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Hubert Green
Personal information
Full name Hubert Myatt Green
Nickname Hubie
Born (1946-12-28)December 28, 1946
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died June 19, 2018(2018-06-19) (aged 71)
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st)
Nationality  United States
Residence Mountain Brook, Alabama
Spouse Becky Blair
Career
College Florida State University
Turned professional 1969
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins 29
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 19
European Tour 3
Japan Golf Tour 2
Champions Tour 4
Other 3
Best results in Major Championships
(Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament T2: 1978
U.S. Open Won: 1977
The Open Championship 3rd: 1977
PGA Championship Won: 1985
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2007

Hubert Myatt Green (December 28, 1946 – June 19, 2018) was an American professional golfer who won 29 professional golf tournaments, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open and the 1985 PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.

Early life

Green was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended and played golf for Shades Valley High School in Birmingham and then Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, Florida. While at FSU, he won the Southern Amateur in 1966 on his home course at the Country Club of Birmingham. In 1967, he became the Alabama Amateur golf champion, a title he successfully defended in 1968. He also won the Cape Coral Inter-Collegiate Tournament by eight strokes and the Miami Invitational by five strokes, among others. His fourth-place finish in the 1968 U.S. Amateur in Columbus, Ohio, earned him an invitation to play in the 1969 Masters as an amateur. Green graduated from FSU in 1968 with a degree in marketing. That year he also enlisted in the Alabama National Guard at Enterprise, Alabama. However, in 1969, Green won the Southern Amateur for a second time, and as one of the top 10 amateurs in the country, he decided to turn pro. He took a year to earn his PGA of America credentials.

Career

In his 26 years on the PGA Tour, Green had 19 victories, including two major championships: the 1977 U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the 1985 PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. He finished in the top-25 in a third of the PGA Tour events he entered. He also played on three Ryder Cup teams (1977, 1979, and 1985) and was undefeated in singles play.

In 1971, Green won the Houston Champions International and was the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year. He went on to multiple victories throughout 1970s, but he was at his peak in the latter part of that decade.

In March 1976, Green won three PGA Tour events in consecutive weeks.

At the 1977 U.S. Open, as Green walked to the 15th tee of the final round, he was notified of a caller anonymously phoning in a death threat on his life. The police presented him with options, and he courageously opted to play on, winning by one stroke over Lou Graham.

A month later at the 1977 Open Championship at Turnberry, Green finished third behind Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, who were respectively eleven and ten shots clear of Green in their famous "Duel in the Sun." Alluding to the extent to which Watson and Nicklaus's scores were so significantly clear of the rest of the field, he notably remarked, "I won the other tournament".

Green was ranked third in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in 1977, having also won the 1977 Irish Open in August. He was also runner-up, one stroke behind, to Baldovino Dassù, at the 1976 Dunlop Masters.

Green finished in the top 10 of the Masters six times in seven years from 1974 to 1980. At the 1978 Masters he came to the final hole about 30 minutes after Gary Player had finished a round of 64. Player had a 1-shot lead over Green, who hit a good drive and then a great approach to within three feet of the cup. Green had to back away from the putt when he overheard radio announcer Jim Kelly say something. When Green took the stroke, he pushed it a little to the right and the putt slid by. Green never blamed Kelly, however, telling Golf Digest, "Only an amateur would have been put off by the interruption — or would try to make excuses about it."

At the 1985 PGA Championship, Green won his second major title, two strokes ahead of defending champion Lee Trevino. It was Green's 19th and final victory on the PGA Tour.

In 1998, his second season on the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions), Green won the Bruno's Memorial Classic in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. He shot a final round of 64, playing the last six holes with an eagle, four birdies, and one par to beat Hale Irwin by one stroke.

Green was also active in golf course design, having worked on TPC Southwind, the site for the PGA Tour's St. Jude Classic; Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia; and Greystone Golf & Country Club, the site of his Bruno's Classic victory.

Green retired as a touring professional in 2009.

