American · Rochester, USA · Born 21 December 1892 · Died 1969-10-05Early 20th-century American golfer who won 11 professional majors and brought glamour and big money to professional golf.
Walter Charles Hagen was born on 21 December 1892 in Rochester, New York, the son of a blacksmith, and entered the sport as a caddie at the Country Club of Rochester, working to help support his working-class family before becoming an expert player and club instructor by his mid-teens. Hagen, nicknamed "Sir Walter" and "The Haig," turned professional in 1912 and became one of the most flamboyant and influential figures in golf history, famously declaring "I never wanted to be a millionaire, I just wanted to live like one," and doing much to elevate the social standing of professional golfers, who at the time were often barred from clubhouses. Hagen won 11 major championships, including the U.S. Open twice, five PGA Championships in match play, and four Open Championships, becoming in 1922 the first native-born American to win the Claret Jug. He totalled 44 PGA Tour victories across his career, the ninth-most in history. Hagen served as a six-time Ryder Cup captain and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He died on 6 October 1969, at age 76, in Traverse City, Michigan, remembered as one of the pioneering showmen who transformed professional golf into a respected and glamorous career.
'Father of professional golf'; pioneering showman who elevated pro golf's prestige
How They Played
Aggressive, flamboyant player known for spectacular recovery shots
Lasting Impact
First great American-born professional golfer who helped establish professional golf's respectability
Career Honours
- US Open 1914, 1919
- The Open Championship 1922, 1924, 1928, 1929
- PGA Championship 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
- six-time Ryder Cup captain
American Athletes