Craig Wood (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Craig Ralph Wood was an American professional golf
er in the 1930s and 1940s, the winner of 21 PGA Tour
titles including two major championships
and a member of three Ryder Cup
teams (1931, 1933, 1935).
Wood was born in Lake Placid, New York
.
Despite his two major championships, Wood is probably most well known as the victim of Gene Sarazen
's famous double eagle in the 1935 Augusta National Invitational (now known as the Masters Tournament). The shot left the two players tied at the end of regulation and Sarazen went on to victory in a 36-hole playoff.
This was the fourth runner-up and third playoff loss for Wood in a major in just two years. In the 1933 British Open
at St Andrews
, Denny Shute
had defeated Wood in another 36-hole playoff. In the spring of 1934, Wood was the runner up by a single shot to Horton Smith
at the first Masters and later that year he was defeated on the 38th hole by Paul Runyan
in the PGA Championship
which was then decided by match play
. After Sarazen's shot, Wood was left with his second consecutive Masters runner-up and a reputation of being "jinxed". At the 1939 U.S. Open
he birdied the 72nd hole and was again in a playoff, but this time Byron Nelson
was the winner, making Wood the first player to lose all four major championships
in extra holes. Greg Norman
is the only other player to suffer this fate.
In 1941, at the age of 39, Wood finally beat his "jinx" in noteworthy fashion, winning the Masters Tournament and becoming its first wire-to-wire champion with rounds of 66-71-71-72=280 and a three shot victory over Byron Nelson. He followed his Masters success by winning the 45th U.S. Open
at The Colonial Club in Fort Worth, Texas
. His score of 284 beat out another former nemesis Denny Shute
by three. This was the first time someone had successfully captured the first two major championships of the year.
In 1954, the Lake Placid Golf and Country Club changed its name to the Craig Wood Golf Course in honor of its native son.
Wood died in Palm Beach, Florida
.
Wood was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame
in 2008 on the PGA Tour ballot.
Major championships
are shown in bold.
(missing one win)
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
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
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er in the 1930s and 1940s, the winner of 21 PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
titles including two major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
and a member of three Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
teams (1931, 1933, 1935).
Wood was born in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
.
Despite his two major championships, Wood is probably most well known as the victim of Gene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen
Gene Sarazen was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s. He is one of five golfers to win all the current major championships in his career, the Career Grand Slam:U.S...
's famous double eagle in the 1935 Augusta National Invitational (now known as the Masters Tournament). The shot left the two players tied at the end of regulation and Sarazen went on to victory in a 36-hole playoff.
This was the fourth runner-up and third playoff loss for Wood in a major in just two years. In the 1933 British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
at St Andrews
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...
, Denny Shute
Denny Shute
Herman Densmore "Denny" Shute was an American golfer who won three major championships in the 1930s.Shute was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was born in England. He attended Western Reserve University , and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He was married on March 20, 1930 to Hettie Marie Potts...
had defeated Wood in another 36-hole playoff. In the spring of 1934, Wood was the runner up by a single shot to Horton Smith
Horton Smith
Horton Smith was an American professional golfer, who is best known as the first man to win the Masters Tournament.- Tournament career :...
at the first Masters and later that year he was defeated on the 38th hole by Paul Runyan
Paul Runyan
Paul Scott Runyan was an American professional golfer. He was among the world's best players in the mid-1930s, won two PGA Championships, and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Runyan was also a golf instructor....
in the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
which was then decided by match play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
. After Sarazen's shot, Wood was left with his second consecutive Masters runner-up and a reputation of being "jinxed". At the 1939 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
he birdied the 72nd hole and was again in a playoff, but this time Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912...
was the winner, making Wood the first player to lose all four major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
in extra holes. Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
is the only other player to suffer this fate.
In 1941, at the age of 39, Wood finally beat his "jinx" in noteworthy fashion, winning the Masters Tournament and becoming its first wire-to-wire champion with rounds of 66-71-71-72=280 and a three shot victory over Byron Nelson. He followed his Masters success by winning the 45th U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
at The Colonial Club in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. His score of 284 beat out another former nemesis Denny Shute
Denny Shute
Herman Densmore "Denny" Shute was an American golfer who won three major championships in the 1930s.Shute was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was born in England. He attended Western Reserve University , and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He was married on March 20, 1930 to Hettie Marie Potts...
by three. This was the first time someone had successfully captured the first two major championships of the year.
In 1954, the Lake Placid Golf and Country Club changed its name to the Craig Wood Golf Course in honor of its native son.
