Dave Marr
Encyclopedia
David Francis Marr, Jr. (December 27, 1933 – October 5, 1997) was an American
professional golfer
and sportscaster
, best known for winning the 1965
PGA Championship
.
, Texas
, the son of a professional golfer. He attended St. Thomas High School
, and while there was on the honor roll, captain of the golf team and member of the Letterman's Club. Following graduation, he attended Rice Institute
and the University of Houston
.
, New Jersey
, in 1953. A short time later, Marr took a job as an assistant club pro to Claude Harmon
at Winged Foot Golf Club
in Mamaroneck
, New York, where he began to blossom. He began playing regularly on the PGA tour in 1960, and in that year earned his first professional win at the Sam Snead Festival
. A year later, he won the Greater Seattle Open Invitational and then the Azalea Open in 1962. Marr joined the elite in golf world in 1965 when he captured the coveted PGA Championship, was named to the Ryder Cup
team and elected PGA Player of the Year.
The 1965 PGA Championship
was played at the Laurel Valley Golf Club
in Ligonier
, Pennsylvania
. He defeated golf legends Jack Nicklaus
and Billy Casper
by two strokes with a four-day total score of 280. Incredibly, this wasn't the biggest news story of the day in the Marr family – a few hours after his victory, his third child, son Tony, was born.
Marr played in the 1965 Ryder Cup
, finishing his six matches with a 4-2 record. He was the appointed non-playing captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1981
.
Marr was a close friend of golf legend Arnold Palmer
. Marr and Palmer were both sons of PGA pros and developed a close bond. Palmer called Marr's 1965 PGA victory "one of the happiest moments of my life". The two of them used to joke that between them they won a career grand slam. (Palmer won many majors
in his career, but never won the PGA Championship.)
, and fellow one-time PGA Championship winner, Bob Rosburg
. He later worked for the BBC
and then NBC
.
Marr and long-time golfing partner Jay Riviere established a golf course
architectural and design firm in 1981. They have designed many courses in the greater Houston
area.
Marr died at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after a long battle with stomach
cancer
on October 5, 1997. He was 63. He is survived by his wife, Tally, and sons Dave III, Anthony, Wayne Bunch, Tucker Bunch, and daughter Elizabeth Hallas. Marr's oldest son, Dave III, works for Golf Channel covering the Champions Tour
.
Marr's children have scattered his ashes around the various courses that meant so much to him during his playing days – Royal Birkdale, in England, where he played on the 1965 Ryder Cup team; Walton Heath, in England, where he captained the 1981 Ryder Cup team; and at the 18th hole at Laurel Valley, the site of his 1965 PGA Championship.
Shell Oil Company
created the Dave Marr Memorial Award the year after his death. It is awarded annually in conjunction with the Shell Houston Open
. Marr's last assignment as a broadcaster had been to host Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
from 1993–97. Past winners of the award include Gene Sarazen
, Byron Nelson
, Jack Nicklaus
, Judy Rankin
, Gary Player
, Former President George H. W. Bush
and Arnold Palmer
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
and sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, best known for winning the 1965
1965 PGA Championship
The 1965 PGA Championship was the 47th PGA Championship played August 12–15 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Dave Marr won the championship.-Final leaderboard:-External links:* - at www.golfobserver.com...
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...
.
Early years
Marr was born and raised in HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the son of a professional golfer. He attended St. Thomas High School
St. Thomas High School
St. Thomas High School is a Roman Catholic university preparatory school for young men in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 1900, St. Thomas is the second oldest continuously operating private high school in Houston behind Incarnate Word Academy, which was founded in 1873. The school is...
, and while there was on the honor roll, captain of the golf team and member of the Letterman's Club. Following graduation, he attended Rice Institute
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
and the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
.
Professional career
In 1953 at age 19, Marr left college and turned professional. He began his professional golfing career by accepting a position at Westwood Country Club in WestwoodWestwood, New Jersey
Westwood is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 10,908....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in 1953. A short time later, Marr took a job as an assistant club pro to Claude Harmon
Claude Harmon
Eugene Claude Harmon, Sr. was an American golfer.Harmon was born in Savannah, Georgia, and spent much of his boyhood in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, Harmon qualified for the U.S. Amateur at age 15 in 1931...
at Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...
in Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck (town), New York
Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...
, New York, where he began to blossom. He began playing regularly on the PGA tour in 1960, and in that year earned his first professional win at the Sam Snead Festival
Sam Snead Festival
The Sam Snead Festival was an unofficial money golf tournament, played from 1949 to 1961, at the The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia...
. A year later, he won the Greater Seattle Open Invitational and then the Azalea Open in 1962. Marr joined the elite in golf world in 1965 when he captured the coveted PGA Championship, was named to the 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...
team and elected PGA Player of the Year.
