Walter Hagen – 11 Major Wins Including a Record 5 Match Play PGA Championships

Walter Charles Hagen was born in Rochester, New York on the 21st of December 1892. If you want to get a sense of just how important he was to the world of golf then it is worth bearing in mind that his haul of 11 Majors puts him behind just Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on the all-time list of professionals. Add in the fact that he captained the US Ryder Cup team six times and you can see why it is that he is considered to be such an influential figure in the sport, bringing not only publicity and prestige along but also lucrative endorsements.

There are countless things that you could say about Hagen, from his success in the PGA Championship, winning it a record-tying five times, through to the fact that he was the first native-born American to win the Open Championship, which he did on four occasions. His top-class professional debut in the sport came at the Canadian Open in 1912, where the 19-year-old offered a good showing by finishing in 11th place. When he then finished fourth in the US Open the following year, the rest of the golfing world sat up and began to pay attention.

Hagen might well have made a name for himself in another sport, being a talented baseball pitcher and shortstop, but he cancelled a tryout for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1914 so that he could play in a golf tournament. When you realise that he won the US Open later in the week, it’s fair to say he made the right choice. Sometimes considered to be the person that helped pave the way for professional golfers to be allowed to use club facilities such as the changing rooms, Hagen died in 1969, aged 76, through throat cancer.

Walter Hagen’s Major Wins

Years	Masters	US PGA	U.S. Open	Open
1914	✕	✕	✅	✕
1919	✕	✕	✅	✕
1921	✕	✅	✕	✕
1922	✕	✕	✕	✅
1924	✕	✅	✕	✅
1925	✕	✅	✕	✕
1926	✕	✅	✕	✕
1927	✕	✅	✕	✕
1928	✕	✕	✕	✅
1929	✕	✕	✕	✅

Masters Wins: None

Known as the ‘Father of Professional Golf’, Walter Hagen’s list of Major wins puts him third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. In spite of this, the Masters was the one tournament that he never managed to take home, denying him a Green Jacket. A big part of the reason for that was that the Masters wasn’t founded when he was making his name, with his four appearances in it after its launch in 1934 seeing him finish outside of the top ten each time. In the competition’s debut year he came tied-13th, then was tied-15th a year later. His best performance came when he was tied-11th in 1936, with his final one being in 1941 when he withdrew.

PGA Championship Wins: 5

If you are going to win the PGA Championship, then you might as well win it a record-equalling number of times. That’s precisely what Walter Hagen achieved, winning the tournament for the first time in 1921. All of his wins came when it was a match play event, which means that in the eyes of some it isn’t as big an accomplishment as the wins that have been managed in the modern era. That being said, the first time that he played in it was in its debut year, ending up in the semi-final before winning it for the first time five years later. With another four wins, a second place finish and a quarter-final, it is clear it was a tournament he loved.

1921 – 3&2 Victory in Final Over Jim Barnes

The 1921 version of the PGA Championship was held at Inwood Country Club in Inwood, New York. The format was match play across five rounds, with the field of 32 players made up of the defending champion from the previous year and the top qualifiers from that year’s US Open. It saw five rounds of 36-hole matches taking place, with Hagen defeating Jack Forrester 6&4 in the first round, winning 6&5 over Tom Boyd in the second and defeating Johnny Golden 8&7 in the quarter-final. That set up a semi-final against Cyril Walker that he won 5&4 to put him in the final against Jim Barnes, emerging victorious 3&2.

1924 – Barnes Beaten Once More

Three years later and the PGA Championship had moved to French Lick Springs Golf Club in Indiana. The field remained at 32, with Hagen much-fancied thanks to both his previous win in the competition and the fact that he had won four other Majors in the meantime. His tournament got underway with a 6&5 win over Tom Harmon in the first round, then a 4&3 victory over Al Watrous in the second. The quarter-finals pitted him against Johnny Farrell, winning 3&2. A semi-final match against Ray Derr ended up with Hagen winning 8&7, meaning he faced his old foe Jim Barnes in the final. That finished with Hagen 2 up for his second win.

1925 – 6&5 Final at Olympia Field

The 1920s was the Hagen era in the PGA Championship. Having won at the start of the decade, he was then successful for four successive years, with the 1925 tournament played at Olympia Field Country Club in Illinois. This time there were 67 players whittled down to 32 for the Match Play. The quarter-finals presented Hagen with his toughest challenge to that point, with Leo Diegel taking him to 40-holes. In the semi-final it was Harry Cooper who stood in his way, with Hagen winning 3&1. That put him in the final against Bill Mehlhorn, which Hagen emerged from victorious thanks to a 6&5 win to be crowned champion.

1926 – Diegel Defeated at Salisbury

Hagen’s penultimate PGA Championship win was at Salisbury Golf Club in East Meadow, New York. Having only lost once in the tournament in the 1920s, which was to Gene Sarazen in 1923, Hagen was well-fancied. In the quarter-finals he played against Pat Doyle, emerging as the winner 6&5. A semi-final the following day pitted him against a previous opponent in Johnny Farrell, with the same result as previous coming in the form of a Hagen win, putting another 6&5 on the board. The final was against Leo Diegel, who had caused him issues the previous year, but this time Hagen won more comfortably 4&3.

