- Doug Sanders
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Doug Sanders Personal information Full name George Douglas Sanders Nickname "Peacock of the Fairways" Born July 24, 1933
Cedartown, GeorgiaNationality 
United StatesResidence Houston, Texas Career College University of Florida Turned professional 1956 Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Champions TourProfessional wins 23 Number of wins by tour PGA Tour 20 Champions Tour 1 Best results in Major Championships Masters Tournament T4: 1966 U.S. Open T2: 1961 The Open Championship T2/2nd: 1966, 1970 PGA Championship T2: 1959 U.S. Amateur R64: 1956 British Amateur R256: 1956 George Douglas Sanders (born July 24, 1933) is a former American professional golfer who won twenty PGA Tour events during his career.
Contents
Early years
Sanders was born in Cedartown, Georgia.[1] He grew up in a poor family, and picked cotton as a teenager. He was a self-taught golfer.
College and amateur career
He received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for the Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition in 1955.[2] In his single year as a Gator golfer, Sanders and the team won a Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship and earned a sixth-place finish at the NCAA championship tournament—the Gators' best national championship finish until that time.[2] Sanders won the 1956 Canadian Open as an amateur—the only amateur ever to do so—and turned professional shortly thereafter.[3]
Professional career
Sanders had 13 top-10 finishes in major championships, including four second-place finishes: 1959 PGA Championship, 1961 U.S. Open, 1966 and 1970 British Opens. In 1966, he became one of the few players in history to finish in the top ten of all four major championships in a single season, despite winning none of them. He earned unfortunate notoriety for taking four shots from just 74 yards as the leader playing the final hole of the 1970 British Open at St Andrews, missing a sidehill 3-foot putt to win, before losing the resulting 18-hole playoff by just a single shot the next day to Jack Nicklaus.[4]
He is remembered for an exceptionally short, flat golf swing—a consequence, it appears, of a painful neck condition that radically restricted his movements.[4]
Personal
Sanders has always been known as a stylish, flamboyant dresser on the golf course, which earned him the nickname "Peacock of the Fairways."[4] Esquire magazine named Sanders one of America's Ten Best Dressed Jocks in 1973.
Sanders identified himself as the lead character, a playboy PGA Tour golfer, in the golf novel Dead Solid Perfect, by Dan Jenkins.[5]
Since retiring from competitive golf, Sanders has been active in his own corporate golf entertainment company and has for nearly 20 years, sponsored the Doug Sanders International Junior Golf Championship in Houston, Texas. From 1988 to 1994, he also sponsored the Doug Sanders Celebrity Classic.
He currently resides in Houston.
Honors
He is a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame,[6] Georgia Sports Hall of Fame,[3] and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.[1] He was also inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[7]
Professional wins (23)
PGA Tour wins (20)
No. Date Tournament Winning Score Margin of
VictoryRunner(s)-up 1 Jul 8, 1956 Canadian Open
(as an amateur)-15(69-67-69-68=273) Playoff Dow Finsterwald2 Jun 1, 1958 Western Open -13 (69-68-70-68=275) 1 stroke Dow Finsterwald3 Dec 6, 1959 Coral Gables Open Invitational -11 (68-71-69-65=273) 3 strokes Dow Finsterwald4 Mar 5, 1961 Greater New Orleans Open Invitational -16 (68-65-69-70=272) 5 strokes Gay Brewer, Mac Main5 May 14, 1961 Colonial National Invitation +1 (69–75–67-70=281) 1 stroke 
