Wikipedia

Johnny Farrell

John Joseph Farrell (April 1, 1901 – June 14, 1988) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1928. Over the course of his career, he won 22 PGA Tour events. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2023 and will be inducted in 2024.[1]

Johnny Farrell
Farrell in 1928
Personal information
Full nameJohn Joseph Farrell
NicknameThe Gentleman
Born(1901-04-01)April 1, 1901
White Plains, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 1988(1988-06-14) (aged 87)
Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m)
Weight160 lb (73 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseCatherine Theresa Hush Farrell
Children5
Career
Turned professional1922
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins27
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour22
Other5
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentT29: 1936
PGA Championship2nd: 1929
U.S. OpenWon: 1928
The Open Championship2nd: 1929
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame2023
PGA Hall of Fame1966

Early life

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Born in White Plains, New York, Farrell started as a caddie and turned professional in 1922.

Golf career

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At the 1928 U.S. Open, held at Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago, Farrell tied with amateur Bobby Jones, then a two-time champion, after the regulation 72 holes and won the 36-hole playoff by one stroke. Farrell was voted the 1927 and 1928 Best Golf Professional in the United States, after a winning streak of six consecutive tournaments, on his road to a total of 22 career PGA Tour wins. He played for the United States in the first three Ryder Cups: 1927, 1929, and 1931.

Farrell was the head professional at the Quaker Ridge Golf Club in New York from 1919 to 1930. In 1931, Farrell played in his third Ryder Cup and also met and married Catherine Hush.[2][3] In 1934, Farrell accepted the head professional job at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.

In 1948, the AP's Frank Eck reported that there had been, to that point, eight rounds as low as 62 posted in competitive golf, and that Farrell had been the first to do so, in the late 1920s,[4] at the La Gorce Country Club course in Miami Beach.[5]

Family

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The Farrells had five children: Johnny, Jimmy, Billy, Peggy, and Cathy. The Farrell family dedicated itself to golf, becoming Golf Family of the Year in 1966. Billy Farrell played professional golf and is best known for being the first ever to hit the 630-yard (576 m) par-5 17th hole at Baltusrol's Lower Course in two shots, which he did during the 1967 U.S. Open.

Death

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Farrell died in Boynton Beach, Florida after a stroke at age 87.[6]

Professional wins (27)

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PGA Tour wins (22)

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Major championship is shown in bold.

Other wins (5)

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Note: This list may be incomplete.

Major championships

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Wins (1)

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Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
1928 U.S. Open 5 shot deficit +10 (77-74-71-72=294) Playoff 1   Bobby Jones

1 Defeated Bobby Jones in a 36-hole playoff – Farrell 70-73=143 (+1), Jones 73-71=144 (+2).

Results timeline

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Tournament 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
U.S. Open T45 38 T11 T5 T19 T3 T3 T7 1 CUT
The Open Championship NT T19 2
PGA Championship R32 R32 R16 R16 QF QF SF R32 2
Tournament 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Masters Tournament NYF NYF NYF NYF T36 T37 T29 39
U.S. Open 8 T10 CUT T9 T58 T52 T22 T40 CUT
The Open Championship T5 T54
PGA Championship QF R32 SF R16 R64 R32
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Masters Tournament T14 NT NT NT T53 48 53
U.S. Open 28 CUT NT NT NT NT CUT
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT
PGA Championship NT
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956
Masters Tournament WD T57 WD WD
U.S. Open CUT CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
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

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 1 12 9
U.S. Open 1 0 2 4 8 11 24 17
The Open Championship 0 1 0 2 2 3 4 4
PGA Championship 0 1 2 6 9 14 15 15
Totals 1 2 4 12 19 29 55 45
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 18 (1919 PGA – 1928 U.S. Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (twice)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Padraig Harrington, LPGA founders join '24 Golf Hall of Fame class". ESPN. Associated Press. March 9, 2023.
  2. ^ "Johnny Farrell claims bride". Portsmouth Times. Associated Press. November 25, 1931. p. 10 – via Google News Archive.
  3. ^ "Obituaries: Kay Farrell, 86, Socialite Of Golf". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (The New York Times). July 22, 1997. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  4. ^ Bly, Tom (March 18, 1948). "Incidents and Incidentals". Red Bank Register. p. 2-1. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Eck, Frank (March 22, 1948). "Great Rounds of Golf Recall 62's Posted As Record". The Winona Daily News. p. 12. Retrieved February 19, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Obituaries: Johnny Farrell, Hall of Fame Golfer, 87". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 16, 1988. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  7. ^ "Cox runner-up to Farrell in Empire State golf play". Times Union. June 29, 1930. p. 1A – via Newspapers.com.
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