Art Wall Jr.
Art Wall Jr. | |||||||
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![]() Wall at the 1959 Buick Open | |||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Full name | Arthur Jonathan Wall Jr. | ||||||
Born | (1923-11-25)November 25, 1923 Honesdale, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
Died | October 31, 2001(2001-10-31) (aged 77) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||||||
Spouse | Jean Louise Miller Wall (1923–2004) | ||||||
Children | 5 | ||||||
Career | |||||||
College | Duke University | ||||||
Status | Professional | ||||||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Senior PGA Tour | ||||||
Professional wins | 31 | ||||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||||
PGA Tour | 14 | ||||||
Other | 17 | ||||||
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||||||
Masters Tournament | Won: 1959 | ||||||
PGA Championship | T5: 1961 | ||||||
U.S. Open | T9: 1967 | ||||||
The Open Championship | DNP | ||||||
Achievements and awards | |||||||
|
Art Wall Jr. | |
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Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1943–1946 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Arthur Jonathan Wall Jr. (November 25, 1923 – October 31, 2001) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the Masters Tournament in 1959.[1][2][3]
Early life
Wall was born and raised in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. He and his younger brother "Dewey" caddied for their parents, starting around age ten, and began playing shortly after.[4][5] The brothers served in the military during World War II. Art served in the Army Air Forces[6] and Dewey in the Navy. Dewey was killed at the age of 20 in October 1944 when his submarine USS Shark was sunk in the Pacific Ocean near Taiwan.[7]
Amateur career
Wall won the Pennsylvania Amateur in 1947 and 1949.[8] He attended Duke University[9] and graduated in 1949 with a business degree.
Professional career
Wall won 14 titles on the PGA Tour, including four in 1959. That year he was chosen as the PGA Player of the Year, and also won the money title and Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.[10] His most notable career achievement was his victory at the Masters.[11][12] In the final round in 1959, he birdied five of his last six holes to shoot a 66 and overtake Cary Middlecoff and defending champion Arnold Palmer.[9][11][13]
He was a member of three United States Ryder Cup teams: 1957, 1959, and 1961. Wall is also notable for sinking 45 holes-in-one in his playing career (including casual rounds), a world record for many years.[2][10][14]
Final win
Wall's final tour win came as a grandfather at age 51 years 7 months at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1975, which was his first tour win in nine years.[15][16][17]
Death
Wall died at the age of 77 from respiratory failure after a lengthy illness.[9] He is buried at Glen Dyberry Cemetery in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
Amateur wins
- 1947 Pennsylvania Amateur[8]
- 1949 Pennsylvania Amateur[8]
Professional wins (31)
PGA Tour wins (14)
Legend |
---|
Major championships (1) |
Other PGA Tour (13) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aug 17, 1953 | Fort Wayne Open | 66-66-68-65=265 | −23 | Playoff | ![]() |
2 | Apr 25, 1954 | Tournament of Champions | 69-66-70-73=278 | −10 | 6 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
3 | Sep 16, 1956 | Fort Wayne Open (2) | 70-64-70-65=269 | −19 | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
4 | Mar 10, 1957 | Pensacola Open | 70-68-69-66=273 | −15 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
5 | Jul 6, 1958 | Rubber City Open Invitational | 65-67-68-69=269 | −15 | Playoff | ![]() |
6 | Jul 27, 1958 | Eastern Open Invitational | 69-69-71-67=276 | −12 | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
7 | Jan 18, 1959 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | 69-65-70-75=279 | −9 | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
8 | Mar 30, 1959 | Azalea Open Invitational | 72-66-71-73=282 | −6 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
9 | Apr 5, 1959 | Masters Tournament | 73-74-71-66=284 | −4 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
10 | Jul 6, 1959 | Buick Open Invitational | 71-67-72-72=282 | −6 | Playoff | ![]() |
11 | Jul 9, 1960 | Canadian Open | 66-67-67-69=269 | −19 | 6 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
12 | Jan 12, 1964 | San Diego Open Invitational | 71-65-68-70=274 | −6 | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
13 | Aug 21, 1966 | Insurance City Open Invitational | 65-64-69-68=266 | −18 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
