Shelley Mayfield Explained

Shelley Mayfield
Birth Date:19 June 1924
Birth Place:Liberty Hill, Texas
Death Place:San Antonio, Texas
Weight:175lb
Yearpro:1948
Extour:PGA Tour
Prowins:5
Pgawins:3
Otherwins:2
Masters:T8: 1956
Usopen:T6: 1954
Open:DNP
Pga:T3: 1955

Shelley Mayfield (June 19, 1924 – March 22, 2010) was an American golf course architect and professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s.

Early life

Mayfield was born in Liberty Hill, Texas near Austin and grew up in Seguin near San Antonio. He was a star athlete in several sports at Seguin High School including golf, which he began playing at age 14. His team won several state championships under coach W.A. "Lefty" Stackhouse.

Professional career

Mayfield became a golf professional at the age of 24. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club pro. His first job was as an assistant for Claude Harmon at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a position he held for two years. The two later worked together at Seminole Golf Club in Florida for one year. He served as the head professional at Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York from 1950 to 1952. In 1955, Mayfield went to work at the exclusive Meadowbrook Golf and Polo Club on Long Island, where he stayed until 1963. He then became the head club pro at Brook Hollow Country Club in Dallas until 1982 when he retired.[1]

Mayfield won three PGA Tour events during his career. He had two top-10 finishes in major championships, T-6 at the 1954 U.S.Open and T-8 at the 1956 Masters Tournament.[2] [3] He also reached the semi-final of the 1955 PGA Championship, having reached the quarter-final the previous year.

Courses that Mayfield helped design, most as a partner with famed course architect Dick Wilson, included the Doral Country Club and Pine Tree Golf Club in Florida and California's Bay Hill Golf Club and La Costa Country Club.[1] Giving back to the town where he learned to play the game, he designed the back-nine added to the course at Max Starcke Park in Seguin, Texas.

In 1992 Mayfield was elected to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.[4]

Personal life

Mayfield retired to his ranch in Carrizo Springs, Texas.[1] He died in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 85.[5]

Professional wins (5)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Jul 19, 1953St. Paul Open−19 (69-67-68-65=269)2 strokes Dutch Harrison
2Jan 31, 1955Thunderbird Invitational−18 (63-70-68-69=270)Playoff Fred Haas, Mike Souchak
3Mar 4, 1956Baton Rouge Open−11 (67-71-70-69=277)3 strokes Walter Burkemo, Jimmy Demaret,
Doug Ford, Fred Haas,
Fred Hawkins

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
11953Houston Open Jim Ferrier, Cary Middlecoff,
Bill Nary, Earl Stewart
Middlecoff won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −3 (69),
Ferrier: −1 (71),
Mayfield: −1 (71),
Stewart: E (72),
Nary: +3 (75)
21955Thunderbird Invitational Fred Haas, Mike SouchakWon with birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff;
Mayfield: −3 (69),
Souchak: −3 (69),
Haas: −2 (70)

Other wins (2)

this list is probably incomplete

Results in major championships

Tournament1953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965
Masters TournamentT36T8CUT
U.S. OpenT33T6T12T29CUTT35CUTCUTWD
PGA ChampionshipQFSFR32R64T32T22T30T53
Note: Mayfield never played in The Open Championship.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Notes and References

  1. News: Mayfield, Stackhouse receive recognition . Chiapek . Jason . May 29, 2007 . The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise . https://archive.today/20070619070033/http://www.seguingazette.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f738882c684ae680 . dead . June 19, 2007 . November 21, 2007 .
  2. Web site: Tournament Results: 1956 . Masters Tournament . May 19, 2015.
  3. Web site: Shelley Mayfield . Golf Major Championships . May 19, 2015.
  4. Web site: Shelley Mayfield . Texas Golf Hall of Fame . May 19, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150204053555/http://texasgolfhof.org/index.php/component/zoo/item/shelley-mayfield . February 4, 2015 .
  5. Web site: Mayfield Dies At 85 . USGA . https://web.archive.org/web/20101203141400/http://www.usga.org/news/2010/March/Mayfield-Dies-At-85/ . December 3, 2010.