# Cary Middlecoff

Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated as a dentist, but gave up his practice at age 26 to become a full-time Tour golfer.

## Early life and amateur career

Middlecoff was born January 6, 1921, in Halls, Tennessee. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School. He played collegiate golf at the University of Mississippi, becoming that school's first golf All-American in 1939. First as an undergraduate and active member of Kappa Alpha Order, then as a dental student at the University of Tennessee, Middlecoff won the Tennessee State Amateur Championship for four straight years (1940–1943). After obtaining his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 1944, he entered the United States Army Dental Corps during World War II. He won a PGA Tour tournament as an amateur in 1945

## Professional career

In 1947, Middlecoff turned professional. He was selected for the 1947 Walker Cup team but immediately withdrew as he intended turning professional.
During his playing career, Middlecoff won 39 PGA Tour tournaments, including the 1955 Masters and U.S. Open titles in 1949 and 1956. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1956.
Middlecoff played on three Ryder Cup teams: 1953, 1955, and 1959 – the U.S. teams won all three times. He was ineligible for the 1957 Ryder Cup because he failed to play in the PGA Championship that year. Middlecoff was disappointed to lose a playoff in the 1957 U.S. Open to Dick Mayer, and played very few events following that event. The U.S. lost the Cup in 1957, for the first time since 1933.
Middlecoff's three best seasons were 1949, 1951 and 1956, as he won six tour titles in each of those years. He won at least one tour tournament in 13 of his 15 seasons, missing only in 1957 and 1960.
During the decade of the 1950s, Middlecoff won 28 tour titles, more than any other player during that span. A tall player with plenty of power and very good accuracy, Middlecoff during his best years was also a superb putter. He was known for often taking excessive time to play his shots.
Back problems and struggles with his nerves during competition ended his career in the early 1960s, when he was in his early 40s, although he continued to play occasionally, competing in the Masters until 1971, as a past champion.
Middlecoff became a top player despite having one leg slightly shorter than the other.
He appeared in two motion pictures as himself (Follow the Sun (1951, about the life and career of Ben Hogan) and The Bellboy (1960)). He wrote a newspaper column, "The Golf Doctor." He also appeared in a short biographical sports documentary Golf Doctor (1947).
Middlecoff later developed a reputation as one of the best of the early golf television commentators. After retiring from the tour, he spent 18 years as a golf analyst for television.

## Death

Middlecoff died of heart disease in 1998 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was survived by his wife of 51 years, Edith.

## Awards and honors

* In 1956, Middlecoff earned the Vardon Trophy, the honor bestowed to the player with the lowest average score over the course of the season.
* In 1986, Middlecoff was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

