Full name Theodore Makalena U.S. Open T23: 1964 Former tours PGA TOUR Nationality United States The Open Championship DNP PGA tour wins 1 | Status Professional Name Ted Makalena Professional wins 1 Masters Tournament DNP Role Golfer | |
Born June 14, 1934 ( 1934-06-14 ) Died | ||
TIGER DRIVES No 18 @ TED MAKALENA.MOV
Theodore "Ted" Makalena (June 14, 1934 – September 13, 1968) was an American professional golfer who played in the 1960s.
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Makalena was born and raised in Hawaii, where he attended St. Louis High School in Honolulu. He started out as a caddy at the age of 8 and eventually worked to become a club professional.
Makalena's only win in an official PGA Tour event came on October 30, 1966, when he won the Hawaiian Open by defeating veteran tour professionals Billy Casper and Gay Brewer. His record breaking score of 271 for 72 holes stood for many years. He was the first Hawaiian born golfer to win this event, and one of only two to have ever won it (the other being David Ishii in 1990). Makalena's victory in this event made him a very popular figure in Hawaii.
Two years after his win in the Hawaiian Open, Makalena died at the age of 34 less than five days after being injured in a swimming accident in Waikiki. Governor John Burns designated September 28, 1968 as Ted Makalena Day. After winning the 1968 Hawaiian Open, Lee Trevino turned over $10,000 of his winner's check to a trust fund honoring Makalena.
A golf facility in Waipahu that borders Pearl Harbor is named for him. He is interred at Diamond Head Memorial Park in Honolulu.