Macdonald Smith

Macdonald Smith
— Golfer —
Personal information
Nickname	Mac
Born	(1890-03-18)March 18, 1890 Barry, Scotland
Died	August 31, 1949(1949-08-31) (aged 57) Glendale, California
Nationality	Scotland  United States
Career
Turned professional	1910
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	29
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	24
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	T7: 1934
U.S. Open	2nd: 1930
The Open Championship	2nd/T2: 1930, 1932
PGA Championship	DNP

Macdonald "Mac" Smith (March 18, 1890^[1] – August 31, 1949)^[2][3] was one of the top professional golfers in the world from about 1910 into the mid-1930s. He was a member of a famous Scottish golfing family.

Born in Barry, Scotland^[1] Smith learned his golf on the famous and very difficult Carnoustie Golf Links. He emigrated to the United States while still in his teens to seek golfing opportunities. Smith was the club professional at the country club in Del Monte, California, where future two-time major champion Olin Dutra and his brother Mortie started as a caddies.^[4] Two of Smith's older brothers won the U.S. Open: Willie in 1899 and Alex in both 1906 and 1910. Brothers George and Jim also played golf at a very high standard.

Every state golf title in the United States has been won by one of the Smith brothers.^[5]

Smith won 24 times on the early PGA Tour, but never a major championship,^[3] trailing only Harry Cooper for most wins without a major. His 24 Tour wins are also the most by any eligible player not inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Early in his career, he was in a three-man playoff at the U.S. Open in 1910 won by his brother Alex; John McDermott finished second.^[6] Smith finished in the top ten at majors 17 times, including three second place finishes: at the U.S. Open in 1930 and the British Open in 1930 and 1932, both in England. His runner-up finishes at both Opens in 1930 were to noted amateur Bobby Jones, the winner of the grand slam that year. He scored five more wins in significant U.S. tournaments, all of which came in events later classified as PGA Tour events.

Smith suffered a heartbreaking near-miss in the British Open at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland in 1925, when he was the 54-hole leader. He shot a disappointing 82 in the final round and finished three strokes back. Crowd control broke down (with too few marshals and no gallery roping), with the numerous spectators, many of whom had travelled to watch him, invading the playing areas, causing delays, chaotic conditions, and deflected shots.^[2] His majors were primarily the two Opens: he never entered the PGA Championship, then a match play competition, and played in just one Masters, the first in 1934. His final major was the U.S. Open in 1937, where he finished in a tie for 40th place. The previous year was his last top ten, in fourth place.

Smith did win the Western Open three times, in 1912, 1925, and 1933, when it was a prestigious tournament rivaling the majors in stature.^[3] His four wins in the Los Angeles Open, another top event which featured strong fields, were also significant, as was his title in the 1926 Canadian Open, a national championship. Smith had a decade-long dry spell, between 1914 and 1924, without winning a tournament.

Smith's full-swing technique was much admired as one of the best of the hickory shaft era. Bing Crosby, himself an excellent player who followed golf closely, said that Smith's swing was better than any he had ever seen. Ben Hogan studied Smith's swing intently to improve his own.^[7]

Smith became the resident golf professional at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California in 1934, continuing in that capacity for fifteen years, until his death at age 57 (or 59) in August 1949.^[8] He was playing with Babe Didrikson at Oakmont when she scored her first hole in one in 1936.^[9] Smith was inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 1954.^[3]

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (24)

• 1924 (2) California Open, Northern California Open
• 1925 (4) California Open, North and South Open, Western Open, Long Island Open
• 1926 (5) Texas Open, Dallas Open, Canadian Open, Metropolitan Open, Chicago Open Championship
• 1928 (3) Los Angeles Open, Palos Verdes Golf Club, South Central Open
• 1929 (2) Los Angeles Open, Long Island Open
• 1930 (1) Long Island Open
• 1931 (2) Metropolitan Open, Long Island Open
• 1932 (1) Los Angeles Open
• 1933 (1) Western Open
• 1934 (1) Los Angeles Open
• 1935 (1) Oakmont Open
• 1936 (1) Seattle Open

Other wins (5)

• 1912 Western Open
• 1914 Pennsylvania Open Championship, Metropolitan Open
• 1924 Miami International Four-Ball (with Bill Mehlhorn)
• 1926 Miami International Four-Ball (with Bill Mehlhorn)

Results in major championships

Note: Smith never played in the PGA Championship.
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Summary

• Most consecutive cuts made – 26 (1915 U.S. Open – 1937 U.S. Open)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (1930 U.S. Open – 1931 Open Championship)

See also

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins

References

External links

• PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame – member profiles
• Ben Hogan's Masters: Macdonald Smith on YouTube