Horton Smith
2 Major Championships • 48th All-Time
Major Championship Wins
About Horton Smith
Horton Smith won 2 major championships during a 2-year span, with the first coming in 1934.
Learn more: Wikipedia
Career Highlights
- 1929 — Won 8 tournaments as a 21-year-old, establishing himself as one of golf's rising stars
- 1930 — Defeated Bobby Jones at the Savannah Open during Jones's Grand Slam year — the only player to beat him in stroke play that season
- 1934 — Won the inaugural Masters Tournament by 1 stroke over Craig Wood at Augusta National
- 1936 — Captured his second Masters title, coming from 3 shots behind to win by 1 stroke, leading the money list
- 1929-1937 — Represented U.S. in five Ryder Cups with perfect 3-0-1 record, captaining the 1947 team
- 1962 — Awarded the Bob Jones Award, USGA's highest honor for distinguished sportsmanship
Did You Know?
- "The Joplin Ghost": Nicknamed for his smooth, quiet demeanor on the course and his Missouri roots, Smith was known as golf's first true putting specialist
- Green Jacket Record: In 2013, Smith's 1949 Masters green jacket (awarded for his 1934 and 1936 wins) sold at auction for over $682,000 — the highest price ever paid for golf memorabilia at that time
- Pioneering Putter: Smith is credited with being the first professional golfer to study putting scientifically as a means to beat his opponents, revolutionizing how players approached the short game