Jimmy Demaret


James Newton Demaret was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters, with titles in [1940 Masters Tournament|Masters Tournament|1940], 1947, and 1950.

Life and career

Born in Houston, Texas, Demaret reached his peak in the late 1940s with wins in the Masters in 1947, runner-up to Ben Hogan in the 1948 U.S. Open, and leading money winner and Vardon Trophy winner in 1947. He reached the semifinals of the PGA Championship four times, but never made the finals. He was one stroke short of making the playoff for the 1957 U.S. Open, at age 47. He played on three Ryder Cup teams: 1947, 1949, and 1951. His career declined in the 1950s, although he managed several key wins including the 1952 Bing Crosby Pro-Am. His last Tour win came in 1957 at age 47, although he also teamed at age 51 with Sam Snead to win the Canada Cup for the U.S. in Puerto Rico.
Demaret's playing style was developed by necessity through the windy conditions of his native Texas. He favored a low fade on his longer shots; the method gave good distance and excellent control. His skills were highly rated by his contemporaries; Ben Hogan, whose career overshadowed his, opined that he was the best player he had ever seen in windy conditions.
Demaret was known for his flamboyant personality, which he enhanced by wearing bright-colored clothing during tournaments; he had his clothes specially made, and became a fan favorite. As a result, he was known by his nickname, "The Wardrobe." He had a very good baritone voice and talent as a comedian; he frequently entertained at nightclubs at Tour stops.
Demaret was one of the first Tour pros to become involved in golf broadcasting. After working as a commentator for "All Star Golf" in the early 1960s, he replaced George Rogers in 1966 as co-host for Shell's Wonderful World of Golf with Gene Sarazen, the first winner of the career grand slam.
Business partner and double-major winner Jack Burke Jr. and Demaret started the high-standard 36-hole Champions Golf Club in Houston in the late 1950s. It hosted the 1967 Ryder Cup, the 1969 U.S. Open, the 1993 U.S. Amateur, and other high-profile events.
The over-70s groupings on the Senior PGA Tour were named the "Friends of Demaret" in his honor.

Death

Demaret died of a heart attack at age 73 in Houston on December 28, 1983, as he was preparing for his daily ride around the Champions course. He was the third of the former Masters champions to pass away, preceded by Horton Smith in 1963 and Craig Wood in 1968.

In popular culture

Awards and honors

Professional wins (37)

PGA Tour wins (31)

Major championships are shown in bold.
Source:

Other wins (6)

this list may be incomplete

Major championships

Results timeline

Tournament1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
Masters Tournament1T126NTNTNTT41T18T8
U.S. OpenWDWDNTNTNTNTT6T392WD
The Open ChampionshipNTNTNTNTNTNT
PGA ChampionshipR32R64SFNTSFR64SFQF

Tournament19601961196219631964196519661967
Masters TournamentCUTCUTT5T43T32T35CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

NT = no tournament

WD = withdrew

DQ = disqualified

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

  • Most consecutive cuts made – 11
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 6

U.S. national team appearances

Professional