Cancer survivor

In the spring of 2003, Green was diagnosed with oral cancer after his dentist noticed an unusual swelling on the back of his tongue after a routine cleaning and referred him to a medical specialist for evaluation. Green underwent a very difficult and painful regimen of radiation and chemotherapy treatments during the summer of 2003. By the end of 2003, however, his cancer was in remission; his weight crept up to 165 pounds from a low of 143 pounds.

Honors

Green was inducted into the Florida State Seminoles Hall of Fame in 1977, becoming the first golfer to be enshrined. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Southern Amateur Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Champions Tour Comeback Player of the Year award in 2002 and 2004, and the American Cancer Life Inspiration Award in 2004. At the 2005 Masters Tournament, Green was presented with the Ben Hogan Award for continuing to be active in golf despite a serious illness. In 2007, he was recognized again when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Death

Green died on June 19, 2018, aged 71, from complications due to throat cancer.

Amateur wins

this list may be incomplete

  • 1966 Southern Amateur
  • 1967 Alabama Amateur
  • 1968 Alabama Amateur, Cape Coral Invitational, Miami Invitational
  • 1969 Southern Amateur

Professional wins (29)

PGA Tour wins (19)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (17)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 May 16, 1971 Houston Champions International −4 (68-69-72-71=280) Playoff United States Don January
2 Apr 22, 1973 Tallahassee Open −11 (69-67-70-71=277) 1 stroke United States Jim Simons
3 Sep 23, 1973 B.C. Open −18 (69-65-65-67=266) 6 strokes United States Dwight Nevil
4 Feb 10, 1974 Bob Hope Desert Classic −19 (72-69-66-69-65=341) 2 strokes United States Bert Yancey
5 Mar 17, 1974 Greater Jacksonville Open −12 (70-67-68-71=276) 3 strokes United States John Mahaffey
6 Jun 9, 1974 IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic −17 (70-67-66-68=271) 4 strokes United States Hale Irwin
7 Nov 3, 1974 Walt Disney World National Team Championship
(with United States Mac McLendon)
−33 (64-64-63-64=255) 1 stroke United States Sam Snead and United States J. C. Snead,
United States Ed Sneed and United States Bert Yancey
8 Sep 7, 1975 Southern Open −16 (68-66-66-64=264) 3 strokes United States John Schroeder
9 Mar 14, 1976 Doral-Eastern Open −18 (66-70-65-69=270) 6 strokes United States Mark Hayes, United States Jack Nicklaus
10 Mar 21, 1976 Greater Jacksonville Open (2) −12 (72-67-67-70=276) 2 strokes United States Miller Barber
11 Mar 28, 1976 Sea Pines Heritage Classic −10 (68-67-66-73=274) 5 strokes United States Jerry McGee
12 Jun 19, 1977 U.S. Open −2 (69-67-72-70=278) 1 stroke United States Lou Graham
13 Feb 5, 1978 Hawaiian Open −14 (69-66-68-71=274) Playoff United States Billy Kratzert
14 Mar 26, 1978 Heritage Classic (2) −7 (70-70-70-67=277) 3 strokes United States Hale Irwin
15 Feb 11, 1979 Hawaiian Open (2) −21 (68-67-63-69=267) 3 strokes United States Fuzzy Zoeller
16 Apr 29, 1979 First NBC New Orleans Open −15 (69-67-69-68=273) 1 stroke United States Frank Conner, United States Bruce Lietzke,
United States Steve Melnyk, United States Lee Trevino
17 Aug 16, 1981 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open −20 (68-65-67-64=264) 1 stroke United States Bobby Clampett, United States Fred Couples,
United States Roger Maltbie
18 Oct 14, 1984 Southern Open (2) −15 (65-66-67-67=265) 6 strokes United States Rex Caldwell, United States Scott Hoch,
United States Corey Pavin
19 Aug 11, 1985 PGA Championship −6 (67-69-70-72=278) 2 strokes United States Lee Trevino

