Stewart Alexander
Encyclopedia
Stewart Murray "Skip" Alexander, Jr. (August 6, 1918 – October 24, 1997) was an American
collegiate and professional golf
er.
Alexander was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, but was raised in Durham, North Carolina
. He attended Duke University
from 1937 to 1940. During that time, he helped Duke win the Southern Conference
Championship in golf three times, won the individual conference title twice, was a two-time Southern Intercollegiate medalist and twice reached the quarter-finals of the National Intercollegiate Tournament.
Alexander turned professional in 1941 and joined the PGA Tour
in 1946. In 1948 he won his first tour event, the Tucson Open. He would win twice more on tour.
On September 24, 1950, Alexander was the lone survivor of a plane crash in which he was severely burned over 70% of his body. After 17 operations, one of which was to permanently freeze his badly burned fingers around the grip of a golf club instead of removing them, he returned to help the United States win the 1951 Ryder Cup
. Sam Snead
, the Ryder Cup captain that year, paired Alexander against the British champion, John Panton
, in the singles portion of the competition. Although the thought was that it might well be a throwaway match, it would at least save their other players from playing Panton, who was beating everyone at that time. Alexander, with both hands bleeding, won the match by the largest margin in Ryder Cup history to that point, 8 & 7.
Alexander served as the golf pro at Lakewood Country Club (now known as St. Petersburg Country Club) in St. Petersburg, Florida
starting in 1951, and served in that capacity for 34 years.
Alexander was awarded the 1959 Ben Hogan
Award for golfers who make a comeback after suffering a physical handicap
. He was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1987 was inducted for into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Duke Hall of Fame. His son Buddy
is the head golf coach at the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
.
Alexander died at his home in St. Petersburg.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
collegiate and professional 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.
Alexander was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, but was raised in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. He attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
from 1937 to 1940. During that time, he helped Duke win the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
Championship in golf three times, won the individual conference title twice, was a two-time Southern Intercollegiate medalist and twice reached the quarter-finals of the National Intercollegiate Tournament.
Alexander turned professional in 1941 and joined the 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...
in 1946. In 1948 he won his first tour event, the Tucson Open. He would win twice more on tour.
On September 24, 1950, Alexander was the lone survivor of a plane crash in which he was severely burned over 70% of his body. After 17 operations, one of which was to permanently freeze his badly burned fingers around the grip of a golf club instead of removing them, he returned to help the United States win the 1951 Ryder Cup
1951 Ryder Cup
The 9th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.The United States team won the competition by a score of 9½ to 2½ points.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point...
. Sam Snead
Sam Snead
Samuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S...
, the Ryder Cup captain that year, paired Alexander against the British champion, John Panton
John Panton
John Panton, MBE was a Scottish professional golfer, who represented Great Britain three times in the Ryder Cup.Panton was born in Pitlochry. He turned professional in 1935 and took up a job in the local golf club shop...
, in the singles portion of the competition. Although the thought was that it might well be a throwaway match, it would at least save their other players from playing Panton, who was beating everyone at that time. Alexander, with both hands bleeding, won the match by the largest margin in Ryder Cup history to that point, 8 & 7.
Alexander served as the golf pro at Lakewood Country Club (now known as St. Petersburg Country Club) in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
starting in 1951, and served in that capacity for 34 years.
Alexander was awarded the 1959 Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
Award for golfers who make a comeback after suffering a physical handicap
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
. He was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1987 was inducted for into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Duke Hall of Fame. His son Buddy
Buddy Alexander
Stewart Murray "Buddy" Alexander is an American college golf coach and former amateur golfer. Alexander is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's golf team of the University of Florida...
is the head golf coach at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
.
Alexander died at his home in St. Petersburg.
PGA Tour wins (3)
- 1948 (2) Tucson Open, National Capital Open
- 1950 (1) Empire State OpenEmpire State OpenThe Empire State Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1950 to 1952. It was played in the Albany, New York area at two different courses. In 1950 and 1951, it was played at the Shaker Ridge Country Club in Loudonville. For its final year, it moved to the Normanside Country Club in...
Team appearances
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe 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...
: 19491949 Ryder CupThe 8th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Ganton Golf Club in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England.The United States team won the competition by a score of 7 to 5 points.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point...
(winners), 19511951 Ryder CupThe 9th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.The United States team won the competition by a score of 9½ to 2½ points.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point...
(winners)