William L. Klein (1901 – January 3, 1957) was an American professional golfer. He won eight PGA Tour events during his career. He played in the 1923 PGA Championship, winning a first round match, and also played in the 1935 Masters Tournament.
| Willie Klein | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Klein, c. 1950 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | William L. Klein | ||
| Born | 1901 Long Island, New York | ||
| Died | January 3, 1957 (aged 55) Mineola, New York | ||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||
| Career | |||
| Status | Professional | ||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 9 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| PGA Tour | 9 | ||
| Other | 1 | ||
| Best results in major championships | |||
| Masters Tournament | WD: 1935 | ||
| PGA Championship | T9: 1927 | ||
| U.S. Open | T9: 1926 | ||
| The Open Championship | DNP | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Early life
editKlein was born in 1901 on Long Island, New York.[2]
Golf career
editKlein worked as the head pro at Wheatley Hills Golf Club[3] in East Williston, New York, from 1926 to 1957.[4] He also worked in the winter months at the La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach, Florida, from 1927 to 1956.[5][2] Klein also played on what later became the PGA Tour, winning nine events.[6]
1923 PGA Championship
editThe 1923 PGA Championship was held September 24–29 at the Pelham Country Club in Pelham Manor, New York. Klein was in the starting field and opened up affairs in a first round match against Charles Rowe which he won by the score of 4 and 3. He lost his second round match to Alec Campbell by the identical score.[7]
Personal life
editKlein died in Mineola, New York.[3]
Awards and honors
editIn 2007, Klein was inducted into the Metropolitan PGA Section Hall of Fame.[1]
Professional wins
editPGA Tour wins (8)
edit- 1922 Long Island Open
- 1923 Long Island Open
- 1924 Lido Country Club Open
- 1925 Miami Open
- 1928 New York State Open[8]
- 1929 Mid-South Open
- 1932 Metropolitan PGA Championship
- 1933 Long Island Open
- 1936 Miami Open
Source:[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Hall of Fame: Willie Klein". met.pga.com.
- ^ a b "Lloyd Watkins Named Professional at LaGorce". Miami Daily News. Miami, Florida. September 11, 1956. p. 12A. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ a b "Golf Pro Passes". The Post-Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. AP. January 4, 1957. p. 7.
- ^ "Wheatley Hills Golf Club - History". Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ "Get Rep, Then Settle Down, Advice to Young Golf Pros". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. AP. January 6, 1941. p. 13. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
- ^ Barkow, Al (November 1989). The History of the PGA TOUR. Copyright PGA Tour. Doubleday. pp. 236–38, 249–50, 253. ISBN 0-385-26145-4.
- ^ Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Vol. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
- ^ "Klein hits 303 to lead field in state open". The Buffalo Times. July 8, 1928. p. 57 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Willie Klein". PGA Tour. Retrieved 2024-12-17.