – at the 1955 U.S. Open. Fleck won an 18-hole playoff by three strokes over his idol, the legendary Ben Hogan, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. [1]

Fleck came close to winning the 1960 U.S. Open, but would ultimately settle for only two more trophies on the PGA Tour in the early 1960s. On the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour), Fleck would post one victory, the 1979 Senior PGA Championship. [2]

Fleck was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1993, needing money to salvage a little golf course he owned in rural Arkansas that had been damaged by flooding, a place he called Li'l Bit of Heaven, he sold his 1955 U.S. Open gold medal. [3] He makes his home in Magazine, Arkansas. [4]

[edit] PGA Tour wins

Major championship shown in bold

[edit] Champions Tour wins

Senior major championship shown in bold

[edit] Results in major championships

Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T43 T26 T39 T18
U.S. Open CUT DNP DNP T52 DNP 1 CUT T26 CUT T19
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP T33 DNP T9 T17 T33 WD DNP
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters T34 WD T11 42 CUT DQ DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open T3 T27 DNP CUT DNP DNP CUT CUT DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship CUT T19 T7 WD DNP T20 T49 DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ Bio from Jack Fleck Golf URL last accessed June 15, 2006
  2. ^ Golf Digest article: Jack Fleck's visit to Valhalla URL last accessed June 15, 2006
  3. ^ Ibid.
  4. ^ Jack Fleck Golf Magazine URL last accessed June 15, 2006
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