Gene Littler

A World Golf Hall of Fame inductee in 1990, Littler captured 29 PGA TOUR titles, including the 1961 U.S. Open, was a stalwart in the Ryder Cup across two decades, and was a dominant force in the early years of the PGA TOUR Champions. Only once during the quarter century from 1954 to 1979 did he finish out of the top 60 on the money list on the PGA TOUR, and that was in 1972 when he was sidelined by surgery to remove a cancerous lymph node. Littler bounced back to win three tournaments and finish fifth on the money list in 1975 at the age of 45, and two years later he won again at 47.

Littler was born in San Diego, Calif., in 1930 and first attracted national notice at the age of 23, when he sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th green at the Oklahoma Country Club to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, 1 up, over Dale Morey. Four months later, Littler won the San Diego Open as an amateur, and two days after that, he turned pro. The following year he won four times, earning the nickname “Gene the Machine” for his remarkably consistent ball striking. In 1980, Littler became eligible for the PGA TOUR Champions and proceeded to win three of his first five tournaments.

Born: July 21, 1930 (San Diego, Calif.)
Died: February 15, 2019 (San Diego; age 88)

Number of Wins by Tour
• PGA TOUR: 29
• Japan Golf Tour: 2
• PGA TOUR Champions: 8
• Other: 13

Best Results in Major Championships
• Masters Tournament: 2nd (1970)
• U.S. Open: Won (1961)
• The Open Championship: T-18th (1974)
• PGA Championship: 2nd (1977)

Achievements and Awards
• U.S. Amateur champion 1953
• Bob Jones Award 1973
• World Golf Hall of Fame 1990