Wood died in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
.
Wood was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
in 2008 on the PGA Tour ballot.
PGA Tour wins (21)
- 1928 (1) New Jersey PGA ChampionshipNew Jersey PGA ChampionshipThe New Jersey PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the New Jersey section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1928 at a variety of courses around the state. The format from 1932 to 1934 and 1954 to 1957 was match play. Since 1958, the...
- 1929 (2) Oklahoma City Open, Hawaiian Open
- 1930 (1) New Jersey PGA ChampionshipNew Jersey PGA ChampionshipThe New Jersey PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the New Jersey section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1928 at a variety of courses around the state. The format from 1932 to 1934 and 1954 to 1957 was match play. Since 1958, the...
- 1931 (1) Harlingen Open
- 1932 (3) New Jersey PGA Match Play ChampionshipNew Jersey PGA ChampionshipThe New Jersey PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the New Jersey section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1928 at a variety of courses around the state. The format from 1932 to 1934 and 1954 to 1957 was match play. Since 1958, the...
, San Francisco Open-Match Play, Pasadena OpenPasadena OpenThe Pasadena Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1929 to 1938. It was held at the Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, California.-Winners:*1938 Henry Picard*1936-37 No tournament*1935 Horton Smith*1934 Harold "Jug" McSpaden... - 1933 (2) Los Angeles Open, Radium Springs Open
- 1934 (2) Galveston Open Championship, New Jersey Open
- 1936 (1) General Brock Open
- 1938 (1) Augusta Open-Forest Hills
- 1940 (2) Metropolitan OpenMetropolitan OpenThe Metropolitan Open is golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 and is the third oldest "Open" golf tournament in the United States after the U.S. Open and the Western Open. It is held at member clubs in New York, New Jersey, and...
, Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (with Billy Burke) - 1941 (2) Masters Tournament, U.S. OpenU.S. Open (golf)The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
- 1942 (1) Canadian Open
- 1944 (1) Durham OpenDurham OpenThe Durham Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played three times from 1944 to 1945. The tournament was held at the Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, North Carolina. Each tournament had a purse of $5,000 with a winner's share of $1,000 .In 1944, Craig Wood won the Durham Open for...
Major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
are shown in bold.
(missing one win)
Other wins
this list may be incomplete- 1925 Kentucky OpenKentucky OpenThe Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association...
- 1929 Pasadena OpenPasadena OpenThe Pasadena Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1929 to 1938. It was held at the Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, California.-Winners:*1938 Henry Picard*1936-37 No tournament*1935 Horton Smith*1934 Harold "Jug" McSpaden...
(January) - 1938 New Jersey PGA ChampionshipNew Jersey PGA ChampionshipThe New Jersey PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the New Jersey section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1928 at a variety of courses around the state. The format from 1932 to 1934 and 1954 to 1957 was match play. Since 1958, the...
- 1942 Metropolitan PGA ChampionshipMetropolitan PGA ChampionshipThe Metropolitan PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1924 at a variety of courses around the New York City metropolitan area. It was considered a PGA Tour event in the 1920s and...
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 1941 Masters Tournament The 1941 Masters Tournament was contested from April 3 to April 6 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 8th Masters Tournament.Craig Wood opened with a 66 and a five-stroke lead. Wood scored a 34 over the Tournament's final nine holes to defeat Byron Nelson by three strokes. Wood became the... |
Masters Tournament | 3 shot lead | ||
| 3 strokes |  Byron NelsonByron Nelson John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912... |
|||
| 1941 | U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
2 shot lead | 3 strokes | Denny Shute Denny Shute Herman Densmore "Denny" Shute was an American golfer who won three major championships in the 1930s.Shute was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was born in England. He attended Western Reserve University , and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He was married on March 20, 1930 to Hettie Marie Potts... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T51 | DNP | CUT | T46 | T16 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | QF |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | 2 | 2 | T20 | T26 | T34 | 6 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T9 | DNP | T14 | 3 | DQ | T21 | T66 | T36 | DNP | 2 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | R32 | DNP | 2 | DNP | SF | R32 | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T7 | 1 | T23 | NT | NT | NT | DNP | T52 | DNP | 34 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
4 | 1 | NT | NT | NT | NT | CUT | DNP | CUT | T27 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
R32 | R32 | QF | NT | R16 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | R64 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | 59 | T61 | 71 | 62 | 70 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | T47 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | WD | CUT | DNP | WD | WD |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
DQ = Disqualified
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
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.