Lloyd Mangrum (1 US Open, 4 Ryder Cup's, 1 Ryder Cup Captain)

1914 - 1973

Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle".^[1]

Mangrum was born in Trenton, Texas. He became a professional golfer at age fifteen, working as an assistant to his brother Ray, the head professional at Cliff-Dale Country Club in Dallas. He joined the PGA Tour in 1937 and went on to win 36 events on the Tour. He might have won more if his career had not been interrupted by service in World War II. While serving in the U.S. Army and training for the D-Day landings, Mangrum was offered the professional's job at the Fort Meade golf course in Maryland, which would have kept him out of combat, but he declined. He was awarded two Purple Hearts after being wounded at Normandy and Battle of the Bulge. He was also awarded two Silver and two Bronze Stars while serving in General Patton's Third Army. His best years on tour came after the war: he led the PGA Tour money list in 1951 and won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the tour in both 1951 and 1953.

Mangrum's only major championship win came at the 1946 U.S. Open, though he was runner-up in three majors and third in six more (including twice losing in the semi-finals in the PGA Championship when it was a match-play event). He lost a playoff for the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion to Ben Hogan and his famous one-iron. Mangrum finished in the top ten at the Masters Tournament ten consecutive years. In 1940 he shot a Masters tournament record 64 in the opening round, a record that stood for 46 years, until Nick Price shot a 63 in third round in 1986.

Mangrum played on four Ryder Cup teams in 1947, 1949, 1951, and 1953. On the last occasion, he was a playing captain. He had a record of six wins, two losses, and no ties (.750), including three wins, one loss, and no ties (.750) in singles matches.

Mangrum died at age 59 in Apple Valley, California in 1973. The cause of death was a heart attack, the 12th he had suffered. Mangrum was called "the forgotten man of golf" by sportswriter Jim Murray. Even though only 12 men have won more PGA Tour events, his reputation has been overshadowed by the other stars of his era who lived long, extraordinary lives such as Sam Snead; and fellow Texans Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, and Byron Nelson.^[2] At the 1996 Masters, Nelson conducted a test. "I asked three young pros if they ever heard of Lloyd Mangrum, and they never had." Nelson commented, "Lloyd's the best player who's been forgotten since I've been playing golf." A quarter century after his death, Mangrum was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.