1927 – Fourth Consecutive Title

Hagen’s final PGA Championship win came in 1927, with a quarter-final appearance and a semi-final loss following in the two years after. His reign of dominance in the competition was impressive, with his fifth victory coming at the Cedar Crest Country Club in Dallas, Texas. His quarter-final put him up against Tommy Armour, winning 4&3 in order to ensure a semi-final bout against Al Espinosa, which ended with Hagen 1 up. The final saw him up against Joe Turnesa, who had himself made it there with wins over Gene Sarazen and Johnny Golden. The match ended with Hagen again 1 up, being crowned champion for a record fifth time.

US Open Wins: 2

The US Open was always a competition that held a special place in Hagen’s heart, being the first that he entered as well as the first that he won. He announced his place in the golfing world thanks to a tied-fourth finish in his debut campaign in 1913, finishing in the top ten every year that the tournament took place between then and 1929. That included a tied-second, a fifth, two tied-fourths and a tied-fifth. Even once it looked as though his golf career had entered its twilight years, Hagen was still able to produce the goods in the US Open and finished third in 1935, having come tied-58th the year before and ending tied-33rd in 1936.

1914 – Maiden Major in Midlothian

As war was breaking out across Europe, America’s golfers turned up at Midlothian Country Club in Illinois to play the US Open. It was a stroke play event played out over 72 holes, with Hagen leading the field after the first round thanks to a 68, which put him on -4. A 74 on the second day resulted in him slipping to -2, but continuing his place at the front of the pack. This was cemented on day three with a 75, meaning he was +1 for the week but two clear of Tom McNamara in second. When he carded a 73 on the Friday afternoon, having played in the morning, he ended up on 290, which was +2 and enough for the win.

1919 – Battle with Brady at Brae Burn Country Club

Five years later and war was over, allowing the competition to resume for the first time since 1916. Once again it was a stroke play tournament played over 72 holes, with no one being overly fancied for the win. When the first day reached its conclusion, Walter Hagen carded a 78, which put him six of the top. He improved on day two ands moved to tied-third with a 73, now just three off the leader. In the third round Hagen put in a 75, meaning he was on +13 for the week and five away from Mike Brady. The two ended up tied at the end of the fourth round, resulting in a play-off that Hagen won by a shot with a score of 77.

Open Championship Wins: 4

If you would like to have a claim to fame when it comes to golf, how about being the first native-born American to win the Open Championship? That is precisely what Walter Hagen achieved, adding another three Claret Jugs to his collection before he retired. That might well be why he was made the US’s Ryder Cup captain on six occasions. His first appearance in the Open came in 1920 when he finished tied-53rd, improving somewhat a year later when he was tied-sixth. He then went on a run of six consecutive top-five finishes, including four wins, a second place and a tied-third, with his last appearance coming in 1937.

1922 – First American-Born Open Champion

The site of Hagen’s first Open Championship win was Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, when 80 players entered the competition. It didn’t start particularly well for him, shooting a 76 and sitting three off the lead. Day two was much more impressive, however, and Hagen took the lead thanks to a 73. The morning of the Friday resulted in him slipping back down the pecking order after a 79 put him two behind Jock Hutchison in the lead. The afternoon saw him produce his best round of the tournament, however, carding a 72 for a total of 300 over the week; one head of Jim Barnes and George Duncan in second.

1924 – Whitcombe Edged Out on the Wirral

Two years on from his first Open Championship win and Walter Hagen was back at it, this time at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on the Wirral. The field was made up of 86 players, with Hagen sitting four off the top at the end of the first morning’s play thanks to a 77. In the afternoon his fortunes improved, shooting 73 and moving to tied-third. Friday morning resulted in Hagen moving into a joint-lead, having carded a 74 to put him and Ernest Whitcombe on 224 for the week. In the afternoon, a close-run battle saw Hagen score his joint-highest round of the week but win by one shot from Whitcombe, ending with 301 compared to 302.

1928 – Second Sandwich Success

It was back to Sandwich for Hagen’s third Open Championship win, heading back to the scene of his first victory. This time there were 113 players in the field, which was reduced 52 after the cut. Hagen was tied-fourth at the end of the first round, shooting 75 and sitting four shots off the top. A 73 on day two put him three off the lead and in with a decent chance of winning his third Open. He moved into the lead in his own right when he carded a 72 on the Friday morning, sitting one clear of the chasing pack. On the Friday afternoon, Hagen carded another 72 to mean that he won by two strokes from Gene Saranzen in second.

1929 – Six-Stroke Triumph in Scotland

Hagen’s fourth and final Open Championship win came at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland. There were 109 players in the field initially, which dropped to 64 after the Cut at the end of day two. Hagen was six off the lead when his first round was completed, shooting 75, but moved into second when he shot a field-leading 67 on day two. The Friday morning saw him shift into first thanks to another 75, putting him three clear of Percy Alliss in second. On the Friday afternoon, Hagen managed to put another 75 on the board, which was enough to secure a six-shot win over Johnny Farrell in second for his fourth Open win.