1951 - The Year in Golf, 1951

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Byron Nelson, who retired from full-time competitive golf in 1946, wins the Bing Crosby Pro-Am. It is the last of his 52 PGA Tour wins.

After winning his third U.S. Open, Ben Hogan says of Oakland Hills Country Club, "I'm glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees."

Al Brosch shoots 60 in the third round of the Texas Open, the first time that score is posted in a PGA Tour event.

The R&A and USGA agree to a common set of rules, standardizing the way golf is played around the world.

The only major difference between USGA and R&A rulings continues to be the size of the golf ball. The USGA mandates 1.68 inches, the R&A 1.62 inches.

Stymies are abolished from the Rules of Golf.

Center-shafted putters are legalized by the R&A.

The penalty for a ball out of bounds is made stroke-and-distance.

"Golf Digest" publishes its first issue.

The motion picture "Follow the Sun" is released. It's a biopic about Ben Hogan, his automobile accident and recovery.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins the LPGA Ponte Vedra Beach Women's Open, with 16-year-old Marlene Bauer (Hagge) runner-up.

Patty Berg and Babe Didrikson Zaharias go head-to-head in a 36-hole playoff for the LPGA Weathervane Classic. Berg wins, 146-147.

Betsy Rawls outpaces Louise Suggs to win the U.S. Women's Open, the first of Rawls' eight major championships.

Patty Berg leads a team of LPGA Tour professionals to England to play a Ryder Cup-style match against candidates for the British Walker Cup team. Berg and her teammates Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Betsy Rawls, Peggy Kirk, Betty Jameson and Betty Bush win the competition, 6.5 to 2.5.

Born This Year:
• Bruce Lietzke, 13-time PGA Tour winner
• Pat Bradley, 6-time LPGA major winner
• Jan Stephenson, LPGA Tour
• Fuzzy Zoeller, 1979 Masters and 1984 U.S. Open winner
• Dick Mast, PGA Tour
• Ayako Okamoto, 17-time LPGA Tour winner
• Mac O'Grady, PGA Tour, noted instructor
• Rodger Davis, European Tour, PGA Senior Tour
• Roger Maltbie, PGA Tour, television commentator
• Bobby Wadkins, PGA Tour, Senior Tour

• Don Pooley, PGA Tour
• Mark McCumber, 10-time PGA Tour winner
• Bill Rogers, 1981 British Open champ
• Sally Little, 15-time LPGA winner, 3 majors
• Tom Purtzer, PGA Tour

Died This Year:
• Leo Diegel, 2-time PGA Championship winner
• Jerome Travers, 1915 U.S. Open winner, 4-time U.S. Amateur winner

Money Leaders:
PGA: Lloyd Mangrum, $26,068.83
LPGA: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, $15,087

Scoring Leaders:
PGA (Vardon Trophy): Lloyd Mangrum, 70.05

Men's Major Championship Winners:
The Masters: Ben Hogan
U.S. Open: Ben Hogan
British Open: Max Faulkner
PGA Championship: Sam Snead

Women's Major Championship Winners:
U.S. Open: Betsy Rawls
Titleholders: Pat O'Sullivan
Western Open: Patty Berg

Amateur Champions
U.S.: Billy Maxwell
British: Richard Chapman
U.S. Women's: Dorothy Kirby
British Women's: Catherine MacCann

Ryder Cup
U.S. 9.5, Britain 2.5

Walker Cup
U.S. 6, Great Britain and Ireland 3

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