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Gardner Dickinson

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Gardner Dickinson
Personal information
Full nameGardner Edward Dickinson, Jr.
Born(1927-09-14)September 14, 1927
Dothan, Alabama
DiedApril 19, 1998(1998-04-19) (aged 70)
Tequesta, Florida
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight144 lb (65 kg; 10.3 st)
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseJudy Clark Dickinson
Children5 [1]
Career
CollegeLouisiana State[2]
Turned professional1952
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins11
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour7
Other4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT10: 1973
PGA Championship5th: 1965
U.S. OpenT6: 1967
The Open ChampionshipCUT: 1969

Gardner Edward Dickinson, Jr. (September 14, 1927 – April 19, 1998) was an American professional golfer.

Born in Dothan, Alabama, Dickinson was a student of Ben Hogan and crafted his swing in the Hogan tradition. He played college golf at Louisiana State, where he and teammate Jay Hebert led the Tigers to the national title in 1947.[2] In a long PGA Tour career, he won seven times between 1956 and 1971. In his last win, the 1971 Atlanta Classic, he beat Jack Nicklaus in a sudden-death playoff.[3]

During his PGA Tour career, Dickinson competed in 12 Masters Championships. His best finish came in 1973, when he tied for tenth. He played on the 1967 and 1971 Ryder Cup teams. With a 9–1–0 match record, Dickinson holds the record for best winning percentage (minimum of seven matches). In team Ryder Cup play, he never lost a match with partner Arnold Palmer (5–0).

Dickinson was one of the founders of the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour). He authored the book Let 'er Rip — a lengthy, bitey rant in which he opines on everything from golf officials and his fellow players to topical issues such as how young people dress.[4] He also designed the 36-hole Frenchman's Creek Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Dickinson later taught the game to players such as LPGA great JoAnne Carner and his future wife Judy Clark, who is a former player and president of the LPGA Tour.

After a long illness, he died at age 70 in Tequesta, Florida in 1998.[1] Dickinson was voted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

A well-known quote by Dickinson is: "They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that."[5]

Professional wins (11)

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Gardner Dickinson

PGA Tour wins (7)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 Mar 25, 1956 Miami Beach Open −16 (64-72-67-69=272) 1 stroke United States Dow Finsterwald, United States Billy Maxwell
2 Sep 2, 1957 Insurance City Open Invitational −12 (66-68-68-70=272) 2 strokes United States George Bayer
3 Dec 9, 1962 Coral Gables Open Invitational −10 (70-66-67-71=274) 1 stroke United States Bill Collins, United States Don Fairfield
4 Jun 25, 1967 Cleveland Open Invitational −9 (68-66-67-70=271) 4 strokes United States Miller Barber, United States Homero Blancas
5 Mar 10, 1968 Doral Open Invitational −13 (65-71-67-72=275) 1 stroke United States Tom Weiskopf
6 May 18, 1969 Colonial National Invitation −2 (71-68-73-66=278) 1 stroke South Africa Gary Player
7 Jun 6, 1971 Atlanta Classic −13 (68-68-69-70=275) Playoff United States Jack Nicklaus

PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1956 Fort Wayne Open United States Bill Trombley, United States Art Wall Jr. Wall won with birdie on first extra hole
2 1969 Greater Jacksonville Open United States Raymond Floyd Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 1971 Atlanta Classic United States Jack Nicklaus Won with par on first extra hole

Other wins (4)

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Results in major championships

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Tournament 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament 32 CUT
U.S. Open T44 T21 CUT CUT T17
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Masters Tournament T15 CUT CUT T28 T36 T22 T29
U.S. Open T9 T23 T21 CUT T21 T48 T6 WD
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship T19 T51 T8 T23 5 T18 T28 T30 T41
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
Masters Tournament T22 T10 CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1969 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 1 4 12 8
U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 2 7 13 9
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
PGA Championship 0 0 0 1 2 5 10 9
Totals 0 0 0 1 5 16 36 26
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (1964 PGA – 1968 Masters)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Brown, Clifton (April 22, 1998). "Gardner Dickinson, 70, Golfer And a Founder of Senior Tour". New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Jay Hebert". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "A Big Victory For Little Ben". Sports Illustrated. May 26, 1969. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  4. ^ "No Holds Barred". Sports Illustrated. February 27, 1995. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  5. ^ "Gardener Dickinson quotes". Think exist.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
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