Cary Middlecoff

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Cary Middlecoff

| image = Cary Middlecoff 1950.jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| caption = Middlecoff, circa 1950

| fullname = Emmett Cary Middlecoff

| nickname = Doc

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|1|6}}

| birth_place = Halls, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|9|1|1921|1|6}}

| death_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

| height =

| weight =

| nationality = {{USA}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Edith Buck|1947}}

| partner =

| children =

| college = University of Mississippi
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry

| yearpro = 1947

| extour = PGA Tour

| prowins = 40

| pgawins = 39 (Tied 10th all time)

| otherwins = 1

| majorwins = 3

| masters = Won: 1955

| usopen = Won: 1949, 1956

| open = 14th: 1957

| pga = 2nd: 1955

| wghofid = cary-middlecoff

| wghofyear = 1986

| award1 = Vardon Trophy

| year1 = 1956

| award2 =

| year2 =

| awardssection =

}}

Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated as a dentist, but gave up his practice at age 26 to become a full-time Tour golfer.

Early life and amateur career

Middlecoff was born January 6, 1921,{{cite news |url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/06/UPI-Almanac-for-Sunday-Jan-6-2019/8591546568650/ |title=UPI Almanac for Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 |work=United Press International |date=January 6, 2019 |access-date=September 10, 2019 |archive-date=September 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190911222236/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/06/UPI-Almanac-for-Sunday-Jan-6-2019/8591546568650/|url-status=live |quote=golf Hall of Fame member Cary Middlecoff in 1921}} in Halls, Tennessee. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School. He played collegiate golf at the University of Mississippi, becoming that school's first golf All-American in 1939. First as an undergraduate and active member of Kappa Alpha Order, then as a dental student at the University of Tennessee, Middlecoff won the Tennessee State Amateur Championship for four straight years (1940–1943). After obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 1944, he entered the United States Army Dental Corps during World War II. He won a PGA Tour tournament as an amateur in 1945

Professional career

In 1947, Middlecoff turned professional. He was selected for the 1947 Walker Cup team but immediately withdrew as he intended turning professional.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hFNAAAAAIBAJ&pg=6205%2C642537 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |date=January 13, 1947 |title=Twelve Names in U.S. Walker Cup Selection |page=2}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ilNAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4009%2C1063513 |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |date=January 20, 1947 |title=U.S. Walker Cup Team Change |page=2}}

During his playing career, Middlecoff won 39 PGA Tour tournaments,{{cite book |title=PGA TOUR 2007 Guide |year=2006 |publisher=PGA Tour |chapter=All-Time Records - Top 50 All-Time PGA Tour Winners |pages=6–12 }} including the 1955 Masters and U.S. Open titles in 1949 and 1956. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1956.

Middlecoff played on three Ryder Cup teams: 1953, 1955, and 1959 – the U.S. teams won all three times. He was ineligible for the 1957 Ryder Cup because he failed to play in the PGA Championship that year.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=80FBAAAAIBAJ&pg=3310,2263919&dq=ryder+cup+points&hl=en |title=U.S. Ryder Cup side named |newspaper=The Bulletin |page=10 |date=July 30, 1957 |access-date=June 14, 2013}} Middlecoff was disappointed to lose a playoff in the 1957 U.S. Open to Dick Mayer, and played very few events following that event. The U.S. lost the Cup in 1957, for the first time since 1933.

Middlecoff's three best seasons were 1949, 1951 and 1956, as he won six tour titles in each of those years. He won at least one tour tournament in 13 of his 15 seasons, missing only in 1957 and 1960.

During the decade of the 1950s, Middlecoff won 28 tour titles, more than any other player during that span. A tall player with plenty of power and very good accuracy, Middlecoff during his best years was also a superb putter. He was known for often taking excessive time to play his shots.

Back problems and struggles with his nerves during competition ended his career in the early 1960s, when he was in his early 40s, although he continued to play occasionally, competing in the Masters until 1971, as a past champion.

