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Wikipedia / Stan Leonard

Stan Leonard (February 2, 1915 December 15, 2005) was a Canadian professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s. Leonard won three PGA Tour events, eight Canadian PGA Championships, and 16 other significant events in Canada. He is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Early life and amateur career

Leonard was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He worked as a caddie, and had success in top British Columbia events.

In 1937, he won the Northwest Open, a significant event in the United States, as an amateur.

Professional career

In 1938, Leonard turned pro. He played almost exclusively, and very successfully, on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour until 1954, while concurrently maintaining a club job at the Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver. He competed mainly in western Canada; money was tight, prize money was low, and travel costs to eastern Canada were high. In one of his early events on the PGA Tour, Leonard challenged to win the 1946 Crosby Pro-Am in California, before losing to Lloyd Mangrum.

Leonard won the Canadian PGA Championship eight times from 19401961, and this is a record. He was the low Canadian in the Canadian Open nine times from 19451961. He won the British Columbia Open five times, the Alberta Open nine times, and the Saskatchewan Open twice. He won a total of six significant amateur and 40 professional tournaments in Canada over the course of his career second only to Moe Norman in Canadian golf history.

Leonard won the individual title at the Canada Cup in both 1954 and 1959. Leonard joined the PGA Tour full-time in 1954, at age 39. He won three PGA Tour events between 1957 and 1960. He enjoyed a great deal of success in one major tournament The Masters. His best finishes at the Augusta National Golf Club were T-4 in 1958 and 1959, T-8 in 1955 and T-9 in 1960. Leonard's game was respected by his PGA Tour rivals; legend Sam Snead said that he was glad Leonard had not come out onto the PGA Tour full-time until he was 40 years old!

Leonard retired from the PGA Tour in the 1960s, and took a club pro job at the Desert Island Golf Club in Palm Springs, California; however, he eventually made his way back home to Vancouver. He competed successfully at the Senior level in Canada, winning three Canadian Senior PGA Championships between 1967 and 1975.

He assisted in designing the Redwood Meadows Golf Course, in Bragg Creek, Alberta, near Calgary.

Leonard was one of the best ball strikers and longest hitters of his era, despite being a diminutive 5' 6" in height. Part of his powerful swing could be attributed to his massive forearms. The other players noticed this physical feature and gave him the nickname Popeye.

Personal life

Leonard died of heart failure in Vancouver at the age of 90.

Awards and honors

Amateur wins

  • 1932 British Columbia Amateur

  • 1934 Vancouver & Dist. Championship

  • 1935 British Columbia Amateur

  • 1936 Vancouver & Dist. Championship

Professional wins (44)

PGA Tour wins (3)

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)Source:

Canadian wins (34)

  1. This list may be incomplete

  2. 1937 (1) Alberta Open

  3. 1939 (1) Alberta Open

  4. 1940 (1) Canadian PGA Championship

  5. 1941 (2) Alberta Open, Canadian PGA Championship

  6. 1942 (1) Alberta Open

  7. 1943 (1) Alberta Open

  8. 1947 (2) Alberta Open, British Columbia Open

  9. 1948 (1) Vancouver City Match Play Championship

  10. 1949 (3) Alberta Open, British Columbia Open, Vancouver City Match Play Championship

  11. 1950 (6) Alberta Open, Canadian PGA Championship, British Columbia Open, Vancouver City Match Play Championship, Saskatchewan Open, Western Canada Open

  12. 1951 (1) Canadian PGA Championship

  13. 1953 (1) Vancouver City Match Play Championship

  14. 1954 (3) Canadian PGA Championship, British Columbia Open, Vancouver City Match Play Championship

  15. 1955 (2) Alberta Open, Saskatchewan Open

  16. 1956 (1) Canadian Match Play

  17. 1957 (1) Canadian PGA Championship

  18. 1959 (1) Canadian PGA Championship

  19. 1960 (1) Canadian Match Play Open

  20. 1961 (1) Canadian PGA Championship

  21. 1962 (1) British Columbia Open

Other wins (4)

Senior wins (3)

  • 1967 Canadian PGA Seniors' Championship

  • 1972 Canadian PGA Seniors' Championship

  • 1975 Canadian PGA Seniors' Championship

Results in major championships

Note: Leonard never played in the PGA Championship. CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

  • Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (1957 Masters – 1961 Masters)

  • Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1958 Masters – 1960 Masters)

Team appearances

References