Sam Parks Jr.

Sam Parks Jr.
Parks in 1937
Personal information
Full nameSamuel McLaughlin Parks Jr.
Born(1909-06-23)June 23, 1909
Bellevue, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedApril 7, 1997(1997-04-07) (aged 87)
Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
Sporting nationality United States
Career
CollegeUniversity of Pittsburgh
Turned professional1933
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins5
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour1
Other4
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentT15: 1935
PGA ChampionshipT9: 1935
U.S. OpenWon: 1935
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Samuel McLaughlin Parks Jr. (June 23, 1909 – April 7, 1997) was an American professional golfer, the winner of the U.S. Open in 1935, his only major title.

Born in Bellevue, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, Parks used his knowledge of the nearby Oakmont Country Club to win in June 1935 at age 25. Although a comparatively recent convert from college and amateur ranks and little-known nationally, Parks, the professional at the nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to negotiate Oakmont's furrowed bunkers and shaved greens in less than 300. After winning the U.S. Open, Parks played for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, matched against Alf Perry (the reigning British Open champion), the first time the U.S. Open champion would play the British Open Champion of the same year in the Ryder Cup Match. During that event, at the 36th hole, Parks made a 30-foot (9 m) birdie putt to win the hole and tie the match, so that both he and the British champ remained undefeated in Ryder Cup play.

Parks, a University of Pittsburgh alumnus who helped found the school's golf team in the 1920s,[1] died in 1997 at age 87 in Clearwater, Florida.

Professional wins (5)

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PGA Tour wins (1)

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Year Tournament Winning score Margin Runner-up
1935 U.S. Open +11 (77-73-73-76=299) 2 strokes United States Jimmy Thomson

Other wins (4)

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this list may be incomplete

Major championships

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Wins (1)

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Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
1935 U.S. Open Tied for lead +11 (77-73-73-76=299) 2 strokes United States Jimmy Thomson

Results timeline

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Tournament 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Masters Tournament NYF NYF NYF T46 T15 T20 T36 24
U.S. Open CUT T66 T37 1 CUT T16 CUT T38
PGA Championship R16 R32 R64 R64
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Masters Tournament T19 NT NT NT
U.S. Open T29 T33 NT NT NT NT CUT CUT
PGA Championship R32 NT
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament 50 72 61 T65 CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT
PGA Championship
Tournament 1960 1961 1962
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open
PGA Championship

Note: Parks never played in The Open Championship.

  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
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

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 4 16 10
U.S. Open 1 0 0 1 1 2 13 7
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 5
Totals 1 0 0 1 2 9 34 22
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (twice)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1935 U.S. Open – 1935 PGA)

References

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  1. ^ O'Brien, Jim, ed. (1982). Hail to Pitt: A Sports History of the University of Pittsburgh. Wolfson Publishing Co. p. 222. ISBN 0-916114-08-2.
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