Gene Sarazen

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Sarazen hit 'the shot heard 'round the world' at Augusta National on the fifteenth hole in the final round of the Masters Tournament in 1935. He struck a spoon (the loft of the modern four wood) 232 yards into the hole, scoring a double eagle. At the time he was trailing Craig Wood by three shots, and was then tied with him. He birdied the 16th hole, then parred the 17th and 18th to preserve the tie. The following day, the pair played a 36-hole playoff, with Sarazen winning by five shots. The Sarazen Bridge, approaching the right side of the 15th green, was dedicated in 1955 to commemorate the double eagle's twentieth anniversary.

In Their Own Story

Sarazen claimed to have invented the modern sand wedge, debuting the club (while keeping it secret during preliminary practice rounds) at The Open Championship at Prince's Golf Club in 1932, which he won. He called it the sand iron. His innovation was to weld solder onto the lower back of the club, building up the flange so that it sat lower than the leading edge when soled. The flange, not the leading edge, would contact the sand first, and explode sand as the shot was played. Every top-class golfer since has utilized this wedge design and technique. At age 71, Sarazen made a hole-in-one at The Open Championship in 1973, at the 'Postage Stamp' at Troon in Scotland.

Reader's Guide

Gene Sarazen won 38 PGA Tour events and played on six U.S. Ryder Cup teams: 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, and 1937. In spite of his height of 5 ft 5+1⁄2 in, he was one of the longest hitters of his era. He played several lengthy exhibition tours around the world, and one of his American tours in 1940 was sponsored by Golf Magazine, playing a match every day for 60 days. For many years after his retirement, Sarazen was a familiar figure as an honorary starter at the Masters. From 1981 to 1999, he joined Byron Nelson and Sam Snead in hitting a ceremonial tee shot before each Masters tournament. He also popularized the sport as a commentator on the Wonderful World of Golf television show. Sarazen had what is still the longest-running endorsement contract in professional sports – with Wilson Sporting Goods from 1923 until his death, a total of 75 years.

Did You Know?

• Sarazen was the first of five players to win each of the four majors at least once, known as the Career Grand Slam.
• He hit 'the shot heard 'round the world' at the 1935 Masters, a double eagle on the 15th hole from 232 yards using a spoon (four wood).
• At age 71, Sarazen made a hole-in-one at The Open Championship in 1973 at the 'Postage Stamp' at Troon.
• Sarazen had the longest-running endorsement contract in professional sports – with Wilson Sporting Goods from 1923 until his death, a total of 76 years.
• He debuted his modern sand wedge (which he called the sand iron) while keeping it secret during practice rounds at The Open Championship in 1932, which he won.