John Mahaffey

Trivia

• Mahaffey had a cameo in the movie "Tin Cup." He played a ... PGA Tour pro.
• Coming off an NCAA individual championship in 1970, while with the golf juggernaut that was the University of Houston at the time.
• John Mahaffey turned pro in 1971 with great expectations. From himself and from everyone else.
• And he enjoyed a fine PGA Tour career, winning one major and coming very close to another. But his career win total of 10 is probably lower than many expected from Mahaffey, and part of the reason might be that Mahaffey was often bothered by injury.
• Some of the injuries were not too surprising for a golfer. A hyperextended elbow tendon, for example, bothered Mahaffey for a couple years in the mid-1970s. But some of his aches and pains had more unusual causes, too. Such as the time he fell off a ladder and broke a finger.
• Mahaffey's first PGA Tour victory was at the 1973 Sahara Invitational.
• He gained much wider notice in 1975, when he tied Lou Graham at the end of regulation in the U.S. Open. But it was Graham who prevailed in the 18-hole playoff.
• Mahaffey was also 10th that year at the British Open, but he didn't win again on Tour until 1978.
• And that's when he claimed his only major. At the PGA Championship, it was Mahaffey who won the playoff this time, beating Jerry Pate and Tom Watson. Then Mahaffey won the following week at the American Optical Classic.
• Mahaffey never really challenged in a major again, but did win The Players Championship in 1986. His final PGA Tour win was in 1989.

Quotes

• “We took four wrestlers to the state tournament and three placed, so we're real pleased.”
• “It's been a long time since we had a wrestler place that high. Brian was dedicated and worked hard.”
• “Brian went above and beyond what was expected of him.”