Harry Cooper (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Harry E. Cooper was a prominent PGA Tour
golf
er of the 1920s and 1930s. After he retired from competitive golf, he became a well-regarded instructor, into his 90s.
Cooper was born in the town of Leatherhead
, England
. His father was a professional golfer who had served as an apprentice to Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews. His mother, Alice Cooper, was also a golf professional, a very rare career for women in that era. His family moved to Texas
when Cooper was young, and his father took a job as a club professional in Dallas.
Cooper turned professional in 1923. His first pro win, the Galveston Open in 1923, came before he turned twenty years of age. A perennial U.S. Open
contender (with seven top-10 finishes and second place in 1927 and 1936), "Lighthorse Harry", as he was nicknamed, for his quick pace of play, also placed second in the 1936 and 1938 Masters
, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the 1925 PGA Championship
. In all, he finished 19 times in the top-10 at major championships.
In the 1936 U.S. Open at Baltusrol Golf Club
in Springfield, New Jersey
, Cooper was involved in a highly controversial showdown with Tony Manero
, who was suspected of cheating. Manero defeated Cooper, who had already finished with a then-record score, by two shots to win the tournament; over the final holes, Manero was apparently receiving assistance in club selection from Gene Sarazen
, a top player and fellow Italian-American, who had already finished his round. The Rules of Golf were later modified to prevent this, specifying automatic disqualification for a player receiving advice from anyone except his caddie. In later years, Cooper would say that he had a mental hangup during major tournaments and couldn't picture himself in the winner's circle. His greatest successes were in Canada
, as he won the Canadian Open in 1932 and 1937. He won 31 PGA Tour
titles in all and the inaugural Vardon Trophy
in 1937; his 31 titles were a record for PGA Tour players born outside the U.S. until surpassed by Vijay Singh
in 2008. He was active as a senior golfer, placing sixth in the 1955 Senior PGA Championship
. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame
in 1992.
Since Cooper was born in the U.K., he was ineligible to play for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup
, although he had learned his golf in the U.S. after his family immigrated. This took him out of the chance for expenses-paid trips to Britain for that event and for the British Open
on the same trip, a considerable setback, since travel costs to the U.K. were very high, and the prize money for the Open was very low during that era. Indeed, Cooper never competed in the British Open during his long career.
Cooper was the golf professional at Glen Oak Country Club
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
from 1930–1937 and at Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois
from 1941-1942. He piled up many other titles, including wins in the first three tournaments held on Medinah Country Club
's No. 3 Course. He dropped an 18-hole playoff to Tommy Armour
in the 1927 U.S. Open, and advanced to the semifinals of the 1925 PGA Championship, falling to eventual champion Walter Hagen
. Statistically, Cooper's best year was 1937, when he won eight times on Tour, and was both the leading money winner and the first winner of the Vardon Trophy.
After his PGA tour career ended, he became the head professional at the Metropolis Country Club in Greenburgh, New York
. He held that position for many years. Following his retirement from Metropolis, he took a teaching position at Westchester Country Club
in Rye, New York
, where he remained until his death. He was remarkable for his ability to work in the golf industry into his nineties.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he was the Director of Golf on the Oceanic Cruise Liner, which sailed between New York City
and the Caribbean Sea
during the Christmas season.
Cooper is often classified as the greatest golfer who never won a major tournament. Some claim this classification is erroneous because Cooper won the 1934 Western Open
, which many considered one of golf's major championships at that time. Although in its early decades the Western Open was widely regarded as a major championship, this designation was unofficial and it is generally not included in tallies of golfers' major championship wins.
Cooper had no children. He died in a hospital in White Plains, New York
in 2000. He is interred beside his wife Emma in Lot 15, Graves 1 and 2, in the Kensico Gardens Section of the Kensico Cemetery
in Valhalla, New York
. His grave is now marked with a headstone, but his grave marker erroneously shows 1906 instead of 1904 as his birth year.
Source:
(missing one win)
Note: Cooper did not play in The Open Championship
.
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
Yellow background for top-10.
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
golf
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 of the 1920s and 1930s. After he retired from competitive golf, he became a well-regarded instructor, into his 90s.
Cooper was born in the town of Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His father was a professional golfer who had served as an apprentice to Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews. His mother, Alice Cooper, was also a golf professional, a very rare career for women in that era. His family moved to 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...
when Cooper was young, and his father took a job as a club professional in Dallas.
Cooper turned professional in 1923. His first pro win, the Galveston Open in 1923, came before he turned twenty years of age. A perennial 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...
contender (with seven top-10 finishes and second place in 1927 and 1936), "Lighthorse Harry", as he was nicknamed, for his quick pace of play, also placed second in the 1936 and 1938 Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...
, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the 1925 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...
. In all, he finished 19 times in the top-10 at major championships.
In the 1936 U.S. Open at Baltusrol Golf Club
Baltusrol Golf Club
The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club located in Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey. Among the many prestigious tournaments it has hosted, Baltusrol was most recently the site of the 2005 PGA Championship. The course architect is A. W...
in Springfield, New Jersey
Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey
Township of Springfield is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to a record high of 15,817....
, Cooper was involved in a highly controversial showdown with Tony Manero
Tony Manero
Anthony T. Manero was an American golfer. He won eight times on the PGA Tour including one major championship, the 1936 U.S. Open. He played on the 1937 Ryder Cup team. He was born in New York, New York and died in Greenwich, Connecticut. Manero was originally spelled Mainiero...
, who was suspected of cheating. Manero defeated Cooper, who had already finished with a then-record score, by two shots to win the tournament; over the final holes, Manero was apparently receiving assistance in club selection from 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...
, a top player and fellow Italian-American, who had already finished his round. The Rules of Golf were later modified to prevent this, specifying automatic disqualification for a player receiving advice from anyone except his caddie. In later years, Cooper would say that he had a mental hangup during major tournaments and couldn't picture himself in the winner's circle. His greatest successes were in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as he won the Canadian Open in 1932 and 1937. He won 31 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 in all and the inaugural Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy
The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low...
in 1937; his 31 titles were a record for PGA Tour players born outside the U.S. until surpassed by Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
in 2008. He was active as a senior golfer, placing sixth in the 1955 Senior PGA Championship
Senior PGA Championship
The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...
. He was inducted into 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 1992.
Since Cooper was born in the U.K., he was ineligible to play for the U.S. in 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...
, although he had learned his golf in the U.S. after his family immigrated. This took him out of the chance for expenses-paid trips to Britain for that event and for the British Open
British Open
The British Open is the Open Championship men's golf tournament.British Open may also refer to:* Women's British Open of golf* British Open Show Jumping Championships* British Open Squash Championships...
on the same trip, a considerable setback, since travel costs to the U.K. were very high, and the prize money for the Open was very low during that era. Indeed, Cooper never competed in the British Open during his long career.
Cooper was the golf professional at Glen Oak Country Club
Glen Oak Country Club
Glen Oak Country Club is a private golf course in Glen Ellyn, Illinois that was established in 1911. The 18 hole course plays 6,503 yards and par 72 with a 72.1 rating. The course features relatively small greens protected by bunkers with open fairways; it is especially notable for the extensive...
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn is an affluent village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the village population was 26,999.-Geography:...
from 1930–1937 and at Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
from 1941-1942. He piled up many other titles, including wins in the first three tournaments held on Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois with nearly 600 members and containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities and a Byzantine-style, mosque-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for...
's No. 3 Course. He dropped an 18-hole playoff to Tommy Armour
Tommy Armour
Thomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot.Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh....
in the 1927 U.S. Open, and advanced to the semifinals of the 1925 PGA Championship, falling to eventual champion Walter Hagen
Walter Hagen
Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...
. Statistically, Cooper's best year was 1937, when he won eight times on Tour, and was both the leading money winner and the first winner of the Vardon Trophy.
After his PGA tour career ended, he became the head professional at the Metropolis Country Club in Greenburgh, New York
Greenburgh, New York
Greenburgh is a town in the western part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 88,400 at the 2010 census. Paul J. Feiner has been the Town Supervisor since 1991.-History:...
. He held that position for many years. Following his retirement from Metropolis, he took a teaching position at Westchester Country Club
Westchester Country Club
The Westchester Country Club was founded by John McEntee Bowman, who hired Walter Travis to design two golf courses in the Town of Harrison, New York as a luxury resort hotel. The West Course was designed for championship play and has hosted PGA tournaments since 1963...
in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, where he remained until his death. He was remarkable for his ability to work in the golf industry into his nineties.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he was the Director of Golf on the Oceanic Cruise Liner, which sailed between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
during the Christmas season.
Cooper is often classified as the greatest golfer who never won a major tournament. Some claim this classification is erroneous because Cooper won the 1934 Western Open
Western Open
The Western Open, a professional golf tournament, was first played in 1899. At the time of its 2006 playing, the Western Open was the 3rd oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open and U.S. Open...
, which many considered one of golf's major championships at that time. Although in its early decades the Western Open was widely regarded as a major championship, this designation was unofficial and it is generally not included in tallies of golfers' major championship wins.
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
in 2000. He is interred beside his wife Emma in Lot 15, Graves 1 and 2, in the Kensico Gardens Section of the Kensico Cemetery
Kensico Cemetery
Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York, was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads which served the city...
in Valhalla, New York
Valhalla, New York
Valhalla is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place that is located within the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in Westchester County. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
. His grave is now marked with a headstone, but his grave marker erroneously shows 1906 instead of 1904 as his birth year.
PGA Tour wins (31)
- 1923 (1) Galveston Open Championship
- 1926 (2) Los Angeles Open, Monterey Peninsula Championship
- 1927 (1) Pebble Beach Open
- 1929 (2) Shawnee Open, Old Westbury Invitational
- 1930 (3) St. Paul Open, Medinah C.C. Invitational, Salt Lake Open
- 1931 (2) Tri-State Open, 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...
- 1932 (1) Canadian Open
- 1933 (1) Arizona Open
- 1934 (2) Western OpenWestern OpenThe Western Open, a professional golf tournament, was first played in 1899. At the time of its 2006 playing, the Western Open was the 3rd oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open and U.S. Open...
, Illinois Open - 1935 (3) Medinah Open, Illinois Open, St. Paul Open
- 1936 (2) Florida West Coast Open, St. Paul Open
- 1937 (7) Los Angeles Open, Houston Open, St. Petersburg OpenSt. Petersburg OpenThe St. Petersburg Open is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour. It has been held annually at the Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex in St. Petersburg, Russia,...
, True Temper Open, Canadian Open, Inverness Invitational Four-BallInverness Invitational Four-BallThe Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.-Format:...
(with Horton SmithHorton SmithHorton Smith was an American professional golfer, who is best known as the first man to win the Masters Tournament.- Tournament career :...
), Oklahoma Four-Ball (with Horton SmithHorton SmithHorton Smith was an American professional golfer, who is best known as the first man to win the Masters Tournament.- Tournament career :...
) - 1938 (2) Oakland OpenOakland OpenThe Oakland Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1937 to 1944. It was played in Oakland, California at the Claremont Country Club in 1937 and at the Sequoyah Country Club from 1938 to 1944.-Winners:*1944 Jim Ferrier*1943 No tournament...
, Crescent City Open - 1939 (1) Goodall Palm Beach Round RobinGoodall Palm Beach Round RobinThe Goodall Palm Beach Robin Robin was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1938 to 1957. It was also known as the Goodall Robin Robin and the Palm Beach Robin Robin. The sponsors were the Goodall Company and its subsidiary, the Palm Beach Clothing Co...
Source:
(missing one win)
Other wins (5)
this list is probably incomplete- 1927 Oklahoma City Open
- 1932 Illinois PGA ChampionshipIllinois PGA ChampionshipThe Illinois PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is conducted by the Illinois PGA . The 54-hole, stroke play Championship conducted over three days is the premier member event on the Illinois PGA calendar...
- 1934 Illinois PGA ChampionshipIllinois PGA ChampionshipThe Illinois PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is conducted by the Illinois PGA . The 54-hole, stroke play Championship conducted over three days is the premier member event on the Illinois PGA calendar...
- 1942 Minnesota State OpenMinnesota State OpenThe Minnesota State Open is the Minnesota state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Minnesota section of the PGA of America...
- 1955 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...
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | NYF | NYF | 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | 2 | CUT | T51 |
| 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 | DNP | SF | R32 | R16 | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | WD | T25 | 2 | 4 | T2 | T33 |
| 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 | T15 | T7 | T29 | T3 | T28 | 2 | 4 | T3 | T12 |
| 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... |
R16 | DNP | DNP | R16 | R16 | R64 | R16 | QF | R64 | R64 |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T4 | T14 | T18 |
| 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 | NT |
| 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... |
R64 | DNP | QF |
Note: Cooper did not play in 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...
.
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
Yellow background for top-10.
External links
- World Golf Hall of Fame profile
- "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper - profile at about.com