GOLF LEGENDS’ BIRTHDAYS IN JANUARY
Several members of the World Golf Hall of Fame had January birthdays, including: Cary Middlecoff, Walter Travis, Ben Crenshaw, Nancy Lopez, Harold Hilton, Jack Nicklaus, Henry Cotton, Donna Caponi and Payne Stewart. Brief profiles of each follow.
Born on January 21, 1940 in Columbus, Ohio, Jack Nicklaus is widely regarded as the greatest golfer in the history of the game. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he won a record 18 major championships and 73 PGA Tour titles, competing successfully across multiple generations. Nicklaus’ 19 runner-up finishes in the majors are the most of all-time, as are his nine-thirds (tied with Gene Sarazen) and eight fourth-place finishes. Nicklaus also built a global reputation as a golf course designer and ambassador for the sport. Some 15 PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions events are staged on Nicklaus-designed courses. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in its Inaugural Class of 1974.
Travis with 1901 U.S. Amateur trophy and rubber-cored ball
An Australia native born on January 10, 1862, Walter Travis emigrated to the U.S. in 1886 and became one of the most influential figures in early American golf history. An elite amateur, he won the U.S. Amateur Championship three times (1900, 1901, 1903) and became the first non-British golfer to win The Amateur Championship (1904). Beyond competition, Travis shaped the game as a writer, teacher, and golf course architect, leaving a lasting impact on American golf development. In 1908, he founded The American Golfer, a magazine he edited and published until 1920. It became the era’s most influential golf publication, covering architecture, rules, equipment, and turf management. WGHOF induction: 1979.
A California native born on January 6, 1957, Nancy Lopez is widely regarded as one of the most transformative players in the history of the LPGA Tour. Lopez recorded 48 LPGA Tour victories, including three major championships, all at the LPGA Championship. Her rookie season in 1978 remains one of the most extraordinary debuts in professional sports history. That year, she won nine tournaments—five consecutively—and became the only player ever to capture Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average in the same season. A four-time LPGA Player of the Year and three-time Vare Trophy winner, Lopez combined consistent excellence with exceptional fan appeal.WGHOF induction: 1987.
Cary Middlecoff , born January 6, 1921 in Hall, TN, competed at the highest level from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. A former dentist who turned professional in 1947, he won 39 PGA Tour events and captured three major championships: the U.S. Open (1949, 1956) and the Masters Tournament (1955). Renowned for his consistency and putting excellence, Middlecoff later became a prominent television golf analyst. WGHOF induction: 1986.
Ben Crenshaw, often called “Gentle Ben,” is celebrated as one of the finest putters in golf history. A GHS member, he was born in Austin, TX on January 11, 1952. After a stellar amateur career at the University of Texas, he turned professional in 1973 and went on to win 19 PGA Tour events, highlighted by two Masters victories (1984, 1995). Crenshaw also played key roles in multiple Ryder Cups and later established a respected career as a golf course designer. WGHOF induction: 2002.
Born in West Kirby, England on January 1, 1869, Harold Hilton was a dominant amateur golfer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He won The Open Championship twice (1892, 1897) and claimed four Amateur Championship titles. His 1911 victory in the U.S. Amateur made him the first overseas-born winner of that event. Hilton was also a noted golf writer and contributor to course design. WGHOF induction: 1978
Sir Henry Cotton, born on January 26, 1907, was one of Britain’s most accomplished professional golfers. He won The Open Championship three times (1934, 1937, 1948) and was a central figure in European golf during the mid-20th century. Known for his elegant swing, Cotton later influenced the game as a teacher, writer, and course architect. WGHOF induction: 1980
Born on January 30, 1957 in Springfield, MO, Payne Stewart was renowned for his intensity, sportsmanship, and distinctive knickerbocker attire. He won 11 PGA Tour events, including three major championships: the PGA Championship (1989) and two U.S. Opens (1991, 1999). Stewart’s dramatic victory at Pinehurst in 1999 remains one of golf’s most iconic moments. He died tragically later that year. WGHOF induction: 2001
Donna Caponi’s career was defined by resilience, longevity, and major championship success across three decades. A Massachusetts native born on January 29, 1945, she competed on the LPGA Tour from the mid-1960s through the 1980s, amassing 24 tour victories and four major championships. Caponi captured the U.S. Women’s Open twice, winning back-to-back titles in 1969 and 1970. She later added two LPGA Championship victories in 1979 and 1981, underscoring her ability to contend at the highest level well into her career. She later contributed to the sport as a broadcaster and ambassador. WGHOF induction: 2001