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1912 - On February 4th, near
Waxahachie, Texas, Byron Nelson was born to Madge and John Byron Nelson.
Nelson turned professional in 1932 and retired in 1946. Along the way
he won 64 times including five major championships. Lord Byron died at
his ranch near Roanoke, Texas on September 26th, 2006 at the age of 94.
1949 - Golfer
Ben Hogan is nearly killed in a collision with a Greyhound Bus as he and his
wife, Valerie were driving a fog-shrouded, two-lane highway near Horn,
Texas. The accident left the 36-year old Hogan with a fractured
pelvis, a broken collar bone, a broken left ankle, chipped ribs and blot
clots that would threaten his life. Doctors feared he may never walk
again, but he returned to the PGA Tour for the opening event of the 1950
season and in June of 1950, 14 months after the accident, Hogan won the U.S.
Open at Merion CC in Philadelphia.
1963 - Mickey Wright defeats Ruth Jessen
to win the Sea Island Invitational in Sea Island, Georgia. It's the
first of 13 wins for Wright in 1963, as she sets the record for the most
wins by any golfer in a single LPGA season. The record still
stands today.
2005 - On the CHAMPIONS Tour, Hale Irwins
beats Dana Quigley by 5 shots to win the Turtle Bay Championship in Hawaii.
Irwin becomes the first player in professional golf to win the same event
five consecutive years and the same tournament six times overall.
THIS WEEK - On the PGA
Tour, Mark Wilson will defend his title at the Waste Management
Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Phoenix, Arizona. The Champions
Tour is idle this week. Overseas, many of golf's biggest names will
tee it up in Doha, Qatar at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by
Dolphin Energy. Robert Rock will defend against a field which
includes Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia, K.J.
Choi, Retief Goosen and Americans Hunter Mahan and John Daly.
BIRTHDAYS:
January 30th - Payne Stewart, born 1957; Curtis
Strange, 57; Jill McGill, 40; February 1st - Jim Thorpe,
63; February 3rd - Retief Goosen, 43; February
5th - Jose Maria Olazabal, 46
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