The 1965 PGA Championship
1965 PGA Championship
The 1965 PGA Championship was the 47th PGA Championship played August 12–15 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Dave Marr won the championship.-Final leaderboard:-External links:* - at www.golfobserver.com...
was played at the Laurel Valley Golf Club
Laurel Valley Golf Club
Laurel Valley Golf Club is a golf club located just south of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Designed by Dick Wilson and renovated by Arnold Palmer, the Laurel Valley golf course opened in 1959. Since its opening, the club has hosted two notable tournaments: the 1965 PGA Championship and the 1975 Ryder...
in Ligonier
Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Ligonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2000 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park, one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, and nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He defeated golf legends Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
and Billy Casper
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:...
by two strokes with a four-day total score of 280. Incredibly, this wasn't the biggest news story of the day in the Marr family – a few hours after his victory, his third child, son Tony, was born.
Marr played in the 1965 Ryder Cup
1965 Ryder Cup
The 16th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. For the first time commercialisation started to make a presence on site. The United States team won the competition by a score of 19½ to 12½ points.-Format:...
, finishing his six matches with a 4-2 record. He was the appointed non-playing captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1981
1981 Ryder Cup
The 24th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Walton Heath Golf Club in Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, England.The United States team won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points. To date it remains the heaviest defeat that a European team has suffered at the hands of the United States.-Format:The...
.
Marr was a close friend of golf legend Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
. Marr and Palmer were both sons of PGA pros and developed a close bond. Palmer called Marr's 1965 PGA victory "one of the happiest moments of my life". The two of them used to joke that between them they won a career grand slam. (Palmer won many majors
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 his career, but never won the PGA Championship.)
Later years
Marr served as a golf analyst for ABC from 1972 until 1991. He was usually teamed with the legendary Jim McKayJim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
, and fellow one-time PGA Championship winner, Bob Rosburg
Bob Rosburg
Robert Reginald "Rossie" Rosburg was an American professional golfer who later became a sports color analyst for ABC television.-Early years, college:Rosburg was born in San Francisco, California...
. He later worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and then NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Marr and long-time golfing partner Jay Riviere established a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
architectural and design firm in 1981. They have designed many courses in the greater Houston
Greater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
area.
Marr died at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after a long battle with stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on October 5, 1997. He was 63. He is survived by his wife, Tally, and sons Dave III, Anthony, Wayne Bunch, Tucker Bunch, and daughter Elizabeth Hallas. Marr's oldest son, Dave III, works for Golf Channel covering the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
.
Marr's children have scattered his ashes around the various courses that meant so much to him during his playing days – Royal Birkdale, in England, where he played on the 1965 Ryder Cup team; Walton Heath, in England, where he captained the 1981 Ryder Cup team; and at the 18th hole at Laurel Valley, the site of his 1965 PGA Championship.
Awards and honors
Marr was elected to the National Collegiate Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. He was selected for the Gold Tee Award presented by the Met (N.Y.) Golf Writers in 1990.Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
created the Dave Marr Memorial Award the year after his death. It is awarded annually in conjunction with the Shell Houston Open
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...
. Marr's last assignment as a broadcaster had been to host Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf was a televised series of golf matches began in the 1960s. The program was sponsored by Shell Oil. It was a part of the tradition of "challenge matches" between pairs of professional golfers, which were the earliest form of professional golf competition, but have now...
from 1993–97. Past winners of the award include 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...
, 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...
, Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
, Judy Rankin
Judy Rankin
Judy Torluemke Rankin is an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1962 and won 26 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Amateur career:...
, Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
, Former President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
.
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 17, 1961 | Greater Seattle Open Invitational | Playoff |  Jacky CupitJacky Cupit Jacky D. Cupit is an American professional golfer who has played on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour .... , Bob RosburgBob Rosburg Robert Reginald "Rossie" Rosburg was an American professional golfer who later became a sports color analyst for ABC television.-Early years, college:Rosburg was born in San Francisco, California... |
|
| 2 | Apr 1, 1962 | Azalea Open | Playoff | Jerry Steelsmith |
|
| 3 | Aug 15, 1965 | 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... |
2 strokes | Billy Casper Billy Casper William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:... , Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 1965 PGA Championship The 1965 PGA Championship was the 47th PGA Championship played August 12–15 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Dave Marr won the championship.-Final leaderboard:-External links:* - at www.golfobserver.com... |
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... |
Tied for lead |
| 2 strokes | Billy Casper Billy Casper William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:... , Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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 | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | DNP | T15 |
| 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 |
| 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 | T44 | DNP |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T34 | DNP | CUT | DNP | T2 | CUT | CUT | T16 | T20 | 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... |
T17 | CUT | DNP | T21 | DNP | CUT | T4 | T9 | T32 | T10 |
| 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 | T8 | 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... |
T10 | T22 | T51 | CUT | 65 | 1 | T18 | T33 | CUT | T48 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
T30 | CUT | CUT | 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... |
T41 | DNP | T11 | CUT |
| 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... |
T35 | DNP | CUT | T46 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10