Gene Sarazen (1902 – 1999)
He once declared “I don’t care what you say about me. Just spell the name right.” Gene Sarazen was the first golfer to win the Gene Sarazen career grand slam and was among the first class of inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He was born Eugene Saraceni, and his playing days were behind him when he joined Cypress Lake Golf Club.
As much as he’s known for his accomplishments on the course, Sarazen is also famous for off-course accomplishments. Sarazen was a poor sand bunker player because of the thin-bladed niblick (9-iron) that was used in the day. Looking for an edge, Sarazen devised an angled flange for the back of the niblick so the club wouldn’t dig into the sand so sharply. According to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Sarazen invented the modern sand wedge. His idea came in 1931 after he noticed how an airplane’s tail adjusted during flight while receiving flying instruction from Howard Hughes. Sarazen used the sand wedge for the first time to capture the 1932 British Open. The wedge was revolutionary in its impact on the playing of golf. Sarazen’s innovations also included a weighted practice club. He argued unsuccessfully for enlarging the hole size, believing more putts made would increase the popularity of the sport.
Sarazen turned pro in 1920, while still a teenager, and started winning majors – the 1922 U.S. Open and PGA – at the age of 20. He won three majors in 1922-23, and four more from 1932-35. Sarazen always had a knack for the spectacular. His “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” at the 1935 Masters – a final-round hole-out from 225 yards with a 4-wood for a double-eagle on No. 15 – is one 
of the most famous shots in golf history. It helped Sarazen get into a playoff with Craig Wood, which Sarazen won to claim his career grand slam. The spectacular shot is often credited with getting the Masters on its way as a major championship.
In the 1960s, Sarazen teamed with Jimmy Demaret to form a colorful commentary team for broadcasts of “Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf.”
Sarazen was an excellent golfer well after his PGA Tour career ended, winning the PGA Seniors Championship twice. During his farewell appearance in 1973, Sarazen scored a hole-in-one in the British Open at age 71. It came on the famed “Postage Stamp” hole at Royal Troon. Sarazen left the game of golf with flair, just as he had come in.
At the time of his death in 1999, Sarazen was the oldest and longest-serving member of the PGA of America.
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