Jim Turnesa (1 USPGA, 1 Ryder Cup)

1912 - 1971

Click to view autograph gallery

James R. Turnesa (December 9, 1912 – August 27, 1971) was one of seven golfing brothers; Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1991), Mike (1907–2000), Doug (1909–1972), Jim (1912–1971), and Willie (1914–2001). All but Willie turned professional and Jim was the only one to win a major championship, the 1952 PGA Championship, beating Chick Harbert 1-up in the match-play final.^[1] He had previously lost to Sam Snead in the 1942 PGA Championship final. In 1948, he held the record for low score (280) in the U.S. Open for about an hour. Ben Hogan (276) and Jimmy Demaret (278) finished later, erasing his record, and he finished third. He won one other PGA Tour event, the 1951 Reading Open.^[2]

Turnesa played on the 1953 Ryder Cup team.

He was born in New York, New York and died in Elmsford, New York of lung cancer.