Kel Nagle6 May 21, 1961 Hot Springs Open Invitational -15 (68-68-69-68=273) 1 stroke Dave Ragan, Jerry Steelsmith7 Aug 6, 1961 Eastern Open Invitational -13 (72-66-68-69=275) 1 stroke Ken Venturi8 Nov 19, 1961 Cajun Classic Open Invitational -14 (67-67-67-69=270) 6 strokes Ken Still9 Mar 11, 1962 Pensacola Open Invitational -18 (67-67-67-69=270) 1 stroke Don Fairfield10 Aug 19, 1962 St. Paul Open Invitational -19 (66-69-69-65=269) 3 strokes Dave Hill11 Aug 26, 1962 Oklahoma City Open Invitational -8 (70-69-74-67=280) 2 strokes Johnny Pott12 Apr 14, 1963 Greater Greensboro Open -10 (68-65-68-69=270) 4 strokes Jimmy Clark13 Feb 28, 1965 Pensacola Open Invitational -11 (68-71-65-73=277) Playoff Jack Nicklaus14 Mar 7, 1965 Doral Open Invitational -14 (65-71-71-67=274) 1 stroke Bruce Devlin15 Feb 6, 1966 Bob Hope Desert Classic -11 (70-72-68-73-66=349) Playoff Arnold Palmer16 Mar 27, 1966 Jacksonville Open Invitational -15 (71-65-66-71=273) 1 stroke Gay Brewer17 Apr 3, 1966 Greater Greensboro Open -8 (65-70-71-70=276) Playoff Tom Weiskopf18 Mar 5, 1967 Doral Open Invitational -13 (68-71-66-70=275) 1 stroke 
Harold Henning, Art Wall, Jr.19 Dec 13, 1970 Bahama Islands Open -16 (66-70-68-68=272) Playoff Chris Blocker20 Jun 4, 1972 Kemper Open -13 (71-68-68-68=275) 1 stroke Lee TrevinoMajor Championships are in bold
PGA Tour playoff record (5-5)
No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result 1 1956 Canadian Open
(as an amateur) Dow FinsterwaldWon with par on first extra hole 2 1961 Phoenix Open Arnold PalmerLost 18-hole playoff (Palmer:67 Sanders: 70) 3 1962 West Palm Beach Open Invitational Dave RaganLost to birdie on the second extra hole 4 1964 Greater Greensboro Open Julius BorosLost to par on first extra hole 5 1965 Pensacola Open Invitational Jack NicklausWon with birdie on third extra hole 6 1965 Greater Seattle Open Invitational Gay BrewerLost to par on first extra hole 7 1966 Bob Hope Desert Classic Arnold PalmerWon with birdie on first extra hole 8 1966 Greater Greensboro Open Tom WeiskopfWon with par on second extra hole 10 1970 British Open Jack NicklausLost 18-hole playoff (Nicklaus:72 Sanders: 73) 11 1970 Bahama Islands Open Chris BlockerWon with par on second extra hole Other wins (2)
- 1957 Colombian Open
- 1959 Sahara Pro-Am
Senior PGA Tour wins (1)
- 1983 World Seniors Invitational
Results in major championships
Amateur
Tournament 1955 1956 U.S. Amateur R128 R64 The Amateur Championship DNP R256 Professional
Tournament 1957 1958 1959 The Masters T31 DNP DNP U.S. Open DNP CUT DNP The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP PGA Championship DNP DNP T2 Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 The Masters T29 T11 T33 T28 DNP T11 T4 T16 T12 T36 U.S. Open T46 T2 T11 T21 T32 T11 T8 T34 T37 DNP The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP CUT 11 CUT T2 T18 34 DNP PGA Championship T3 3 T15 T17 T28 T20 T6 T28 T8 CUT Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 The Masters DNP DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP U.S. Open DNP T37 CUT DNP DNP T45 DNP The Open Championship 2 T9 4 T28 DNP DNP T28 PGA Championship T41 CUT T7 DNP DNP DNP DNP LA = Low Amateur
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10Source for The Masters: www.masters.com
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for British Open: www.opengolf.com
Source for PGA Championship: PGA Championship Media Guide
Source for 1956 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 29, 1956, pg. 4.