## Professional wins (41)
### PGA Tour wins (39)

* Legend
* Major championships (3)
* Other PGA Tour (36)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Nov 8, 1945 | North and South Open (as an amateur) | −8 (70-69-69-72=280) | 5 strokes | Denny Shute |
| 2 | Mar 30, 1947 | Charlotte Open | −11 (70-65-71-71=277) | Playoff | George Schoux |
| 3 | Mar 9, 1948 | Miami International Four-Ball (with Jim Ferrier) | 1 up | 1 up | Ed Furgol and Ellsworth Vines |
| 4 | Nov 7, 1948 | Hawaiian Open | −10 (70-70-63-71=274) | 3 strokes | Johnny Bulla |
| 5 | Feb 27, 1949 | Rio Grande Valley Open | −17 (68-66-63-70=267) | 2 strokes | Bob Hamilton |
| 6 | Mar 13, 1949 | Miami International Four-Ball (2) (with Jim Ferrier) | 9 and 8 | 9 and 8 | Skip Alexander and Harry Cooper |
| 7 | Mar 21, 1949 | Jacksonville Open | −14 (66-68-71-69=274) | 2 strokes | Jerry Barber |
| 8 | Jun 11, 1949 | U.S. Open | +2 (75-67-69-75=286) | 1 stroke | Clayton Heafner, Sam Snead |
| 9 | Jun 19, 1949 | Motor City Open | −11 (66-67-71-69=273) | Shared title with Lloyd Mangrum | Shared title with Lloyd Mangrum |
| 10 | Jul 10, 1949 | Reading Open | −14 (67-68-65-66=266) | 1 stroke | Sam Snead |
| 11 | Feb 26, 1950 | Houston Open | −11 (71-66-69-71=277) | 3 strokes | Pete Cooper |
| 12 | Mar 20, 1950 | Jacksonville Open (2) | −9 (70-73-67-69=279) | 2 strokes | George Fazio |
| 13 | Sep 18, 1950 | St. Louis Open | −10 (71-66-68-65=270) | Playoff | Ed Oliver |
| 14 | Jan 22, 1951 | Lakewood Park Open | −13 (70-64-69-68=271) | 3 strokes | Manuel de la Torre |
| 15 | May 27, 1951 | Colonial National Invitation | +2 (69-71-69-73=282) | 1 stroke | Jack Burke Jr. |
| 16 | Aug 5, 1951 | All American Open | −14 (71-69-66-68=274) | 2 strokes | Fred Hawkins |
| 17 | Sep 16, 1951 | Eastern Open | −9 (71-68-69-71=279) | 1 stroke | Jerry Barber |
| 18 | Sep 30, 1951 | St. Louis Open (2) | −15 (65-65-69-70=269) | 2 strokes | Lloyd Mangrum |
| 19 | Oct 7, 1951 | Kansas City Open | −10 (69-66-72-71=278) | Playoff | Dave Douglas, Doug Ford |
| 20 | Feb 10, 1952 | El Paso Open | −15 (65-66-69-69=269) | 3 strokes | Al Besselink |
| 21 | Jul 6, 1952 | Motor City Open (2) | −14 (69-67-67-71=274) | Playoff | Ted Kroll |
| 22 | Jul 13, 1952 | St. Paul Open | −22 (65-68-67-66=266) | 5 strokes | Sam Snead |
| 23 | Aug 17, 1952 | Kansas City Open (2) | −12 (67-68-72-69=276) | Playoff | Jack Burke Jr. |
| 24 | Mar 1, 1953 | Houston Open (2) | −5 (67-72-72-72=283) | Playoff | Jim Ferrier, Shelley Mayfield, Bill Nary, Earl Stewart |
| 25 | May 17, 1953 | Palm Beach Round Robin | +42 points | 7 points | Jimmy Demaret |
| 26 | Jun 28, 1953 | Carling Open | −13 (68-71-67-69=275) | Playoff | Ted Kroll |
| 27 | Jul 4, 1954 | Motor City Open (3) | −6 (72-68-70-68=278) | 2 strokes | Tommy Bolt, Marty Furgol, Gene Littler |
| 28 | Jan 16, 1955 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship | −7 (69-69-71=209) | 4 strokes | Julius Boros, Paul McGuire |
| 29 | Mar 20, 1955 | St. Petersburg Open | −14 (68-66-73-67=274) | 2 strokes | Jay Hebert |
| 30 | Apr 10, 1955 | Masters Tournament | −9 (72-65-72-70=279) | 7 strokes | Ben Hogan |
| 31 | Jun 26, 1955 | Western Open | −16 (69-70-70-63=272) | 2 strokes | Mike Souchak |
| 32 | Jul 17, 1955 | Miller High Life Open | −15 (64-67-66-68=265) | 4 strokes | Julius Boros, Ted Kroll, Mike Souchak |
| 33 | Sep 11, 1955 | Cavalcade of Golf | −4 (71-70-70-65=276) | 2 strokes | Sam Snead |
| 34 | Sep 11, 1956 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship (2) | −14 (66-68-68=202) | 5 strokes | Mike Souchak |
| 35 | Feb 5, 1956 | Phoenix Open | −8 (72-66-70-68=276) | 3 strokes | Mike Souchak |
| 36 | Jun 16, 1956 | U.S. Open (2) | +1 (71-70-70-70=281) | 1 stroke | Julius Boros, Ben Hogan |
| 37 | Aug 11, 1958 | Miller Open Invitational (2) | −16 (67-64-66-67=264) | 2 strokes | Bob Rosburg |
| 38 | Mar 23, 1959 | St. Petersburg Open Invitational (2) | −16 (70-69-67-69=275) | 3 strokes | Pete Cooper |
| 39 | Jun 4, 1961 | Memphis Open Invitational | −14 (67-68-64-67=266) | 5 strokes | Gardner Dickinson, Mike Souchak |
*Mangrum and Middlecoff agreed to share the 1949 Motor City Open after failing light caused play to halt after eleven holes of a playoff.
PGA Tour playoff record (7–6–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1947 | Charlotte Open | George Schoux | Won 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −8 (64), Schoux: +1 (73) |
| 2 | 1948 | Tacoma Open Invitational | Chuck Congdon, Vic Ghezzi, Fred Haas, Ed Oliver | Oliver won with eagle on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Oliver: −2 (69), Middlecoff: −2 (69), Haas: +1 (72), Congdon: +2 (73), Ghezzi: +4 (75) |
| 3 | 1949 | Motor City Open | Lloyd Mangrum | Playoff abandoned after eleven holes due to darkness; tournament shared |
| 4 | 1950 | St. Louis Open | Ed Oliver | Won with birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −3 (67), Oliver: −3 (67) |
| 5 | 1951 | Kansas City Open | Dave Douglas, Doug Ford | Won 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −4 (68), Douglas: E (72), Ford: E (72) |
| 6 | 1952 | Motor City Open | Ted Kroll | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 7 | 1952 | World Championship of Golf | Julius Boros | Lost 18-hole playoff; Boros: −4 (68), Middlecoff: −2 (70) |
| 8 | 1952 | Kansas City Open | Jack Burke Jr. | Won 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −6 (66), Burke: E (72) |
| 9 | 1953 | Houston Open | Jim Ferrier, Shelley Mayfield, Bill Nary, Earl Stewart | Won 18-hole playoff; Middlecoff: −3 (69), Ferrier: −1 (71), Mayfield: −1 (71), Stewart: E (72), Nary: +3 (75) |
| 10 | 1953 | Carling Open | Ted Kroll | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 11 | 1953 | Fort Wayne Open | Art Wall Jr. | Lost 18-hole playoff; Wall: −2 (70), Middlecoff: E (72) |
| 12 | 1954 | Phoenix Open | Ed Furgol | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 13 | 1956 | Texas International Open | Gene Littler, Peter Thomson | Thomson won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 14 | 1957 | U.S. Open | Dick Mayer | Lost 18-hole playoff; Mayer: +2 (72), Middlecoff: +9 (79) |
Sources:

### Other wins (1)

this list may be incomplete
* 1949 Greenbrier Pro-Am

## Major championships
### Wins (3)

| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
| 1949 | U.S. Open | 1 shot lead | +2 (75-67-69-75=286) | 1 stroke | Clayton Heafner, Sam Snead |
| 1955 | Masters Tournament | 4 shot lead | −9 (72-65-72-70=279) | 7 strokes | Ben Hogan |
| 1956 | U.S. Open (2) | 1 shot lead | +1 (71-70-70-70=281) | 1 stroke | Julius Boros, Ben Hogan |

### Results timeline

| Tournament | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
| Masters Tournament | T12 LA | T29 | 2 | T23 |
| U.S. Open | | CUT | T21 | 1 |
| The Open Championship | | | | |
| PGA Championship | | | | |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| Masters Tournament | T7 | T12 | 11 | T27 | T9 | 1 | 3 | CUT | T6 | 2 |
| U.S. Open | T10 | T24 | T24 | WD | T11 | T21 | 1 | 2 | T27 | T19 |
| The Open Championship | | | | | | | | 14 | | |
| PGA Championship | | | QF | R32 | SF | 2 | | | T20 | T8 |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T29 | CUT | CUT | CUT | WD | CUT | CUT | WD |
| U.S. Open | T43 | CUT | CUT | CUT | | | WD | | | |
| The Open Championship | | | | | | | | | | |
| PGA Championship | T29 | T11 | T15 | | | | | | | |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | WD |
| U.S. Open | | |
| The Open Championship | | |
| PGA Championship | | |
LA = low amateur CUT = missed the half-way cut WD = withdrew 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 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 26 | 14 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 12 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Totals | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 30 | 54 | 36 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1948 Masters – 1953 Masters)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

## U.S. national team appearances

Professional
* Ryder Cup: 1953 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1959 (winners)
* Canada Cup: 1959
* Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1956 (winners)