Wiffy Cox

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Wiffy Cox

| image =

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| fullname = Wilfred Hiram Cox

| nickname = Wiffy

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|10|27}}

| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1969|2|20|1896|10|27}}

| death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.

| height =

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| nationality = {{USA}}

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| status = Professional

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| extour = PGA Tour

| prowins = 12

| pgawins = 9

| otherwins = 3

| majorwins =

| masters = 12th: 1937

| usopen = T3: 1934

| open = DNP

| pga = T17: 1928, 1929, 1930

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Wilfred Hiram "Wiffy" Cox (October 27, 1896 – February 20, 1969) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1930s.

Early life

Cox was born and grew up in a tough Irish-Italian section of Brooklyn, New York.{{cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=Len |first2=Barbara |last2=Kelly |title=Who's Who in Golf |year=1976 |publisher=Arlington House |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0-87000-225-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/42 42–3] |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/42 }} He started in golf as a caddie at Westchester County courses and learned to play at sunrise and sunset with clubs borrowed from the pro shop. The diminutive Cox had a hot-temper and a reputation for foul-mouthed, trash talk among his fellow players.

Professional career

Cox won nine times on the PGA Tour.{{cite book |last=Barkow |first=Al |authorlink=Al Barkow |title=The History of the PGA TOUR |publisher=Doubleday |date=November 1989 |isbn=0-385-26145-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/253 253] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofpgatour00bark/page/253 }} His first individual win on the PGA Tour came at the 1931 North and South Open; his four wins that year led the PGA Tour for most wins.{{cite magazine |last=Stevens |first=Peter F. |title=Golf History Unveiled |url=http://www.golfnewsmag.com/online/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=89&itemid=161 |magazine=Golf News Magazine |accessdate=February 15, 2010}}{{cite web |title=PGA Tour Yearly Victory Leaders |publisher=GolfCompendium.com |url=https://www.golfcompendium.com/2021/03/yearly-win-leaders-pga-tour.html |accessdate=March 15, 2021}} His best finish in a major championship was tied for third at the 1934 U.S. Open.{{cite web |title=Golf Major Championships |url=http://golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=217 |accessdate=February 18, 2010}}

Cox played on the winning U.S. team in the 1931 Ryder Cup, winning both his matches.

Like most professional golfers of his generation, Cox earned his living primarily as a club pro. He was the course pro at Dyker Beach Golf Course in Brooklyn, New York from 1921 to 1935.{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0D17FA385D137A93C3AB1789D85F4D8685F9 |title=Willy Cox, Golf Star of 1930's And Former Pro Here, Is Dead |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 21, 1969}} He eventually landed a plum job as head pro at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, which he held until 1969.{{cite web |title=Larry Wise Golf |url=http://www.larrywisegolf.com/content/view/37/128 |accessdate=February 15, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105200235/http://www.larrywisegolf.com/content/view/37/128/ |archivedate=January 5, 2009}}