Jay Sigel, a famous amateur golfer, has died. He passed away on Saturday from pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old.
Sigel was one of the best amateur golfers in history. He won two U.S. Amateur Championships. He also won three U.S. Mid-Amateur titles. He played in nine U.S. Walker Cup teams, more than any other American.
He was the team captain for two of those Walker Cups. The U.S. team won both times, in 1983 and 1985. Sigel still holds the record for the most Walker Cup wins, with 18 victories.
Only one other player, Joseph B. Carr from Great Britain and Ireland, played in more Walker Cups (10). Sigel appeared in 33 Walker Cup competitions with a record of 18 wins, 10 losses, and 5 draws.
Sigel was born in 1943 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He initially attended the University of Houston but transferred to Wake Forest. There, he played golf with help from the Arnold Palmer Scholarship.
He once planned to become a pro golfer. But during his second year in college, he had an accident. His left hand went through a glass window. He needed 70 stitches. Then he decided to remain an amateur and became involved in the insurance profession.
He won the U.S. Amateur at age 38 in 1982. He won a U.S. Mid-Am the year after that. He also won the Pennsylvania Amateur 11 times.
Sigel played in the Masters 11 times. He was the top amateur in three of those events.
Later in life, he did play professional golf. When he turned 50, he joined the PGA Tour Champions. He was named Rookie of the Year. Between 1994 and 2003, he won eight pro tournaments.
In 1984, Sigel received the Bob Jones Award. This is the highest honor from the USGA.
Kevin Hammer, the future USGA president, said, “He was a dear friend. We will always remember him. He inspires us. He was the best amateur since Bobby Jones.”
Sigel will be remembered not just for his great golf, but also for the kind of person he was.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How tall is Jay Siegel?
“Jay Siegel is roughly 5 feet 11 inches tall. He became widely known as a lead singer with the group The Tokens.
2. Who became in 1997 the first golfer to average over 300 yards per drive for an entire PGA season?
In 1997, John Daly became the first player to average more than 300 yards off the tee in a full season of play. He was an extremely long ball striker.
3. Who has spent the longest time as world number 1 golfer?
Tiger Woods spent the longest at the top of the world’s ranked golfers, a combined 683 weeks at number 1.
4. Who was the first golfer to win $1 million in a tournament?
“In 1988, golfer Curtis Strange became the initial player to take home $1 million in one tournament season. He made the money by competing in various events.
5. What is the biggest winning prize in golf?
The largest prize in golf today is approximately $3.6 million. Here is the Tour Championship prize money that the winner of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup takes.
6. Did Tiger win his first Masters?
Yes, and in 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters. He won at age 21 by 12 strokes, a record.
7. Who was the first millionaire golfer?
Arnold Palmer was the first golfer to have a career prize earnings of $1 million. He reached this height back in 1968.”
