8 Comments
User's avatar
Gary Van Sickle's avatar

Nice idea. Some miltary golfers never made it off the military base golf course, as Mangrum declined to do. def a story to be done. i wrote a lengthy piece on Nelson for The Memorial Tournament Magazine a few years ago, discussed his service at length. don't think you can

find it online anywhere, however, it was only in print.

Expand full comment
Gary Van Sickle's avatar

good call. Chamblee, fyi, watched Ollie skank a 4-iron into Rae's Creek at 13 going for green in two, it hit something and caromed onto the green and he made eagle. A forgotten break for the ultimate winner. thx for reading.

Expand full comment
Larry Baush's avatar

Nice list, Gary. I would include Tony Lema, who had a runner-up finish in his first Masters losing to Nicklaus in 1963. Keep up the good work.

Expand full comment
Jason's Pontifications's avatar

I would say if you are going to include Rose you probably oughta have Tom Kite on here as well. Kite certainly didn’t lead after 10 rounds however he and Rose (and Miller) trail only Weiskopf in runner ups with 3 each.

Kite also made 21 of 26 cuts with NINE top 5’s.

Rose has made 17 of 20 cuts with 4 top 5’s.

Miller lags way behind both overall.

Also that ‘99 Masters won by Olazabal and was Norman’s final stand there—Chamblee shared the 1st round lead with Davis Love III, Scott McCarron, and Nick Price carding a 69.

Expand full comment
Tony Thomas's avatar

Poor Colin Montgomerie - forever the best golfer never to win any major and not even an honourable mention....

Expand full comment
Al Jamieson's avatar

Lloyd Mangrum. Silver Star (our 3rd highest award) Purple Heart at Battle of the bulge, and then wins our Open about a year later. No wonder they were called the greatest generation.

Expand full comment
The First Call's avatar

Al: Might make for a good list. Best golfers to have served in the military. Mangrum, Larry Nelson (Vietnam) ...

Expand full comment
Al Jamieson's avatar

Good point. The other remakable thing about him is that he took up golf rather late in life I believe.

Expand full comment