See also
- Florida Gators
- Golfers with most PGA Tour wins
- List of Florida Gators golfers
- List of University of Florida alumni
References
- ^ a b Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, Members, Doug Sanders. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ a b Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 34, 37, 39, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, Inductees, Doug Sanders. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c Brent Kelley, "Doug Sanders," About.com. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ The Eternal Summer, by Curt Sampson, 1992
- ^ Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Inductees, Doug Sanders (1972). Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Doug Sanders at the PGA Tour official site
- Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Profile
United States Ryder Cup team – 1967 Julius Boros • Gay Brewer • Billy Casper • Gardner Dickinson • Al Geiberger • Gene Littler • Bobby Nichols • Johnny Pott • Arnold Palmer • Doug Sanders
Ben Hogan (non-playing captain)
Won: 23.5 – 8.5
University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame Gator Greats: Baseball Harry Coe • Doug Corbett • David Eckstein • Perry McGriff • Tom Moore • Bernie Parrish • Lou Pesce • Q. I. Roberts • Rudy Simpson • Haywood Sullivan • Brad Wilkerson • Dale Willis
Gator Greats: Basketball Men's basketball
Ben Clemons • Dan Cross • Curt Cunkle • Bob Emrick • Udonis Haslem • Brooks Henderson • Gary Keller • Tony Miller • Ark Newton • Andy Owens • Hans Tanzler • Neal Walk • Chip Williams • Ronnie WilliamsWomen's basketball
Quientella Bonner • Tammy Jackson • DeLisha Milton-Jones • Murriel Page • Sophia WitherspoonGator Greats: Boxing Johnny Joca • Phillip O'Connell • Carlos Proctor
Gator Greats: Football Football: A–C
Fred Abbott • Carlos Alvarez • Neal Anderson • Reidel Anthony • Trace Armstrong • John Barrow • Jim Beaver • Jack Beckwith • Kerwin D. Bell • Bruce Bennett • Red Bethea • Goof Bowyer • Scot Brantley • Alex Brown • Lomas Brown • Carl Brumbaugh • Glenn Cameron • Kevin Carter • Bill Carr • Rick Casares • Charley Casey • Rainey Cawthon • Don Chandler • Wes Chandler • Billy Chase • Hagood Clarke • Cris Collinsworth • Bill Corry • Clyde Crabtree • Brad CulpepperFootball: D–J
Joe D'Agostino • Judd Davis • Steve DeLaTorre • Frank Dempsey • Guy Dennis • Dwayne Dixon • Chris Doering • Jimmy D. DuBose • Larry Dupree • Tommy Durrance • J. Rex Farrior, Jr. • Fergie Ferguson. • Don Fleming • Bobby Forbes • Larry Gagner • David Galloway • Max Goldstein • Bobby Joe Green • Sammy Green • Papa Hall • Mal Hammack • Vel Heckman • Ike Hilliard • Tiger Holmes • Marcelino Huerta • Chuck Hunsinger • Randy Jackson • Willie Jackson • John James • Alonzo Johnson • Ellis Johnson • Edgar Jones • James JonesFootball: K–P
Jimmy Kynes • Bill Kynes • Charlie LaPradd • Burton Lawless • Larry Libertore • David Little • Buford Long • Wilber Marshall • Lynn Matthews • Shane Matthews • Tiger Mayberry • Lee McGriff • Perry McGriff • Graham McKeel • Vic Miranda • Fred Montsdeoca • Nat Moore • Dennis Murphy • Ricky Nattiel • Ark Newton • Jason Odom • Louis Oliver • Ralph Ortega • Dick Pace • Bernie Parrish • Pat Patchen • Wayne Peace • Tootie Perry • Mike PetersonFootball: Q–Z
