Cyril Walker (September 18, 1892 – August 6, 1948) was an English professional golfer born in Manchester who emigrated to the United States in 1914.
Professional career Walker won the 1924 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills Country Club, while playing out of Englewood Golf Club in New Jersey. He beat defending champion Bobby Jones by three strokes. This was his only top ten finish in seven appearances at the U.S. Open. He was a small man, weighing only .
Walker won five PGA events between 1917 and 1924. Walker's slow pace of play, combined with his sometimes-combative personality, eventually made him unpopular with fellow players and tournament sponsors. This hastened his exit from the then-nascent professional golfers' tournament circuit.
In 1928, he became the pro at the Saddle River Golf and Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. While a club pro at Saddle River in 1933, he was arrested for destroying the signs of a neighboring course.
An alcohol addiction further hastened his downward spiral during the 1930s and he ultimately found himself in a near-destitute condition working as a caddie in Florida at the Miami Beach municipal course in 1940, and later as a dishwasher.
Death Walker died of pleural pneumonia in a Hackensack, New Jersey jail cell where he had gone for shelter.
Professional wins (7)
PGA Tour wins (5) 1917 (1) International Four-Ball 1921 (1) Pennsylvania Open Championship 1922 (1) Mobile Country Club 1923 (1) Mid-South Amateur-Professional 1924 (1) U.S. Open
Source:
Other wins (2) 1916 Indiana Open 1930 Miami International Four-Ball (with Clarence Gamber)
Major championships
Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 1924 U.S. Open Tied for lead +9 (74-74-74-75=297) 3 strokes Bobby Jones
Results timeline Tournament1916191719181919U.S. OpenNTNTThe Open ChampionshipNTNTNTNTPGA ChampionshipQFNTNT
Tournament1920192119221923192419251926192719281929U.S. Open13T40231T47T55The Open ChampionshipT18PGA ChampionshipSFR16
Tournament19301931193219331934Masters TournamentNYFNYFNYFNYF61U.S. OpenCUTThe Open ChampionshipPGA ChampionshipQF
NYF = Tournament not yet founded NT = No tournament CUT = missed the half-way cut R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play "T" indicates a tie for a place
See also List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
References
External links Report on the 1924 U.S. Open on the tournament's official site GolfCompendium.com – Cyril Walker