Gene Littler
| Gene Littler | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Littler at the 1959 U.S. Open | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Gene Alec Littler | ||||
| Born | July 21, 1930 San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||
| Died | February 15, 2019 (aged 88) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) | ||||
| Sporting nationality | United States | ||||
| Spouse |
Shirley Warren (m. 1951) | ||||
| Children | 2 | ||||
| Career | |||||
| College | San Diego State University | ||||
| Turned professional | 1954 | ||||
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour | ||||
| Professional wins | 54 | ||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||
| PGA Tour | 29 | ||||
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 | ||||
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 | ||||
| PGA Tour Champions | 8 | ||||
| Other | 15 | ||||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |||||
| Masters Tournament | 2nd: 1970 | ||||
| PGA Championship | 2nd: 1977 | ||||
| U.S. Open | Won: 1961 | ||||
| The Open Championship | T18: 1974 | ||||
| U.S. Amateur | Won: 1953 | ||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||
| |||||
Gene Alec Littler (July 21, 1930 – February 15, 2019) was an American professional golfer and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth, rhythmical swing, he once said that, "Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the best misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes."