Paul Harney
Encyclopedia
Paul Harney was an American
professional golfer
and golf course
owner who spent part of his career as a full-time PGA Tour
player, but mostly was a club professional, part-time Tour player, and owner-operator of his own course.
Harney was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts
. He attended the College of the Holy Cross
, which is located in his hometown; and was captain of the golf
team.
Harney played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1955–1962; and part-time from 1963–1973. During that time, he won six PGA Tour events. His first win came at the 1957 Carling Open; he won his second PGA Tour event just two weeks later at the Labatt Open. In 1963 at the prime of his career, he fulfilled a promise made to his wife, Patricia, that when their oldest child started school, he would only play the tour on a part-time basis. He took his first club pro job at Sunset Oaks in northern California
, where he stayed a couple years. He then moved his family across the country to Sutton, Massachusetts
, where he took the club pro's job at Pleasant Valley Country Club.
Harney had a great deal of success in major
championships, placing in the top-10 six times. His best finish in a major was 4th at the 1963 U.S. Open
; however, he also finished in the top-8 four times at The Masters in the 1960s.
Harney has received many honors and awards. In 1957, he received Golf Digest's Most Improved Golfer award. He was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in June 1963. In 1974, he earned "PGA Golf Professional of the Year" honors. In 1995, he became the first inductee into the New England Golf Hall of Fame. On September 8, 2005, Harney was enshrined into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.
As his competitive playing days were winding down, Harney used his prize money to open his own course in East Falmouth, Massachusetts
, which he owned until his death. His daughter Erin is the general manager, and son Mike is the head pro. Harney had six children with his wife Patricia. He died in Falmouth, Massachusetts
at the age of 82.
PGA Tour playoff record (0-1)
Note: Harney never played in The Open Championship
.
DNP = did not play
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
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 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...
owner who spent part of his career as a full-time 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...
player, but mostly was a club professional, part-time Tour player, and owner-operator of his own course.
Harney was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. He attended the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, which is located in his hometown; and was captain of the 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....
team.
Harney played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1955–1962; and part-time from 1963–1973. During that time, he won six PGA Tour events. His first win came at the 1957 Carling Open; he won his second PGA Tour event just two weeks later at the Labatt Open. In 1963 at the prime of his career, he fulfilled a promise made to his wife, Patricia, that when their oldest child started school, he would only play the tour on a part-time basis. He took his first club pro job at Sunset Oaks in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he stayed a couple years. He then moved his family across the country to Sutton, Massachusetts
Sutton, Massachusetts
-Library:The Sutton Free Library was established in 1876. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sutton spent 0.7% of its budget on its public library—some $18 per person.-Education:...
, where he took the club pro's job at Pleasant Valley Country Club.
Harney had a great deal of success in major
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...
championships, placing in the top-10 six times. His best finish in a major was 4th at the 1963 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...
; however, he also finished in the top-8 four times at The Masters in the 1960s.
Harney has received many honors and awards. In 1957, he received Golf Digest's Most Improved Golfer award. He was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in June 1963. In 1974, he earned "PGA Golf Professional of the Year" honors. In 1995, he became the first inductee into the New England Golf Hall of Fame. On September 8, 2005, Harney was enshrined into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame.
As his competitive playing days were winding down, Harney used his prize money to open his own course in East Falmouth, Massachusetts
East Falmouth, Massachusetts
East Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located at the base of Massachusetts' "fishhook" peninsula...
, which he owned until his death. His daughter Erin is the general manager, and son Mike is the head pro. Harney had six children with his wife Patricia. He died in Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census....
at the age of 82.
PGA Tour wins (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 23, 1957 | Carling Open Invitational | 3 strokes |  Dow FinsterwaldDow Finsterwald Dow Henry Finsterwald, Sr. is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the 1958 PGA Championship. He won 11 Tour titles between 1955 and 1963, played on four Ryder Cup teams, and served as non-playing captain for the 1977 U.S. Ryder Cup team.Finsterwald was born and raised in... |
|
| 2 | Jul 7, 1957 | Labatt Open Labatt Open The Labatt Open was a golf event on the PGA Tour that was played in Canada in the mid-1950s. It was sponsored by the Labatt Brewing Company. It was played at several different courses.Billy Casper won the first of his 51 PGA Tour wins at this event in 1956.... |
1 stroke | George Bayer George Bayer George Bayer was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.... |
|
| 3 | Mar 15, 1959 | Pensacola Open Pensacola Open This article is about the former PGA Tour event, for information on the former Nationwide Tour event, see Pensacola Classic.The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour... |
3 strokes | Jay Hebert |
|
| 4 | Jan 6, 1964 | Los Angeles Open | 1 stroke | Bobby Nichols Bobby Nichols Robert Herman Nichols is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship.Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville and later played golf at Texas A&M University were his team won the Southwest Conference Championship... |
|
| 5 | Jan 11, 1965 | Los Angeles Open | 3 strokes | Dan Sikes Dan Sikes Daniel David Sikes, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. Sikes won nine tournaments as a pro, including six PGA Tour events.- Early years :... |
|
| 6 | Jan 30, 1972 1972 PGA Tour The 1972 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to December 3. The season consisted of 46 official money events. Jack Nicklaus won the most tournaments, seven, and there were five first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational | 1 stroke | Hale Irwin Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was... |
PGA Tour playoff record (0-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1963 | Thunderbird Classic Thunderbird Classic The Thunderbird Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1962 to 1968. It was played at two locations, the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey in 1962 and 1966-1968 and the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York in 1963-1965.... |
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... |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
Other wins (5)
- 1967 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
- 1968 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
- 1969 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
- 1970 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
- 1977 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T25 | DNP | 6 | T15 | WD | T5 | T11 | T8 | T6 | T40 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T22 | T24 | 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 | DNP | T37 | T51 | T12 | T55 | T28 | 4 | T39 | DNP | DNP | T18 | T57 | DNP | T18 | T46 | T21 | 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 | T14 | T18 | T11 | T7 | T23 | DNP | T33 | T15 | T55 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T40 | DNP | DNP |
Note: Harney never played 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...
.
DNP = did not play
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Yellow background for top-10.