Nationality United States U.S. Open 42nd: 1927 Died November 5, 1994 Masters Tournament DNP Role Golfer | Status Amateur Name Watts Gunn College Georgia Tech The Open Championship CUT: 1926 | |
Born January 11, 1905
Macon, Georgia, U.S. ( 1905-01-11 ) Education Georgia Institute of Technology | ||
Watts Gunn (January 11, 1905 – November 5, 1994) was an American amateur golfer. He had a long golf career that began in his high school days at Lanier High School in Macon, Georgia. He went on to become a successful player in college at Georgia Tech when he was twice the winner of the Georgia Amateur, in 1923 and 1927. He was a winner of a number of other events in his career as well.
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Early life
Gunn was born in Macon, Georgia, on January 11, 1905. At Lanier High School, he captained golf teams that never lost a match.
Golf career
He became a member of the Atlanta Athletic Club's East Lake Golf Club in the mid 1920s while a student at Georgia Tech. Gunn's first major tournament win was in the 1923 Georgia Amateur. At the 1925 U.S. Amateur, played at Oakmont Country Club, Gunn won 15 straight holes in the first round of the 36-hole match. In that tournament, he went to the finals and lost against friend and rival Bobby Jones, marking the only time two players from the same club ever met for the U.S. Amateur crown.
Georgia Amateur
Gunn won the Georgia Amateur title again in 1927. In 1927, he won the Southern and National Intercollegiate tournaments, and the following year he won the Southern Amateur and the Southern Open. Gunn was a member of the United States Walker Cup teams in 1926 and 1928, winning all four of his matches. He later served as president of the Atlanta Athletic Club from 1953 to 1954.
Death and legacy
Gunn died on November 5, 1994. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame on January 14, 1989. He is best remembered for winning the Georgia Amateur twice, in 1924 and again in 1927.
Amateur wins
Note: This list may be incomplete