Willie Turnesa
Willie Turnesa | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | William P. Turnesa |
Born | Elmsford, New York,U.S. | January 20, 1914
Died | June 16, 2001 Sleepy Hollow, New York,U.S. | (aged 87)
Sporting nationality | ![]() |
Career | |
College | College of the Holy Cross |
Status | Amateur |
Professional wins | 1 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 3) | |
Masters Tournament | T26: 1939 |
PGA Championship | DNP |
U.S. Open | T40: 1941 |
The Open Championship | DNP |
U.S. Amateur | Won:1938, 1948 |
British Amateur | Won:1947 |
William P. Turnesa(January 20, 1914 – June 16, 2001) was an American amateurgolfer,best known for winning twoU.S. Amateurtitles and theBritish Amateur.He was one of seven famous golfing brothers; Phil (1896-1987), Frank (1898-1949),Joe(1901-1991),Mike(1907-2000), Doug (1909-1972),Jim(1912-1971), and Willie (1914-2001). Willie was the only brother not to turn professional.[1]The family was referred to as a "golf dynasty" in a 2000New York Timesarticle.[2]
Turnesa was born inElmsford, New Yorkand lived most of his life there. His older brothers forbade him to turn pro and pooled their money to send him to college.[3]He graduated fromHoly Crossin 1938 and won his first U.S. Amateur later that year atOakmont Country Club.[3]
Turnesa won theBritish Amateurin 1947 atCarnoustie Golf Links,beating fellow AmericanDick Chapman3&2. He won his second U.S. Amateur in 1948 and was runner-up in the 1949 British Amateur, losing to IrishmanMax McCready.He won numerous other amateur events, mostly in the New York area.
Turnesa played on three straight winningWalker Cupteams, 1947, 1949, and 1951. He was playing captain on the last team.[4]
Turnesa served as president of both the Metropolitan Golf Association and New York State Golf Association.[4]He co-founded the Westchester Caddie Scholarship Fund in 1956.[4][5]
Turnesa died inSleepy Hollow, New York.[3]
Tournament wins
[edit]this list is incomplete
- 1933 Westchester Amateur
- 1936 Westchester Amateur
- 1937Metropolitan Amateur,Westchester Amateur
- 1938U.S. Amateur,Westchester Amateur, New York State Amateur
- 1943Florida Open
- 1947British Amateur
- 1948U.S. Amateur
Major championships
[edit]Amateur wins (3)
[edit]Year | Championship | Winning Score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|
1938 | U.S. Amateur | 8 & 7 | ![]() |
1947 | British Amateur | 3 & 2 | ![]() |
1948 | U.S. Amateur | 2 & 1 | ![]() |
Results timeline
[edit]Tournament | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | NYF | 45 | T26 | ||||
U.S. Open | T47 | ||||||
U.S. Amateur | R16 | QF | R16 | R64 | 1 | R32 | |
British Amateur |
Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T47 | NT | NT | NT | ||||||
U.S. Open | T40 | NT | NT | NT | NT | |||||
U.S. Amateur | R16 | NT | NT | NT | NT | R64 | 1 | SF | ||
British Amateur | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | 1 | SF | 2 |
Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | ||||||||
U.S. Open | ||||||||
U.S. Amateur | R32 | R128 | R128 | R32 | R64 | R32 | ||
British Amateur | R64 | R64 |
Note: Turnesa never played in theBritish OpenorPGA Championship.
NT = No tournament
NYF = Not yet founded
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Source for The Masters:masters
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur:USGA Championship Database
Source for 1948 British Amateur:The Glasgow Herald, May 29, 1948, pg. 3.
Source for 1950 British Amateur:The Glasgow Herald, May 25, 1950, pg. 9.
Source for 1951 British Amateur:The Glasgow Herald, May 24, 1951, pg. 7.
U.S. national team appearances
[edit]Amateur
- Walker Cup:1947(winners),1949(winners),1951(winners, playing captain)
References
[edit]- ^7 Famous Brothers And What They Did
- ^Kilgannon, Corey (December 3, 2000)."Recalling a Golf Dynasty: Elmsford's Turnesa Family".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 23,2022.
- ^abcNew York Times obituary
- ^abcThe Turnesa Story
- ^WGA Caddie Scholarship Fund