Middlecoff became a top player despite having one leg slightly shorter than the other.{{cite book |title=The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge |edition=2nd |first=Robert |last=Sommers |year=1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0195100495}}

He appeared in two motion pictures as himself (Follow the Sun (1951, about the life and career of Ben Hogan) and The Bellboy (1960)). He wrote a newspaper column, "The Golf Doctor." He also appeared in a short biographical sports documentary Golf Doctor (1947).

Middlecoff later developed a reputation as one of the best of the early golf television commentators. After retiring from the tour, he spent 18 years as a golf analyst for television.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/03/sports/cary-middlecoff-77-dentist-who-became-top-pro-golfer.html |title=Cary Middlecoff, 77, Dentist Who Became Top Pro Golfer |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Frank |last=Litsky |date=September 3, 1998}}

Death

Middlecoff died of heart disease in 1998 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was survived by his wife of 51 years, Edith.

Awards and honors

In 1956, Middlecoff earned the Vardon Trophy, the honor bestowed to the player with the lowest average score over the course of the season.
In 1986, Middlecoff was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (41)

=PGA Tour wins (39)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Legend

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

| Major championships (3)

Other PGA Tour (36)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of
victory!!Runner(s)-up

align=center|1

|align=right|Nov 8, 1945

|North and South Open
(as an amateur)

|−8 (70-69-69-72=280)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Denny Shute

align=center|2

|align=right|Mar 30, 1947

|Charlotte Open

|−11 (70-65-71-71=277)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} George Schoux

align=center|3

|align=right|Mar 9, 1948

|Miami International Four-Ball
(with {{flagicon|AUS}} Jim Ferrier)

|colspan=2 align=center|1 up

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Furgol and {{flagicon|USA}} Ellsworth Vines

align=center|4

|align=right|Nov 7, 1948

|Hawaiian Open

|−10 (70-70-63-71=274)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Johnny Bulla

align=center|5

|align=right|Feb 27, 1949

|Rio Grande Valley Open

|−17 (68-66-63-70=267)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Hamilton

align=center|6

|align=right|Mar 13, 1949

|Miami International Four-Ball (2)
(with {{flagicon|AUS}} Jim Ferrier)

|colspan=2 align=center|9 and 8

|{{flagicon|USA}} Skip Alexander and {{flagicon|ENG}} Harry Cooper

align=center|7

|align=right|Mar 21, 1949

|Jacksonville Open

|−14 (66-68-71-69=274)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jerry Barber

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|align=center|8

|align=right|Jun 11, 1949

|U.S. Open

| +2 (75-67-69-75=286)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Clayton Heafner, {{flagicon|USA}} Sam Snead

align=center|9

|align=right|Jun 19, 1949

|Motor City Open

|−11 (66-67-71-69=273)

|colspan=2|Shared title with {{flagicon|USA}} Lloyd Mangrum

align=center|10

|align=right|Jul 10, 1949

|Reading Open

|−14 (67-68-65-66=266)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Sam Snead

align=center|11

|align=right|Feb 26, 1950

|Houston Open

|−11 (71-66-69-71=277)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Pete Cooper

align=center|12

|align=right|Mar 20, 1950

|Jacksonville Open (2)

|−9 (70-73-67-69=279)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} George Fazio

align=center|13

|align=right|Sep 18, 1950

|St. Louis Open

|−10 (71-66-68-65=270)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Oliver

align=center|14

|align=right|Jan 22, 1951

|Lakewood Park Open

|−13 (70-64-69-68=271)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Manuel de la Torre

align=center|15

|align=right|May 27, 1951

|Colonial National Invitation

| +2 (69-71-69-73=282)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Burke Jr.

