Jimmy Demaret
Flashy dressing Jimmy Demaret played in 13 PGA Tour events in 1940 and won six of them, including his first of three Masters titles. But his banner year was 1947 when he was both the Vardon trophy winner (69.90) and leading money winner ($27,936). In total, Demaret won 31 times on the PGA Tour.
He was named to four Ryder Cup teams, including the 1941 team that did not compete against the British because of the war. Jimmy was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1983. He is generally acknowledged as the Father of the Senior Tour and he and Fred Raphael conceived Legends of Golf in 1978 at Onion Creek a course designed and co-owned by Demaret himself.
Demaret, a companion of movie stars, royalty, heads of state and astronauts, was a pioneer in TV golf and co-hosted, with Gene Sarazen, the Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf series. He co-founded Champions Golf Club with life-long friend Jack Burke. It has hosted the 1967 Ryder Cup, the 1969 U.S. Open, the 1993 U.S. Amateur, and other high-profile events.
A product of the Hermann Park caddie pen, Demaret played in only one tournament as an amateur, that being a match for Northside High School. He received pay for his services as an assistant pro at the early age of 14 and would go on to hold several club jobs before concentration on the life of a touring pro.
Birthplace: Houston, Texas
Born: May 24, 1910
Died: December 28, 1983