Lloyd Mangrum

Aug. 1, 1914, in Trenton, Texas

Nov. 17, 1973, in Apple Valley, Calif.

36

1
• 1946 U.S. Open

• Member, World Golf Hall of Fame
• Member, Texas Golf Hall of Fame
• PGA Tour Vardon Trophy winner in 1951 and 1953
• PGA Tour Money leader in 1951
• 4-time Ryder Cup player
• Ryder Cup captain, 1951

• Lloyd Mangrum: "I don't suppose that any of the pro or amateur golfers who were combat soldiers, Marines or sailors will soon be able to think of a three-putt green as one of the really bad troubles in life." (Mangrum took part in the D-Day Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge in World War II)

• Byron Nelson on Lloyd Mangrum: "He was a tough competitor and an excellent putter. Any time you beat him, you could know you were playing well."

Mangrum shares the PGA Tour for longest sudden-death playoff with Cary Middlecoff. Mangrum and Middlecoff played 11 playoff holes at the 1949 Motor City Open, neither player able to beat the other on any of the holes and bring the playoff to an end. A tie was declared and the two shared the victory.

Lloyd Mangrum was called by legendary sportswriter Jim Murray "the forgotten man of golf." He won 36 times on the PGA Tour - only 11 men have won more - yet he was overshadowed even in his own time by fellow Texans Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Jimmy Demaret.

Mangrum became serious about golf in the late 1920s when his brother, Ray, worked as a club pro in Dallas. Lloyd turned pro in 1930, he and his brother moved to Los Angeles, and Lloyd entered professional competitive golf in 1936. His first PGA Tour win came in 1940.

That same year, Mangrum set a record for low round at the Masters - 64 - that stood until 1986.

Mangrum served with the Third Army during World War II, where he took part in the D-Day Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge, winning four Battle Stars and earning two Purple Hearts. According to a Golf Magazine article on Mangrum, by the end of WWII, "Mangrum and one other soldier were the sole surviving members of their original unit."

He began winning again in 1946, beating Byron Nelson in a playoff for the U.S. Open. That started a terrific stretch into the mid-1950s, during which Mangrum won the bulk of his 36 career victories, both his Vardon Trophies and his one money title.

On the golf course, Mangrum was known for his natty attire, which combined with his thin mustache and thin frame gave him an aristocratic appearance.

He was best know for his terrific putting stroke, considered by many one of the best putters of his era. Mangrum was also acknowledged as a great wind player, as are many golfers who grew up in Texas.

Heart disease forced Mangrum's exit from professional golf. He later wrote two well-regarded instructional books, including one - "Golf: A New Approach" - for which Bing Crosby wrote the forward.

He died at age 59 as a result of his 12th heart attack. Lloyd Mangrum was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.