align=center|16

|align=right|Aug 5, 1951

|All American Open

|−14 (71-69-66-68=274)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Fred Hawkins

align=center|17

|align=right|Sep 16, 1951

|Eastern Open

|−9 (71-68-69-71=279)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jerry Barber

align=center|18

|align=right|Sep 30, 1951

|St. Louis Open (2)

|−15 (65-65-69-70=269)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Lloyd Mangrum

align=center|19

|align=right|Oct 7, 1951

|Kansas City Open

|−10 (69-66-72-71=278)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dave Douglas, {{flagicon|USA}} Doug Ford

align=center|20

|align=right|Feb 10, 1952

|El Paso Open

|−15 (65-66-69-69=269)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Al Besselink

align=center|21

|align=right|Jul 6, 1952

|Motor City Open (2)

|−14 (69-67-67-71=274)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ted Kroll

align=center|22

|align=right|Jul 13, 1952

|St. Paul Open

|−22 (65-68-67-66=266)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Sam Snead

align=center|23

|align=right|Aug 17, 1952

|Kansas City Open (2)

|−12 (67-68-72-69=276)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Burke Jr.

align=center|24

|align=right|Mar 1, 1953

|Houston Open (2)

|−5 (67-72-72-72=283)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|AUS}} Jim Ferrier, {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Shelley Mayfield,
{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Bill Nary, {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Earl Stewart

align=center|25

|align=right|May 17, 1953

|Palm Beach Round Robin

|align=center|+42 points

|7 points

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Demaret

align=center|26

|align=right|Jun 28, 1953

|Carling Open

|−13 (68-71-67-69=275)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ted Kroll

align=center|27

|align=right|Jul 4, 1954

|Motor City Open (3)

|−6 (72-68-70-68=278)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Tommy Bolt, {{flagicon|USA}} Marty Furgol,
{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Littler

align=center|28

|align=right|Jan 16, 1955

|Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship

|−7 (69-69-71=209)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros, {{flagicon|USA}} Paul McGuire

align=center|29

|align=right|Mar 20, 1955

|St. Petersburg Open

|−14 (68-66-73-67=274)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jay Hebert

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|align=center|30

|align=right|Apr 10, 1955

|Masters Tournament

|−9 (72-65-72-70=279)

|7 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ben Hogan

align=center|31

|align=right|Jun 26, 1955

|Western Open

|−16 (69-70-70-63=272)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

align=center|32

|align=right|Jul 17, 1955

|Miller High Life Open

|−15 (64-67-66-68=265)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros, {{flagicon|USA}} Ted Kroll,
{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

align=center|33

|align=right|Sep 11, 1955

|Cavalcade of Golf

|−4 (71-70-70-65=276)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Sam Snead

align=center|34

|align=right|Sep 11, 1956

|Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship (2)

|−14 (66-68-68=202)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

align=center|35

|align=right|Feb 5, 1956

|Phoenix Open

|−8 (72-66-70-68=276)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|align=center|36

|align=right|Jun 16, 1956

|U.S. Open (2)

| +1 (71-70-70-70=281)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros, {{flagicon|USA}} Ben Hogan

align=center|37

|align=right|Aug 11, 1958

|Miller Open Invitational (2)

|−16 (67-64-66-67=264)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Rosburg

align=center|38

|align=right|Mar 23, 1959

|St. Petersburg Open Invitational (2)

|−16 (70-69-67-69=275)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Pete Cooper

align=center|39

|align=right|Jun 4, 1961

|Memphis Open Invitational

|−14 (67-68-64-67=266)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Gardner Dickinson, {{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

*Mangrum and Middlecoff agreed to share the 1949 Motor City Open after failing light caused play to halt after eleven holes of a playoff.

PGA Tour playoff record (7–6–1)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|1

|1947

|Charlotte Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} George Schoux

|Won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −8 (64),
Schoux: +1 (73)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|2

|1948

|Tacoma Open Invitational

|{{flagicon|USA}} Chuck Congdon, {{flagicon|USA}} Vic Ghezzi,
{{flagicon|USA}} Fred Haas, {{flagicon|USA}} Ed Oliver

|Oliver won with eagle on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff;
Oliver: −2 (69),
Middlecoff: −2 (69),
Haas: +1 (72),
Congdon: +2 (73),
Ghezzi: +4 (75)

style="background:#FFD800;"

|align=center|3

|1949

|Motor City Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Lloyd Mangrum

|Playoff abandoned after eleven holes due to darkness; tournament shared

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|4

|1950

|St. Louis Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Oliver

|Won with birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −3 (67),
Oliver: −3 (67)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|5

|1951

|Kansas City Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dave Douglas, {{flagicon|USA}} Doug Ford

|Won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −4 (68),
Douglas: E (72),
Ford: E (72)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|6

|1952

|Motor City Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ted Kroll

|Won with birdie on first extra hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|7

|1952

|World Championship of Golf

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros

|Lost 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −4 (68),
Middlecoff: −2 (70)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|8

|1952

|Kansas City Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Burke Jr.

