# Dick Mayer

Alvin Richard Mayer (August 28, 1924 – June 2, 1989) was an American professional golfer.

## Early life

Mayer was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He apprenticed with renowned player and teacher Claude Harmon at the Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City.

## Professional career

Mayer won seven times on the PGA Tour, between 1953 and 1965. Mayer almost won the 1954 U.S. Open, but a triple bogey on the final hole left him tied for third, two shots back, as Ed Furgol won.
Mayer's career year was 1957, when he finished the regulation 72 holes of the U.S. Open at Inverness Club tied with defending champion Cary Middlecoff. He won the 18-hole playoff 72 to 79, and his prize was $7,200. He later won $50,000 at the World Championship of Golf, topped the PGA Tour money list with winnings of $65,835, and won the PGA Player of the Year award. He also played on the 1957 Ryder Cup team.

## Personal life

Mayer battled alcoholism, which kept him from winning more often on the Tour. Mayer died at age 64 in Palm Springs, California.

## Awards and honors

In 2008, Mayer was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame.

## Professional wins (7)
### PGA Tour wins (7)

* Legend
* Major championships (1)
* Other PGA Tour (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Sep 13, 1953 | Eastern Open | −9 (69-70-70-70=279) | 4 strokes | Charlie Bassler, Doug Ford, Chandler Harper |
| 2 | Mar 21, 1954 | Miami Beach International Four-Ball (with Tommy Bolt) | −30 (67-61-65-65=258) | Playoff | Julius Boros and Dutch Harrison |
| 3 | May 22, 1955 | Kansas City Open | −17 (69-67-68-67=271) | 6 strokes | Chandler Harper, Billy Maxwell |
| 4 | Jun 24, 1956 | Philadelphia Daily News Open | −3 (70-65-63-71=269) | Playoff | Bud Holscher |
| 5 | Jun 16, 1957 | U.S. Open | +2 (70-68-74-70=282) | Playoff | Cary Middlecoff |
| 6 | Aug 11, 1957 | World Championship of Golf | −9 (72-69-70-68=279) | 1 stroke | Al Balding, Sam Snead |
| 7 | May 16, 1965 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −15 (72-67-66-68=273) | 1 stroke | Bruce Devlin, Billy Martindale |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1952 | Miami Open | Jack Burke Jr. | Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole |
| 2 | 1954 | Miami Beach International Four-Ball (with Tommy Bolt) | Julius Boros and Dutch Harrison | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1956 | Philadelphia Daily News Open | Bud Holscher | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1957 | U.S. Open | Cary Middlecoff | Won 18-hole playoff; Mayer: +2 (72), Middlecoff: +9 (79) |

## Major championships
### Wins (1)

| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
| 1957 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | +2 (70-68-74-70=282) | Playoff $^1$ | Cary Middlecoff |
$^1$ Defeated Middlecoff in an 18-hole playoff: Mayer 72 (+2), Middlecoff 79 (+9).

### Results timeline

| Tournament | 1948 |
| Masters Tournament | |
| U.S. Open | T41 |
| PGA Championship | |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| Masters Tournament | | T25 | | T16 | T29 | T10 | T43 | T35 | CUT | T4 |
| U.S. Open | T12 | CUT | T28 | T54 | T3 | CUT | T41 | 1 | T23 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | | | | | | | R64 | 5 | T14 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 |
| Masters Tournament | T19 | CUT | T15 | CUT | CUT | DQ |
| U.S. Open | T42 | | CUT | | | |
| PGA Championship | | | | CUT | | |
Note: Mayer never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1959 PGA Championship) DQ = disqualified R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play "T" = tied

### Summary

| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 32 | 21 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (twice)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1957 U.S. Open – 1957 PGA)

## U.S. national team appearances

* Ryder Cup: 1957