Vic Ghezzi
| Vic Ghezzi | |
|---|---|
Ghezzi, circa 1949 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Victor J. Ghezzi |
| Born | October 19, 1910 Rumson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | May 30, 1976 (aged 65) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st) |
| Sporting nationality | United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1932 |
| Former tour | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 17 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 10 |
| Other | 7 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
| Masters Tournament | T6: 1941 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 1941 |
| U.S. Open | T2: 1946 |
| The Open Championship | T18: 1947 |
Victor J. Ghezzi (October 19, 1910 – May 30, 1976) was an American professional golfer.
Career
In 1910, Ghezzi was born in Rumson, New Jersey.[1]
Ghezzi won ten times on the PGA Tour, including one major title, which was the 1941 PGA Championship, where he defeated Byron Nelson in 38 holes in the finals.[2][3][4] He was selected for three Ryder Cup teams: in 1939, 1941, and 1943. However, each selection was canceled due to World War II. During the war, Ghezzi enlisted in the U.S. Army and began his training in early 1942.[5][6]
At the 1946 U.S. Open, he was in an 18-hole Sunday morning playoff with Lloyd Mangrum and Nelson. It ended in a three-way tie, forcing another 18 holes. Mangrum won that afternoon round by a single stroke over both Ghezzi and Nelson.[7]
Personal life
In 1976, Ghezzi died of cancer at the age of 65 in the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida.[8][9]
Awards and honors
In 1965, Ghezzi was elected to the PGA of America's Hall of Fame.[10]
Professional wins (17)
PGA Tour wins (10)
- 1935 (2) Los Angeles Open,[11] Calvert Open
- 1936 (2) Hollywood Open
- 1937 (1) Lake Placid Open
- 1938 (3) North and South Open,[12] Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (with Sam Snead),[13] Hershey Four-Ball (with Ben Hogan)[14]
- 1941 (1) PGA Championship[2][3]
- 1947 (1) Greater Greensboro Open[15]
- 1948 (1) Dapper Dan-Alcoma Tournament[16]
Major championship win is shown in bold.
Source:[17]
Other wins (7)
this list may be incomplete
- 1935 Maryland Open
- 1936 New Jersey PGA Championship
- 1937 New Jersey State Open
- 1939 New Jersey PGA Championship
- 1943 New Jersey State Open
- 1944 New Jersey State Open
- 1949 New Jersey PGA Championship
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | PGA Championship | 38 holes | Byron Nelson |
Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | T25 | 8 | T15 | T8 | T10 | T12 |
| U.S. Open | T45 | CUT | 20 | T18 | T20 | T11 | T29 | |
| The Open Championship | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | R32 | R32 | R16 | R32 | R16 | R16 | R32 |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T39 | T6 | NT | NT | NT | T12 | 21 | T18 | T35 | |
| U.S. Open | 15 | 19 | NT | NT | NT | NT | T2 | T6 | T14 | T37 |
| The Open Championship | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | T18 | |||
| PGA Championship | R32 | 1 | R32 | NT | QF | R32 | SF | R64 |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T14 | WD | T30 | WD | T29 | T53 | T29 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | T38 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | R64 | R16 | R16 | R64 | R32 | R128 | R64 | T56 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | ||||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | T57 | CUT | WD | T49 | WD |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||
| U.S. Open | ||||
| The Open Championship | ||||
| PGA Championship | WD | WD |
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 17 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 13 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 31 | 24 |
| Totals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 37 | 76 | 55 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 36 (1934 PGA – 1950 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1936 PGA – 1937 PGA)
See also
References
- ^ Van Anda, Robert H. (2015). "Legendary locals of Rumson, New Jersey". Arcadia Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 9781467101769.
- ^ a b "Vic Ghezzi Wins PGA Title Dethroning Champion Byron Nelson In 38 Holes". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. July 14, 1941. p. 6.
- ^ a b Kelly, Loudon (July 14, 1941). "Vic Ghezzi stages brilliant rally to trim Nelson on 38th hole in P.G.A. final". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 9.
- ^ Nelson, Byron (July 16, 1946). "Vic Ghezzi playing most consistent golf of his career". Pittsburgh Press. p. 23.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi ready, willing to serve". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 15, 1941. p. 6, part 2.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi in Army". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. January 20, 1942. p. 14.
- ^ Sixty, Billy (June 17, 1946). "Mangrum wins Open title in a playoff in heavy storm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4-part 2.
- ^ "Golf hall-of-famer dies Sunday". Boca Raton News. Florida. June 1, 1976. p. 3.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi, Golfer, Dead at 65". New York Times. June 1, 1976. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
Mr Ghezzi, who was born in Rumson, N.J., was a professional golfer for 25 years before retiring in 1960 to the Bal Harbour section of Miami Beach...
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi picked to golf hall of fame". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. October 16, 1965. p. 13.
- ^ "Revolta loses to Vic Ghezzi in golf finals". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. January 16, 1935. p. 4-part 2.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi scores win at Pinehurst". Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. March 26, 1938. p. 8.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi blasts jealousy of New Jersey pro golfers". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. May 30, 1938. p. 11.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi, Hogan win". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. September 5, 1938. p. 13.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi winner in Greensboro Open". Lewiston (ME) Daily Sun. AP. March 24, 1947. p. 9.
- ^ "Vic Ghezzi wins Dapper Dan golf by six strokes". News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. Associated Press. July 19, 1948. p. 7.
- ^ "Victor Ghezzi". PGA Tourm. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
External links
- New York Historical Society: Vic Ghezzi
- PGA of America: Golf Professional Hall of Fame Archived 2013-11-19 at the Wayback Machine member profiles
- New Jersey State Golf Association When Deal's Ghezzi beat Nelson in playoff for PGA title
- Vic Ghezzi at Find a Grave