14 | Jul 5, 1975 | Greater Milwaukee Open | 67-67-67-70=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
PGA Tour playoff record (5–5)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1953 | Greater Greensboro Open | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Stewart won with par on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Stewart: −2 (68), Snead: −2 (68), Ford: E (70), Wall: +2 (72) |
2 | 1953 | Fort Wayne Open | ![]() | Won 18-hole playoff; Wall: −2 (70), Middlecoff: E (72) |
3 | 1956 | Fort Wayne Open | ![]() ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
4 | 1958 | Rubber City Open Invitational | ![]() | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
5 | 1958 | Eastern Open Invitational | ![]() ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
6 | 1959 | Buick Open Invitational | ![]() | Won 18-hole playoff; Wall: −1 (71), Finsterwald: +1 (73) |
7 | 1960 | Western Open | ![]() | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
8 | 1962 | Insurance City Open Invitational | ![]() | Lost to birdie on seventh extra hole |
9 | 1967 | Canadian Open | ![]() | Lost 18-hole playoff; Casper: −6 (65), Wall: −2 (69) |
10 | 1971 | Canadian Open | ![]() | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Caribbean Tour wins (7)
- 1963 Caracas Open
- 1964 Maracaibo Open Invitational,[18] Puerto Rico Open,[18] Los Lagartos Open[18]
- 1965 Panama Open, Maracaibo Open Invitational
- 1966 Maracaibo Open Invitational
Latin American wins (3)
- 1964 Ciudad Barranquilla Open,[18] Mexican Open[18]
- 1966 Caracas Open
Other wins (5)
- 1956 Philadelphia PGA Championship
- 1962 Philadelphia PGA Championship
- 1963 Philadelphia PGA Championship
- 1965 Philadelphia PGA Championship
- 1971 Philadelphia PGA Championship
Other senior wins (2)
- 1980 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Tommy Bolt)
- 1996 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Doug Ford)
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Masters Tournament | 6 shot deficit | −4 (73-74-71-66=284) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T34 | CUT | T6 | 1 | ||||
U.S. Open | 47 | T26 | CUT | T16 | CUT | CUT | WD | |
PGA Championship | R32 | R64 | T11 | T25 |
Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | WD | CUT | T21 | CUT | T45 | CUT | T49 | T22 | T40 | |
U.S. Open | T43 | T11 | T40 | T9 | T50 | |||||
PGA Championship | T39 | T5 | T23 | T8 | 58 | CUT |
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | T27 | CUT | T37 | T37 | T15 | T28 | T35 | CUT | CUT |
U.S. Open | CUT | T45 | ||||||||
PGA Championship | T24 | T50 | CUT |
Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 51 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
U.S. Open | |||||||||
PGA Championship |
Note: Wall never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" = tied
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 31 | 15 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 9 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 11 |
Totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 58 | 35 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1972 PGA – 1976 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (five times)
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
References
- ^ Gundelfinger, Phil (April 6, 1959). "Wall's sensational rally takes Masters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 26.
- ^ a b "Art Wall Jr., 77; golfer had 40 holes in one". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 1, 2001. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ Passov, Joe (September 24, 2009). "50 years ago, game's best player was Art Wall, not Arnold Palmer". Golf.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ "Art Wall, Jr.: still living the game". Tucson Citizen. (Arizona). (part 1). May 3, 1994. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ "Art Wall, Jr.: still living the game". Tucson Citizen. (Arizona). (part 2). May 3, 1994. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ Porter, David L. (1995). Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: 1992-1995 (Art Wall). Greenwood Press. p. 574. ISBN 9780313284311.
- ^ "William Riefler Wall". On Eternal Patrol. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Amateur Championship – Past Champions". Pennsylvania Golf Association. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Art Wall Jr. – Golfer, 77". The New York Times. November 1, 2001. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "Art Wall Jr". Autograph Magazine. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Brown, Gwilym (April 13, 1959). "Wall was wondrous". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
- ^ Wright, Alfred (January 18, 1960). "The young pros go after the veterans". Sports Illustrated. p. 38.