PGA Tour playoff record (2–3)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1971 Houston Champions International United States Don January Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 1975 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open United States Don Bies Lost to birdie on second extra hole
3 1978 Hawaiian Open United States Billy Kratzert Won with par on second extra hole
4 1978 World Series of Golf United States Gil Morgan Lost to par on first extra hole
5 1986 Doral-Eastern Open United States Andy Bean Lost to birdie on fourth extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Other European Tour (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Jun 19, 1977 U.S. Open −2 (69-67-72-70=278) 1 stroke United States Lou Graham
2 Aug 28, 1977 Carroll's Irish Open −5 (70-69-74-70=283) 1 stroke United States Ben Crenshaw
3 Aug 11, 1985 PGA Championship −6 (67-69-70-72=278) 2 strokes United States Lee Trevino

Japan Golf Tour wins (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Nov 30, 1975 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament −16 (67-70-67-68=272) 6 strokes Japan Kosaku Shimada
2 Dec 1, 1985 Casio World Open +1 (72-76-67-74=289) Playoff Australia Wayne Grady, United States Scott Hoch,
Japan Nobumitsu Yuhara

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 1985 Casio World Open Australia Wayne Grady, United States Scott Hoch,
Japan Nobumitsu Yuhara
Won with par on second extra hole
Grady and Yuhara eliminated by par on first hole

Other wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Jul 29, 1980 Jerry Ford Invitational −5 (71-66=137) Shared title with United States J. C. Snead

Senior PGA Tour wins (4)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 May 3, 1998 Bruno's Memorial Classic −13 (70-69-64=203) 1 stroke United States Hale Irwin
2 Mar 12, 2000 Audi Senior Classic −19 (65-70-62=197) 5 strokes United States Jim Colbert, United States Dean Overtuff,
United States Doug Tewell
3 Sep 17, 2000 Kroger Senior Classic −10 (66-70-64=200) 1 stroke United States Larry Nelson
4 Aug 4, 2002 Lightpath Long Island Classic −14 (67-64-68=199) Playoff United States Hale Irwin

Champions Tour playoff record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 2000 Home Depot Invitational United States Bruce Fleisher Lost to birdie on third extra hole
2 2002 Lightpath Long Island Classic United States Hale Irwin Won with birdie on seventh extra hole

Other senior wins (2)

  • 1999 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gil Morgan)
  • 2017 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf – Legends Division (with Allen Doyle)

Major championships

Wins (2)

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
1977 U.S. Open 1 shot lead −2 (69-67-72-70=278) 1 stroke United States Lou Graham
1985 PGA Championship 3 shot lead −6 (67-69-70-72=278) 2 strokes United States Lee Trevino

Results timeline

Tournament 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Masters Tournament CUT T22 T14 T9 T8 T19 T8 T2 T10
U.S. Open T55 CUT T26 T18 6 1 CUT 24
The Open Championship 4 T32 T5 3 T29 T41
PGA Championship T16 DQ T3 T30 T62 T26 T16
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Masters Tournament 4 T11 43 CUT T36 T35 T19 T34
U.S. Open T32 T37 CUT T60 T30 CUT T55 CUT CUT T9
The Open Championship T6 T23 CUT T19 CUT WD T52
PGA Championship T68 T27 CUT CUT T14 1 T41 T56 WD 66
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT CUT CUT T51 CUT CUT CUT

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1982 and 1984 Open Championships)
DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 1 0 2 6 11 18 15
U.S. Open 1 0 0 1 3 5 19 12
The Open Championship 0 0 1 3 4 6 13 10
PGA Championship 1 0 1 2 2 5 24 14
Totals 2 1 2 8 15 27 74 51
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 16 (1974 Masters – 1978 Masters)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
The Players Championship T6 3 T12 T40 T9 T20 T8 T37 T6 CUT T66 CUT CUT T15 CUT CUT T46 CUT CUT WD WD CUT

     Top 10 CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

  • Ryder Cup: 1977 (winners), 1979 (winners), 1985
  • World Cup: 1977

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hubert Green para niños

  • 1970 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
  • List of Florida State Seminoles men's golfers
  • List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
  • List of longest PGA Tour win streaks
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