Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf

by Tom Clavin

During the Golden Age of Sports in the 1920s, Walter Hagen was to golf what Babe Ruth was to baseball. The first professional golfer to make his living playing the game rather than teaching it, Hagen won eleven major professional tournaments over his long career -- two U.S. Opens, four British Opens, and five PGA Championships (including an amazing streak of four consecutive PGA wins) -- a record surpassed only by Jack Nicklaus. Hagen was also influential in helping to found the Ryder Cup and was the first American golfer to top $1 million in career earnings -- a figure equivalent to over $40 million today.

Award-winning sportswriter Tom Clavin has penned a thrilling biography that vividly recalls Hagen's dazzling achievements and the qualities that made him a star. Energetic, witty, and one of the best putters ever to walk the green, Hagen was a man who loved to party, was extraordinarily generous to his friends, and golfed the world over, giving exhibitions. He preferred to travel by limousine, and if he intended to stay awhile he'd bring a second limo just to transport his clothes, which were nothing but the finest. On his many trips across the Atlantic to compete in the Ryder Cup or British Open, Hagen was known to throw parties that lasted days, ending only when the ship reached the shore. He was also the first professional golfer to admit to playing not only for the love of the game, but also for the love of the winner's purse.

Walter Hagen, forerunner of today's sports superstars, is as dynamic a character as can be found in American sports history. Bringing Hagen to life with incredible detail and countless anecdotes, Sir Walter is the authoritative biography of the man who helped create professional golf as it's known today.

Genres: Sports, Biography

412 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2005

About the author

Tom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.

His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.

He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.

Reviews

[Mahlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great biography of the man who helped popularize professional golf in America in the 20s and practically invented the life of the touring pro. Hagen eventually won 11 majors, 3rd all time behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He is also 8th on the all-time PGA tour winners list with 45. Hagan was particularly adept and matchplay winning the PGA championship five times.

[Kellen Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Walter Hagen is going to be interesting no matter who writes it, but I think Clavin did an excellent job of pooling his resources and arranging his interviews to make a compelling and entertaining underdog, rags-to-riches, all-American hero adventure story of this sports biography.

[Richard Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful account of the greatest personality in 20th century golf. Excellent descriptions of the Haig's many triumphs and colorful exploits off the golf course. His years away from the game after retirement are sensitively portrayed. The subtitle's "Invention of Professional Golf" says it all. As Gene Sarazen said, "Every professional golfer who stretches a check between his fingers owes an enormous debt to Hagen." This is a must read for anyone who has any interest into how the game itself achieved tremendous popularity in the 1920's as well as the development of 'the Tour.'

[Paul Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Hagen’s own autobiography which was a bit too self-congratulatory. This one nails it. A combination of the early history of pro golf and the stories of a man with almost unshakeable self confidence with charm to spare. His majors record stands up against anybody’s bearing in mind that not all the majors existed in his day and his US Open wins straddled WW1. Stop and smell the flowers, and read this book.

[Brad Broadfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your a golf lover a must read.