Sam Parks Jr.

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Sam Parks Jr.

| image = Sam Parks Jr.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Parks in 1937

| fullname = {{nowrap|Samuel McLaughlin Parks Jr.}}

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|6|23}}

| birth_place = Bellevue, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|4|7|1909|6|23}}

| death_place = Clearwater, Florida, U.S.

| height =

| weight =

| nationality = {{USA}}

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| college = University of Pittsburgh

| yearpro = 1933

| retired =

| extour = PGA Tour

| prowins = 5

| pgawins = 1

| otherwins = 4

| majorwins = 1

| masters = T15: 1935

| usopen = Won: 1935

| open = DNP

| pga = T9: 1935

| wghofid =

| wghofyear =

| award1 =

| year1 =

| award2 =

| year2 =

| awardssection =

}}

Samuel McLaughlin Parks Jr. (June 23, 1909 – April 7, 1997) was an American professional golfer, the winner of the U.S. Open in 1935, his only major title.

Born in Bellevue, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, Parks used his knowledge of the nearby Oakmont Country Club to win in June 1935 at age 25. Although a comparatively recent convert from college and amateur ranks and little-known nationally, Parks, the professional at the nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to negotiate Oakmont's furrowed bunkers and shaved greens in less than 300 strokes. After winning the U.S. Open, Parks played for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, matched against Alf Perry (the reigning British Open champion), the first time the U.S. Open champion would play the British Open Champion of the same year in the Ryder Cup Match. During that event, at the 36th hole, Parks made a {{convert|30|ft|0|sing=on}} birdie putt to win the hole and tie the match, so that both he and the British champ remained undefeated in Ryder Cup play.

Parks, a University of Pittsburgh alumnus who helped found the school's golf team in the 1920s,{{ cite book |editor-last=O'Brien |editor-first=Jim |title=Hail to Pitt: A Sports History of the University of Pittsburgh |year=1982 |isbn=0-916114-08-2 |publisher=Wolfson Publishing Co |page=222}} died in 1997 at age 87 in Clearwater, Florida.

Professional wins (5)

=PGA Tour wins (1)=

class="wikitable"

!Year!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner-up

style="background:#FBCEB1;"

| 1935

U.S. Open

+11 (77-73-73-76=299)

2 strokes

{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Thomson

=Other wins (4)=

this list may be incomplete

Major championships

=Wins (1)=

class="wikitable"

!Year!!Championship!!54 holes!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner-up

style="background:#FBCEB1;"

| 1935

U.S. Open

Tied for lead

+11 (77-73-73-76=299)

2 strokes

{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Thomson

=Results timeline=

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

!Tournament

!1931

!1932

!1933

!1934

!1935

!1936

!1937

!1938

!1939

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NYF

|T46

|T15

|T20

|T36

|24

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|U.S. Open

|CUT

|T66

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T37

|style="background:lime;"|1

|CUT

|T16

|CUT

|T38

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|R16

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|R32

|R64

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

!Tournament

!1940

!1941

!1942

!1943

!1944

!1945

!1946

!1947

!1948

!1949

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T19

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|U.S. Open

|T29

|T33

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|R32

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|NT

|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:#eeeeee;"|

|50

|72

|61

|T65

|CUT

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

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

!Tournament

!1960

!1961

!1962

align=left|Masters Tournament

|CUT

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

Note: Parks never played in The Open Championship.

NYF = tournament not yet founded

NT = no tournament

CUT = missed the half-way cut

R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play

"T" indicates a tie for a place

=Summary=

Totals	1	0	0	1	2	9	34	22
class=wikitable style=text-align:center !Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made
align=left\|Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0	0	4	16	10
align=left\|U.S. Open	1	0	0	1	1	2	13	7
align=left\|The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
align=left\|PGA Championship	0	0	0	0	1	3	5	5

Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (twice)
Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1935 U.S. Open – 1935 PGA)

References

External links

{{Find a Grave|22907502}}

Category:American male golfers

Category:Pittsburgh Panthers men's golfers

Category:PGA Tour golfers

Category:Ryder Cup competitors for the United States

Category:Winners of men's major golf championships

Category:Golfers from Pennsylvania

Category:People from Bellevue, Pennsylvania

Category:Sportspeople from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Category:1909 births

Category:1997 deaths