As you probably know by now, it’s Father’s Day this Sunday! And if you haven’t already purchased a gift for your old man, you need to take a look at the two superb offers we have on just now: 10% off “Golf in a Box” until 21st June and free Srixon golf balls with £150 or more spent on Your Golf Travel vouchers!
So as the day, which is designed for people to honour their fathers, draws closer we thought it relevant to take a look at some of the best father-son pairings in the game of golf.
Having trawled through the many father-son golfers over the years, on the internet, we’ve been able to come to the conclusion that on the two main men’s professional tours (the PGA and European Tours) there are only 11 examples of a father and a son both winning at least one tournament – 8 in total on the PGA Tour and 3 on the European Tour. Interestingly enough, there have been no mother-daughter winners on the LPGA Tour.
The Morris’ and the Parks are part of the 8 PGA pairings during the very early days of the Open Championship. This was far before the Open was actually recognised as a PGA Tour event – in 1995.
In 2002, all Open Championship winners between 1860 and 1994 were retroactively awarded with official wins on the PGA Tour, so that these two extraordinary golfing families from the early days of professional tournament golf are included in this list, and rightly so.
It’s also worth mentioning, without drawing to any conclusions, that in the “modern era” (with one exception – the Burkes) it is the fathers that have had the more successful careers by a considerable margin.
So here’s the list of these famous Father/Son doubles in chronological and tour order:
PGA Tour
All 8 of the Morris’ Open Championship victories came at Prestwick Golf Club.
The Morris’
Tom Morris Sr. (4 Open Championships between 1861-67)
Tom Morris Jr. (4 Open Championships between 1868-72)
Young Tom’s first Open Championship win in 1968 came at the tender age of 17 – making him the youngest major champion in golf history! Interestingly, Young Tom was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975 – a year earlier than his old man. This also means that they are the only father and son in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The pairing has a combined eight Open Championship titles between them – making them the most successful father-son duo in Major Championship history.
The Morris’ also made history when, in 1869, Young Tom won the Open Championship and Old Tom came second. It is the only time a son and father have finished 1st & 2nd in this or any other major championship.
The Parks
Willie Park Sr. (4 Open Championships between 1860-75)
Willie Park Jr. (2 Open Championships between 1887-89)
Park Sr. was the first ever Open Champion in 1860.
Park Sr. also had a brother (Mungo Park) who was victorious in the 1874 Open Championship – making Wille Sr., Willie Jr. and Mungo the only Father-Uncle-Son winning trio in major Championship history!
Park Sr. is the only Hall of Fame inductee of the trio, initiated into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.
Joe Kirkwood Sr. came T4th in three Open Championships, including at the 1923 event at Royal Troon.
The Kirkwoods
Joe Kirkwood Sr. (13 wins between 1923-33)
Joe Kirkwood Jr. (2 wins between 1949-51)
In 1948, Kirkwood Sr. and Kirkwood Jr. both made the cut at the US Open – this is the only time a father and son have managed this.
Jack Burke Jr. won the Masters in and the PGA Championship in 1956! A feat which has not been repeated many times since.
The Burkes
Jack Burke Sr. (1 win at the 1941 Senior PGA)
‘Jack Burke’ Jr. (16 wins between 1950-63, incl. the Masters and PGA in 1956, one of only a few to have won two majors in one year)
Jack Burke Jr. shares a permanent locker at Augusta National (home of The Masters) with Tiger Woods. Due to Masters Tradition, they both keep their Green Jackets in a wooden locker with golf name plates which also states the year(s) they won.
The Heafners
Clayton Heafner (4 wins between 1941-48)
Vance Heafner (1 win in 1981)
Clayton Heafner played in nine Masters in total, and when Vance competed in the 1978 Masters, they became one of nine father-son duos to play the famous event.
The Boros
Julius Boros (18 wins between 1952-68, incl. the 1952 &1963 US Opens & the PGA in 1968)
Guy Boros (1 win in 1996)
The Geibergers
Al Geiberger (11 wins between 1962-1979, incl. the 1966 PGA)
Brent Geiberger (2 wins between 1999-2004)
Al Geiberger was the first golfer to score a 59 (on a par-72 course) in a PGA Tour event. On 10th June, 1977, in the second round of the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic at the Colonial CC in Memphis, Tennessee, he had a blemish free round with 6 pars, 11 birdies, and 1 eagle – he also went on to win the tournament.
Al and Brent were also the first father and son pairing to compete in the PGA Championship in 1988.
Bill Haas was victorious at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta Resort – something his father, Jay, did in 22 years previously.
The Haas’
Jay Haas (9 wins between 1978-1993)
Bill Haas (3 wins in 2010-11)
Bill Haas was victorious at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic, which his father Jay also won in 1988. This is (apart from the Morris’ and the Parks in the Open Championship) the only time of a father and son winning the same PGA event.
Jay also has another son, Jerry Jr., however he has yet to win a PGA Tournament – should he do so this trio of Haas’ will become the first ever father-son-son group to each win on the PGA Tour.
Jack Nicklaus, an 18 time major champion, and his son Gary have also come close, but didn’t quite achieve the father and son double. Gary lost a playoff to Phil Mickelson at the 2000 BellSouth Classic.
European Tour
1997, at the Valderrama Golf Club, was the year that the Garridos became only the second father-son pairing to have competed in the Ryder Cup.
The Garridos
Antonio Garrido (6 wins between 1972-86)
Ignacio Garrido (2 wins between 1997-2003)
In 1997 the Garridos became only the second father and son to have competed in the Ryder Cup (the first was Percy and Peter Allis).
Jose Maria Canizares won five times on the European Tour, including the Roma Masters in 1992 at Castelgondolfo.
The Canizares’
Jose Maria Canizares (5 wins between 1980-92)
Alejandro Canizares (1 win in 2006)
Craig Stadler won the Swiss Open at Golf-Club Crans-sur-Sierre in 1985.
The Stadlers
Craig Stadler (13 PGA wins incl. the 1982 Masters; 2 European Tour wins between 1985-90)
Kevin Stadler (1 win in 2006)
If and when Kevin gets that elusive win on the PGA Tour, the Stadlers will become the ninth father-son pair to each win on the PGA Tour.