Lightning in a bottle, Who is the Worst Player to Have Won a Major

[Broke100Once]

On 2016-04-06 at 10:46 AM, onthehunt526 said:

I'll buy that, Lucas Glover has done exactly nothing, since his win at Bethpage Black in 2009... But it's only been 7 years, it's been 13 since Micheel won the PGA.

Glover won the Wells Fargo in 2011 but after that he really fell off the map.  If it wasn't for his 10-year major exemption, he would've lost his Tour card by now.

[ChrisP]

Paul Lawrie was near the top of the list....if not at the top...but has had a good late career with a couple Ryder Cups and contentions in majors and wins in Europe. Shaun Micheel tops the list for me. Curtis and Beem are not far behind. Immelman is starting to come into the conversation although injuries, not talent, are hindering him more than anything.

Edited June 12, 2016 by ChrisP

[The Recreational Golfer]

Sam Parks, Jr.

The 1935 U.S. Open was his only professional victory.

I researched this question several years ago. Additional findings (in my opinion):

The worst golfers to win, by major:

Post-WW II:
British Open — Ben Curtis (2003)
United States Open — Orville Moody (1969)
PGA — Shaun Micheel (2003)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)

All Time:
British Open — Alf Perry (1935)
United States Open — Sam Parks, Jr. (1935)
PGA — Tom Creavy (1931)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)
Western Open — Abe Espinosa (1928)
North & South — Pat O’Hara (1922)

[The Bogey Guy]

I really do not like this because they are all so damn good. If I had to choose I would say Paul Lawire in the 1999 British Open.

Edited June 13, 2016 by The Bogey Guy

[ChrisP]

Just now, The Bogey Guy said:

I really do not like this because they are all so damn good. If I had to choose I would say Paul Lawire. 

Paul has actually played pretty well the last few years. He's played his way off the "worst player to win a major" list.

[Lastpick]

21 hours ago, The Recreational Golfer said:

Sam Parks, Jr.

The 1935 U.S. Open was his only professional victory.

I researched this question several years ago. Additional findings (in my opinion):

The worst golfers to win, by major:

Post-WW II:
British Open — Ben Curtis (2003)
United States Open — Orville Moody (1969)
PGA — Shaun Micheel (2003)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)

All Time:
British Open — Alf Perry (1935)
United States Open — Sam Parks, Jr. (1935)
PGA — Tom Creavy (1931)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)
Western Open — Abe Espinosa (1928)
North & South — Pat O’Hara (1922)

Good post.  Isn't Mize the one who holed a very long chip shot to beat Greg Norman?  I know we are talking about the worst player to win a major, but if you can get your tour card, you are ******* great at this game.

[natureboy]

On 6/12/2016 at 10:23 PM, The Recreational Golfer said:

Sam Parks, Jr.

The 1935 U.S. Open was his only professional victory.

I researched this question several years ago. Additional findings (in my opinion):

The worst golfers to win, by major:

Post-WW II:
British Open — Ben Curtis (2003)
United States Open — Orville Moody (1969)
PGA — Shaun Micheel (2003)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)

All Time:
British Open — Alf Perry (1935)
United States Open — Sam Parks, Jr. (1935)
PGA — Tom Creavy (1931)
The Masters — Larry Mize (1987)
Western Open — Abe Espinosa (1928)
North & South — Pat O’Hara (1922)

I don't agree with Mize on either list. He won three other times on tour (one of them before The Masters win), three times in Japan, and once on the Champions tour.

Creavy is more of a 'bolt from the blue' He had respectable finishes in U.S. Open, PGA, & Masters considering his health.

I'm guessing you're a Norman fan? 

 

Edited June 14, 2016 by natureboy

[natureboy]

Espinosa also had two other tour wins.

O'Hara had a little reputation before his win too. The PGA tour was not yet established in his time and the Irish PGA title had probably similar clout to a tour win. (http://www.irishgolfarchive.com/Bio/PO'Hare.htm)

Parks Jr. also had respectable Major finishes the year before and years following his Major win.

Edited June 14, 2016 by natureboy

[Aguirre]

I swear when I was young the name I always heard was Jack Fleck.

[Lastpick]

On June 13, 2016 at 10:02 PM, natureboy said:

 

I'm guessing you're a Norman fan? 

One thing that I learned from watching Norman collapse at the Masters as well as Rory, is that I hope it never happens to anyone.  It can change a career path.  It is hard to identify the worst player to win a major, because that player is great.

 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Lastpick said:

 

You need to put your response outside the quote otherwise when someone else quotes you, your response is blank like above! 

[Papa Steve 55]

Its funny, when I saw the thread title the first to names I thought of were Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen, even though he won two. I never thought of them as potential contenders in a major. When I looked up their careers they had 17 wins between them....where the heck was I?

How 'bout we just call them overachievers vs the 'worst'.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Papa Steve 55

[Chilli Dipper]

1 hour ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

Its funny, when I saw the thread title the first to names I thought of were Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen, even though he won two. I never thought of them as potential contenders in a major. When I looked up their careers they had 17 wins between them....where the heck was I?

How 'bout we just call them overachievers vs the 'worst'.

Before Tiger Woods came around, the U.S. Open favored a particular type of player. Hits it straight off the tee, but long enough; good iron player; putts best on fast greens. Simpson and Janzen fit that description.

[natureboy]

11 hours ago, Lastpick said:

One thing that I learned from watching Norman collapse at the Masters as well as Rory, is that I hope it never happens to anyone.  It can change a career path.  It is hard to identify the worst player to win a major, because that player is great.

Norman was a great player, and even great players have bad rounds. It's almost inevitable if you're in contention a lot. I just thought you were being extra hard on Larry Mize. 

11 hours ago, Lastpick said:

It is hard to identify the worst player to win a major, because that player is great.

I agree. Earlier posts made this point and the OP added the 'lightning in a bottle' modifier I think. 'Worst' does get attention, though.

3 hours ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

Its funny, when I saw the thread title the first to names I thought of were Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen, even though he won two. I never thought of them as potential contenders in a major. When I looked up their careers they had 17 wins between them....where the heck was I?

How 'bout we just call them overachievers vs the 'worst'.

Many others have agreed with this point in the thread. 'Most Surprising Major Winners' would probably be more to the point. Heck, anyone who's in the field is a superb golfer.

[Wally Fairway]

The OP never called it worst player, "lightning in a bottle" meaning someone without a history of winning and/or not scoring well leading up to the major.

The first response was from a board moderator or administrator and the title was changes as they interjected Worst to win. IMO they are not the same thing, but it does carry a discussion.

[ChrisP]

Norman actually won the 54-hole Grand Slam in 1986. Led after the third round in every major. Don't think that was ever done in history.