| Lew Worsham | |
| Fullname: | Lewis Elmer Worsham Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 5 October 1917 |
| Birth Place: | Pittsylvania County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Poquoson, Virginia, U.S. |
| Yearpro: | 1935 |
| Extour: | PGA Tour |
| Prowins: | 13 |
| Pgawins: | 6 |
| Otherwins: | 7 |
| Majorwins: | 1 |
| Masters: | 6th: 1949 |
| Usopen: | Won: 1947 |
| Open: | DNP |
| Pga: | T5: 1947, 1955 |
| Award1: | PGA Tour leading money winner |
| Year1: | 1953 |
| Award2: | PGA of America Hall of Fame |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Unit: | United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland |
| Serviceyears: | 1943–1945 |
Lewis Elmer Worsham, Jr. (October 5, 1917 – October 19, 1990) was an American professional golfer, the U.S. Open champion
Worsham was born on October 5, 1917, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He grew up in Long Island, Virginia. Worsham attended Hampton High School and was a member of the golf team from 1933 to 1935. He served in the United States Navy during World War II.[1]
Worsham won the U.S. Open in 1947 by defeating Sam Snead by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff at the St. Louis Country Club in Clayton, Missouri.[2] [3] [4] This was the first U.S. Open to be televised locally and the winner's share was $2,000. In July 1947, Worsham appeared on the cover of Golfing magazine. In 1953, he led the PGA Tour money list with $34,002 in earnings. That same year he won the first golf tournament to be broadcast nationally in the United States and golf's first $100,000 tournament, the Tam O'Shanter World Championship of Golf, in spectacular fashion. He holed out a wedge from 104 yards for an eagle-2 to win over Chandler Harper by
Worsham made his only Ryder Cup appearance in 1947 and won both of his matches. Like most tour players of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional, and was the longtime pro at Oakmont Country Club, northeast of Pittsburgh,
Worsham was honored as the "Sportsperson of the Year" for 1953 by Pittsburgh's Dapper Dan Charities. He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2017.[5]
Worsham married Virginia. He had one daughter and two sons: Lynda, Richard L and Thomas E.[1]
Worsham died on October 19, 1990, at age, 73 in Poquoson, Virginia. He is buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.[1]
Major championship is shown in bold.
| Tournament | 1938 | 1939 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||
| U.S. Open | WD | ||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NT | NT | NT | T33 | T30 | 6 | |||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T22 | 1 | 6 | T27 | |
| PGA Championship | NT | R32 | QF | R16 | R16 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T42 | T3 | T7 | 44 | T12 | T49 | T34 | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T14 | T7 | CUT | T23 | CUT | CUT | T38 | T45 | ||
| PGA Championship | R32 | R32 | R32 | R64 | QF | R16 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 44 | T22 | T29 | ||
| U.S. Open | CUT | ||||
| PGA Championship | T37 | CUT | CUT |
Note: Worsham never played in The Open Championship.
NT = No tournament
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
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 13 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 9 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 11 | |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 20 | 44 | 33 |