- ^ "Wall birdies five of final 6; wins Masters in epic finish". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 6, 1959. p. 10.
- ^ Kindred, Dave (October 8, 2007). Do you believe her?.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ^ Bunch, Ken (July 7, 1975). "Old tiger Wall on prowl with GMO win". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Art Wall a winner at Milwaukee". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. July 7, 1975. p. 1C.
- ^ "I don't think 51 is old – golfer Art Wall". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. July 7, 1975. p. 4C.
- ^ a b c d e Trenham, Peter. "A Chronicle of the Philadelphia Section PGA and its Members, 1960–1969" (PDF). Philadelphia PGA.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Duke University Athletics Hall of Fame – Art Wall Jr.
- GolfCompendium.com – Art Wall
- Trenham Golf History – Art Wall Jr.
- Art Wall Jr. at Find a Grave
- v
- t
- e
- 1934 Horton Smith
- 1935 Gene Sarazen†
- 1936 Horton Smith
- 1937 Byron Nelson
- 1938 Henry Picard
- 1939 Ralph Guldahl
- 1940 Jimmy Demaret
- 1941‡ Craig Wood
- 1942 Byron Nelson†
- 1946 Herman Keiser
- 1947 Jimmy Demaret
- 1948 Claude Harmon
- 1949 Sam Snead
- 1950 Jimmy Demaret
- 1951 Ben Hogan
- 1952 Sam Snead
- 1953 Ben Hogan
- 1954 Sam Snead†
- 1955 Cary Middlecoff
- 1956 Jack Burke Jr.
- 1957 Doug Ford
- 1958 Arnold Palmer
- 1959 Art Wall Jr.
- 1960‡ Arnold Palmer
- 1961 Gary Player
- 1962 Arnold Palmer†
- 1963 Jack Nicklaus
- 1964 Arnold Palmer
- 1965 Jack Nicklaus
- 1966 Jack Nicklaus†
- 1967 Gay Brewer
- 1968 Bob Goalby
- 1969 George Archer
- 1970 Billy Casper†
- 1971 Charles Coody
- 1972‡ Jack Nicklaus
- 1973 Tommy Aaron
- 1974 Gary Player
- 1975 Jack Nicklaus
- 1976‡ Raymond Floyd
- 1977 Tom Watson
- 1978 Gary Player
- 1979 Fuzzy Zoeller†
- 1980 Seve Ballesteros
- 1981 Tom Watson
- 1982 Craig Stadler†
- 1983 Seve Ballesteros
- 1984 Ben Crenshaw
- 1985 Bernhard Langer
- 1986 Jack Nicklaus
- 1987 Larry Mize†
- 1988 Sandy Lyle
- 1989 Nick Faldo†
- 1990 Nick Faldo†
- 1991 Ian Woosnam
- 1992 Fred Couples
- 1993 Bernhard Langer
- 1994 José María Olazábal
- 1995 Ben Crenshaw
- 1996 Nick Faldo
- 1997 Tiger Woods
- 1998 Mark O'Meara
- 1999 José María Olazábal
- 2000 Vijay Singh
- 2001 Tiger Woods
- 2002 Tiger Woods
- 2003 Mike Weir†
- 2004 Phil Mickelson
- 2005 Tiger Woods†
- 2006 Phil Mickelson
- 2007 Zach Johnson
- 2008 Trevor Immelman
- 2009 Ángel Cabrera†
- 2010 Phil Mickelson
- 2011 Charl Schwartzel
- 2012 Bubba Watson†
- 2013 Adam Scott†
- 2014 Bubba Watson
- 2015‡ Jordan Spieth
- 2016 Danny Willett
- 2017 Sergio García†
- 2018 Patrick Reed
- 2019 Tiger Woods
- 2020 Dustin Johnson
- 2021 Hideki Matsuyama
- 2022 Scottie Scheffler
- 2023 Jon Rahm
- 2024 Scottie Scheffler