Herman Keiser

Herman Keiser
Personal information
Full name Herman W. Keiser
Born October 7, 1914(1914-10-07)
Springfield, Missouri
Died December 24, 2003(2003-12-24) (aged 89)
Akron, Ohio
Nationality  United States
Career
Status Professional
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 8
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 5
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 1)
Masters Tournament Won: 1946
U.S. Open T14: 1948
The Open Championship DNP
PGA Championship T17: 1940, 1957

Herman W. Keiser (October 7, 1914 – December 24, 2003) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, best known for winning the 1946 Masters Tournament.

Keiser was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned a living primarily as a club professional. His first job was as the assistant golf professional at Portage Country Club in Akron, Ohio. He eventually became head professional at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.[1] Keiser's serious demeanor earned him the nickname, The Missouri Mortician, among his fellow golfers.[2]

In 1942, Keiser interrupted his career to join the United States Navy for three years during World War II.[3] He served as a storekeeper aboard the USS Cincinnati. Keiser was discharged in 1945 and returned to play on the PGA Tour. Despite the long layoff, he earned second place finishes to Sam Snead at the Greater Greensboro Open to Buck White at the Memphis Invitational and twice to leading money winner Ben Hogan at both the Dallas Invitational and the Phoenix Open. However, he achieved golfing immortality at the 1946 Masters Tournament when he took the lead on the third hole and never looked back, defeating Hogan by one stroke to earn $2,500 in first prize money. Keiser described his Masters win as "the greatest thing that ever happened to me." [1]

In 1947, Keiser was part of the American team that won the Ryder Cup.[1] While the United States defeated Britain 11-1, Keiser's loss to Sam King (4 and 3) prevented the Americans from a clean sweep.[3]

Keiser retired in the 1950s having won five tournaments during his PGA career. He returned to live in Ohio where he purchased a driving range. He died in Akron in 2003 from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89.[1]

Contents

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (5)

Major championship is shown in bold.

Other wins

this list is probably incomplete

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin Runner-up
1946 Masters Tournament 5 shot lead -6 (69-68-71-74=282) 1 stroke Ben Hogan

Results timeline

Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Masters DNP DNP T23 NT NT NT 1 T24 T10 T11
U.S. Open DQ T26 NT NT NT NT T38 DNP T14 CUT
PGA Championship R32 R64 DNP NT DNP DNP R64 R64 R64 R64
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters T14 T39 DNP DNP DNP T56 DNP CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP R64 DNP DNP R64 DNP DNP R32 DNP DNP
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters CUT CUT WD 45 CUT WD CUT CUT CUT WD
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters CUT WD CUT DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1980 1981 1982
The Masters DNP DNP WD
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP

Note: Keiser never played in The Open Championship.
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF, F = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Blunt, Roy (2004-02-26). "Golf legend Herman Keiser is remembered". Joplin Independent. http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/royblunt1077807035. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
  2. ^ Goldstein, Richard (December 29, 2003). "Herman Keiser, 89, Golfer Who Staged a Major Upset". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/sports/herman-keiser-89-golfer-who-staged-a-major-upset.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
  3. ^ a b "LA Times obit". Los Angeles Times. December 26, 2003. http://articles.latimes.com/2003/Dec/26/local/me-passings26.1. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 

External links

1934 Horton Smith • 1935 Gene Sarazen† • 1936 Horton Smith • 1937 Byron Nelson • 1938 Henry Picard • 1939 Ralph Guldahl • 1940 Jimmy Demaret • 1941‡ Craig Wood • 1942 Byron Nelson† • 1943-45 Cancelled due to World War II • 1946 Herman Keiser • 1947 Jimmy Demaret • 1948 Claude Harmon • 1949 Sam Snead • 1950 Jimmy Demaret • 1951 Ben Hogan • 1952 Sam Snead • 1953 Ben Hogan • 1954 Sam Snead† • 1955 Cary Middlecoff • 1956 Jack Burke, Jr. • 1957 Doug Ford • 1958 Arnold Palmer • 1959 Art Wall, Jr. • 1960‡ Arnold Palmer • 1961 Gary Player • 1962 Arnold Palmer† • 1963 Jack Nicklaus • 1964 Arnold Palmer • 1965 Jack Nicklaus • 1966 Jack Nicklaus† • 1967 Gay Brewer • 1968 Bob Goalby • 1969 George Archer • 1970 Billy Casper† • 1971 Charles Coody • 1972‡ Jack Nicklaus • 1973 Tommy Aaron • 1974 Gary Player • 1975 Jack Nicklaus • 1976‡ Raymond Floyd • 1977 Tom Watson • 1978 Gary Player • 1979 Fuzzy Zoeller† • 1980 Seve Ballesteros • 1981 Tom Watson • 1982 Craig Stadler† • 1983 Seve Ballesteros • 1984 Ben Crenshaw • 1985 Bernhard Langer • 1986 Jack Nicklaus • 1987 Larry Mize† • 1988 Sandy Lyle • 1989 Nick Faldo† • 1990 Nick Faldo† • 1991 Ian Woosnam • 1992 Fred Couples • 1993 Bernhard Langer • 1994 José María Olazábal • 1995 Ben Crenshaw • 1996 Nick Faldo • 1997 Tiger Woods • 1998 Mark O'Meara • 1999 José María Olazábal • 2000 Vijay Singh • 2001 Tiger Woods • 2002 Tiger Woods • 2003 Mike Weir† • 2004 Phil Mickelson • 2005 Tiger Woods† • 2006 Phil Mickelson • 2007 Zach Johnson • 2008 Trevor Immelman • 2009 Ángel Cabrera† • 2010 Phil Mickelson • 2011 Charl Schwartzel
† indicates the event was won in a playoff ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire
United States Ryder Cup team – 1947

Herman Barron • Jimmy Demaret • E. J. Harrison • Herman Keiser • Lloyd Mangrum • Byron Nelson • Ed Oliver • Sam Snead • Lew Worsham

Ben Hogan (playing captain)
Won: 11 – 1