Jimmy Demaret bounced from club pro jobs in Houston to Noroton, Connecticut, to Detroit and back to Houston in the space of under three years in the early 1940s.
But after honing his swing near the windy Gulf of Mexico, the best was yet to come for the vivacious and colorful Texas native. He rolled off a total of three victories at Augusta National (and a runner-up finish) to go with three appearances in the Ryder Cup, where he compiled a perfect 6-0-0 record. He was named to a fourth American squad, but in 1941 the competition was canceled due to World War II.
Known for his loud apparel, “The Wardrobe,” as he was often called, won a total of 31 times on the PGA Tour and reached the semifinals of the PGA Championship on four different occasions, although he never advanced past that point.
Demaret befriended movie stars, royalty, heads of state and astronauts, and was known as perhaps the closest friend on the PGA Tour to Ben Hogan. He also co-founded Champions Golf Club in Houston with buddy Jack Burke Jr. It was at Champions where Demaret suffered a heart attack on Dec. 28, 1983, and was later pronounced dead. He was 73.
Here are some of our favorite pictures of the World Golf Hall of Famer through the years.
Jimmy Demaret practices putting during a 1950s Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta,…Bobby Jones speaks at the Presentation Ceremony with Masters Winner Jimmy Demaret and Runner-up Byron Nelson…(L-R) Claude Harmon, Gene Sarazen, Clifford Roberts, Cary Middlecoff, Sam Snead, Doug Ford, Byron Nelson, Jimmy…Ken Venturi drives off from 15th tee during the second round of the Masters golf tournament…Jimmy Demaret, two-time Masters Tournament champion, sends his ball out of the sand trap on the…Ben Hogan (left) and Jimmy Demaret.Bing Crosby, Ed Crowley, Phil Harris and Jimmy Demaret at the Crosby National Pro-Am Tournament at…Jimmy Demaret, Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, and Ben Hogan, during the 1940's at Augusta National Golf…Jimmy Demaret and Ben Hogan share a drink in 1940. (Photo by Augusta National/Getty Images)Jimmy Demaret is interviewed by a reporter after winning the 1950 Masters Tournament at Augusta National…'The Golf Game' featuring (from left) Vivian Vance, Lucille Ball, George Pirrone (Caddy), and guest star:…Bobby Jones and Jimmy Demaret putt on the ninth green during a 1930s Masters Tournament at…Sam Snead (left), of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, sports a knock-out ensemble as he talks…Demaret Sweeps Augusta Masters. Augusta, Georgia: Ole "grand-slam" himself, Bobby Jones, left, presents the first place…Jimmy Demaret (left) and Ben Hogan, winners of the International Four Ball matches at Miami, wear…Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Henry Picard, Horton Smith, Ben Hogan, Craig Wood, Claude Harmon, Gene Sarazen,…Arnold Palmer (left) talks with Gary Player and Jimmy Demaret on the Par 3 Course ahead…Jack Burke, Jr., Jimmy Demaret, William Lane and Ben Hogan sit on a pine bench for…
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