- Warren Smith (golfer)
Warren F. Smith, Jr. (born
October 20 ,1915 ) is an Americanprofessional golfer who is best known for serving as the head pro atCherry Hills Country Club inCherry Hills Village, Colorado from 1963 to 1990 and for being honored as the 1973PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year.Smith was born in
Escanaba, Michigan but the family soon moved toGadsden, Alabama where he started playing golf at the age of 11. He won his first match at 16, set a new amateur record of 31 at the Gadsden Country Club at 18, and won the 25th annual Beauvoir Country Club Invitational inMontgomery, Alabama at 19.In 1945 he served three months in the
U.S. Merchant Marine , delivering troop supplies toNaples ,Italy . He returned to the U.S. and served as head pro at Seiberling Country Club inAkron ,Ohio while working forGoodyear Tire and Rubber Company . One year later, he became the first head pro at the newly-openedOak Hills Country Club inSan Antonio, Texas .Smith was known for his long tee shots and accurate iron game. His greatest golf achievement came in 1955 during the
Texas Open , when he hit sevenbirdies in a row -- a record for a PGA event -- at Brackenridge Park Golf Course in San Antonio. The record stood until 1961 whenBob Goalby scored eight birdies in a row during theSt. Petersburg Open .Smith was instrumental in luring the Texas Open to Oak Hills, where it was played from 1961 to 1966. He played often with
Dow Finsterwald andArnold Palmer , who won the Texas Open in 1960, 1961 and 1962. Smith launched Oak Hills' Junior Program, which turned out four all-city champions, and he mentored several young golfers, including Joe Conrad, who won the British Amateur in 1955. He also coached theTrinity University (Texas) golf team in its 1952 victory over golf powerhouseNorth Texas State University , the latter school's only loss from 1949 to 1952 when it won fourNCAA golf championships.Smith was appointed head pro at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colo. in 1963. He was named the PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 1973 and was awarded a red jacket and honorary lifetime membership from the club -- a distinction that, at the time, had been conferred upon only President
Dwight D. Eisenhower and Arnold Palmer.Smith played in three
PGA Championships , going to the quarterfinals of match play in 1957. He played twice in the U.S. Open and was second in the 1965 Colorado Open. He shot his age at 66 and every year until he retired from the game in 2003 at the age of 87. He scored sevenholes-in-one and threedouble eagles .During his tenure at Cherry Hills, Smith mentored 16 assistant professionals who went on to become head professionals at country clubs in
Houston ,Dallas , Phoenix,New Orleans ,Denver ,Vail , and elsewhere.Smith was president of the Central
Texas PGA Section for three terms and theColorado PGA Section for five. He was named to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. The Colorado Section's lifetime achievement award was named for him and he was its first recipient in 1986. Smith was named to the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2005. That same year, Oak Hills named a Junior Golfer Scholarship after him.Smith lives in
Denver, Colorado . His son Warren W. Smith is president of Pine Canyon, a golf course community inFlagstaff, Arizona and his daughter Becky Lake lives inJackson, Tennessee .Contents 1 Results in Major Championships 2 See Also. 3 References4 External Links
Tournament 1957 1963 1966 PGA Championship T16 DNP DNPUS Open DNP ? ?
See Also-- "Warren Smith Scholarship," [http://texasgolf.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html]
References1. Moore, Ralph. "Palmer Praises Smith as Club Pro of the Year." Denver Post, Nov. 19, 1973. 2. Seaman, Bob. "Oak Hills Pro Plans Indian Giver Role." San Antonio Evening News, February 11, 1952.3. PGA Tour. [http://www.pgatour.com/]
External Links -- Profile on Colorado Golf Association web site. [http://www.cogolf.org/hof.php?inductee=81]
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