Rammy Ramsdell • John Reaves • Errict Rhett • Huey Richardson • Jim Rountree • Barry Russo • Tom Shannon • Jackie Simpson • Emmitt Smith • Larry Smith • Steve Spurrier • Mac Steen • Haywood Sullivan • John Symank • Steve Tannen • Dummy Taylor • Fred Taylor • Allen Trammell • Richard Trapp • Dale Van Sickel • Ion Walker • David Williams • Jarvis Williams • John L. Williams • Lawrence Wright • Danny Wuerffel • Jim Yarbrough • Jack YoungbloodGator Greats: Golf Men's golf
Tommy Aaron • Andy Bean • Frank Beard • Chris DiMarco • Brian Gay • Phil Hancock • Dudley Hart • Gary Koch • Steve Melnyk • Bob Murphy • Andy North • Dave Ragan • Doug Sanders • Dan SikesWomen's golf
Karen Davies • Page Dunlap • Donna White • Cheryl Morley • Deb RichardGator Greats: Gymnastics Kristin Guise • Lynn McDonnell • Melissa Miller • Elfi Schlegel • Ann M. Woods
Gator Greats: Soccer Erin Baxter • Danielle Fotopoulos • Abby Wambach
Gator Greats: Softball Chelsey Sakizzie
Gator Greats: Swimming and diving Men's swimming and diving
Chic Acosta • Craig Beardsley • Jim Borland • Matt Cetlinski • Tom Dioguardi • Phil Drake • Geoffrey Gaberino • Mike Heath • Pat Kennedy • David Larson • Jerry Livingston • Steve McBride • Mark McKee • Tim McKee • Andy McPherson • Alberto Mestre-Sosa • Anthony C. Nesty • James Ray Perkins • Eddie Reese • Ted Robinson • Christopher Snode • Blanchard Tual • Craig White • Bruce Williams • David Zubero • Martin ZuberoWomen's swimming and diving
Tami Bruce • Amy Caulkins • Tracy Caulkins • Julie Gorman • Nicole Haislett • Susan Halfacre • Renee Laravie • Mimosa McNerney • Megan Neyer • Kathy Treible • Dara Torres • Mary WayteGator Greats: Tennis Men's tennis
Chap Brown • Mark Merklein • Jeff Morrison • Armstead Neely • Jamie Pressly • Jim Shaffer • Bill TymWomen's tennis
Judy Acker • Nicole Arendt • Jillian Alexander • Dawn Buth • Jill Craybas • Cissie Donigan • Andrea Farley • Jill Hetherington • Alice Luthy Tym • Stephanie Nickitas • Lisa Raymond • Shaun StaffordGator Greats: Track and field Men's track and field
Keith Brantly • Beaufort Brown • Mike Cotton • Scott Dykehouse • Mark Everett • Will Freeman • Ellis Goodloe • Papa Hall • Mike Holloway • Ron Jourdan • Buford Long • Jack McGriff • Dennis Mitchell • John Morton • Earl Poucher • James Pringle • Henry Wadsworth • Bumper WatsonWomen's track and field
Hazel M. Clark-Riley • Michelle Freeman • Leah Kirklin • Heidi Hertz • Anita Howard • Shelly SteelyGator Greats: Volleyball Aycan Gokberk • Jenny Manz • Gudula Staub
Distinguished Letterwinners Floyd T. Christian • Doug Dickey • Bill Harlan • Kim Helton • Lindy Infante • Jack Katz • Julian Lane • Stephen C. O'Connell • Fred Ridley • William A. Shands • George Smathers • Dutch Stanley • Keith Tribble
Honorary Letterwinners Ruth Alexander • Charlie Bachman • Percy Beard • Buster Bishop • Andy Brandi • Robert Cade • Norm Carlson • Jimmy Carnes • George Edmondson • Gene Ellenson • Dave Fuller • Frank Genovar • Ray Graves • Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. • Ben Hill Griffin, III • Spessard Holland • Dan McCarty • Alfred A. McKethan • J. Hillis Miller • Bill Potter • Randy Reese • Mimi Ryan • Harold Sebring • George Steinbrenner • Pat Summerall • John J. Tigert • James Van Fleet • Alfred C. Warrington • Bob Woodruff • Everett Yon
University of Florida · Gainesville, Florida Categories:- American golfers
- Florida Gators men's golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- Champions Tour golfers
- People from Polk County, Georgia
- 1933 births
- Living people
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