|Won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −6 (66),
Burke: E (72)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|9

|1953

|Houston Open

|{{flagicon|AUS}} Jim Ferrier, {{flagicon|USA}} Shelley Mayfield,
{{flagicon|USA}} Bill Nary, {{flagicon|USA}} Earl Stewart

|Won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −3 (69),
Ferrier: −1 (71),
Mayfield: −1 (71),
Stewart: E (72),
Nary: +3 (75)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|10

|1953

|Carling Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ted Kroll

|Won with par on second extra hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|11

|1953

|Fort Wayne Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Art Wall Jr.

|Lost 18-hole playoff;
Wall: −2 (70),
Middlecoff: E (72)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|12

|1954

|Phoenix Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Ed Furgol

|Lost to birdie on first extra hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|13

|1956

|Texas International Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Littler, {{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Thomson

|Thomson won with birdie on second extra hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|14

|1957

|U.S. Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dick Mayer

|Lost 18-hole playoff;
Mayer: +2 (72),
Middlecoff: +9 (79)

Sources:{{cite book |last=Barkow |first=Al |author-link=Al Barkow |title=The History of the PGA TOUR |publisher=Doubleday |date=November 1989 |isbn=0-385-26145-4 |others=Copyright PGA Tour |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/265 265] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/265 }}

=Other wins (1)=

this list may be incomplete

1949 Greenbrier Pro-Am

Major championships

=Wins (3)=

class="wikitable" !Year!!Championship!!54 holes!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner(s)-up
style="background:#FBCEB1;" \| 1949	U.S. Open	1 shot lead	+2 (75-67-69-75=286)	1 stroke	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Clayton Heafner, {{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Sam Snead
style="background:#D0F0C0;" \| 1955	Masters Tournament	4 shot lead	−9 (72-65-72-70=279)	7 strokes	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Ben Hogan
style="background:#FBCEB1;" \| 1956	U.S. Open (2)	1 shot lead	+1 (71-70-70-70=281)	1 stroke	{{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Julius Boros, {{flagicon\|USA\|1912}} Ben Hogan

=Results timeline=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1946

!1947

!1948

!1949

align=left|Masters Tournament

|T12 LA

|T29

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|T23

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|T21

|style="background:lime;"|1

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1950

!1951

!1952

!1953

!1954

!1955

!1956

!1957

!1958

!1959

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:yellow;"|T7

|T12

|11

|T27

|style="background:yellow;"|T9

|style="background:lime;"|1

|style="background:yellow;"|3

|CUT

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|style="background:yellow;"|2

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:yellow;"|T10

|T24

|WD

|T11

|T21

|style="background:lime;"|1

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|T27

|T19

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|14

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|QF

|R32

|style="background:yellow;"|SF

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T20

|style="background:yellow;"|T8

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1960

!1961

!1962

!1963

!1964

!1965

!1966

!1967

!1968

!1969

align=left|Masters Tournament

|CUT

|T29

|CUT

|WD

|CUT

|WD

align=left|U.S. Open

|T43

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|WD

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|T29

|T11

|T15

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1970

!1971

align=left|Masters Tournament

|CUT

|WD

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

LA = low amateur

CUT = missed the half-way cut

WD = withdrew

R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play

"T" = tied

=Summary=

Totals	3	4	2	10	15	30	54	36
class=wikitable style=text-align:center !Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made
align=left\|Masters Tournament	1	2	1	4	7	11	26	14
align=left\|U.S. Open	2	1	0	3	4	10	18	12
align=left\|The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1
align=left\|PGA Championship	0	1	1	3	4	8	9	9