Who Are The 50 Best Golfers in History?

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17. Gene Sarazen

Sarazen was the first golfer to win all four of the men’s professional majors that are still considered majors today. In his career, he competed against Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Jim Barnes, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead. Sarazen was friends Howard Hughes and was taking flying lessons from Hughes which inspired him to invent the sand wedge. He used the club to win the British Open in 1932. and was later named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

Sarazen won seven majors in all, including the British Open, the PGA three times, the U.S. Open twice, and the Masters in the second year it was played. It was in the 1935 Maters that he hit was has been called the “shot heard around the world.” It was a double eagle, a hole out with a 4-wood on the 15th hole. That tied him with Craig Wood, and after a 36-hole playoff, Sarazen won.

Even though the Masters was not designated a major until 1960 when Arnold Palmer created the modern Grand Slam, Sarazen is credited with that victory as a major.