Shelley Mayfield (June 19, 1924 – March 22, 2010) was an American golf course architect and professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s.

Shelley Mayfield
Personal information
Born(1924-06-19)June 19, 1924
Liberty Hill, Texas
DiedMarch 22, 2010(2010-03-22) (aged 85)
San Antonio, Texas
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
Turned professional1948
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins5
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour3
Other2
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT8: 1956
PGA ChampionshipT3: 1955
U.S. OpenT6: 1954
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Early life

edit

Mayfield was born in Liberty Hill, Texas[1] near Austin and grew up in Seguin near San Antonio. He was a star athlete in several sports at Seguin High School including golf, which he began playing at age 14. His team won several state championships under coach W.A. "Lefty" Stackhouse.

Professional career

edit

Mayfield became a golf professional at the age of 24. Like most professional golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club pro. His first job was as an assistant for Claude Harmon at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a position he held for two years. The two later worked together at Seminole Golf Club in Florida for one year. He served as the head professional at Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York from 1950 to 1952. In 1955, Mayfield went to work at the exclusive Meadowbrook Golf and Polo Club on Long Island, where he stayed until 1963. He then became the head club pro at Brook Hollow Country Club in Dallas until 1982 when he retired.[2]

Mayfield won three PGA Tour events during his career. He had two top-10 finishes in major championships, T-6 at the 1954 U.S.Open and T-8 at the 1956 Masters Tournament.[3][4] He also reached the semi-final of the 1955 PGA Championship, having reached the quarter-final the previous year.

Courses that Mayfield helped design, most as a partner with famed course architect Dick Wilson, included the Doral Country Club and Pine Tree Golf Club in Florida and California's Bay Hill Golf Club and La Costa Country Club.[2] Giving back to the town where he learned to play the game, he designed the back-nine added to the course at Max Starcke Park in Seguin, Texas.

In 1992 Mayfield was elected to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.[5]

Personal life

edit

Mayfield retired to his ranch in Carrizo Springs, Texas.[2] He died in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 85.[1]

Professional wins (5)

edit

PGA Tour wins (3)

edit
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jul 19, 1953 St. Paul Open −19 (69-67-68-65=269) 2 strokes   Dutch Harrison
2 Jan 31, 1955 Thunderbird Invitational −18 (63-70-68-69=270) Playoff   Fred Haas,   Mike Souchak
3 Mar 4, 1956 Baton Rouge Open −11 (67-71-70-69=277) 3 strokes   Walter Burkemo,   Jimmy Demaret,
  Doug Ford,   Fred Haas,
  Fred Hawkins

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 1953 Houston Open   Jim Ferrier,   Cary Middlecoff,
  Bill Nary,   Earl Stewart
Middlecoff won 18-hole playoff;
Middlecoff: −3 (69),
Ferrier: −1 (71),
Mayfield: −1 (71),
Stewart: E (72),
Nary: +3 (75)
2 1955 Thunderbird Invitational   Fred Haas,   Mike Souchak Won with birdie on second extra hole after 18-hole playoff;
Mayfield: −3 (69),
Souchak: −3 (69),
Haas: −2 (70)

Other wins (2)

edit

this list is probably incomplete

Results in major championships

edit
Tournament 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
Masters Tournament T36 T8 CUT
U.S. Open T33 T6 T12 T29 CUT T35 CUT CUT WD
PGA Championship QF SF R32 R64 T32 T22 T30 T53

Note: Mayfield never played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Mayfield Dies At 85". USGA. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Chiapek, Jason (May 29, 2007). "Mayfield, Stackhouse receive recognition". The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
  3. ^ "Tournament Results: 1956". Masters Tournament. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "Shelley Mayfield". Golf Major Championships. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
  5. ^ "Shelley Mayfield". Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.