Samuel Dewey Byrd (October 5, 1906 – May 11, 1981) was an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
and
professional golfer
A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) and on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
. Byrd is the only person to play in both the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
and the
Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
.
Byrd made his professional baseball debut in 1926, and made his MLB debut with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in 1929. He was primarily a reserve player, and saw action as a defensive replacement and
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
for
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, which earned him the nickname "Babe Ruth's Legs". The Yankees sold Byrd to the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
before the 1935 season, and he retired from baseball to pursue a career as a professional golfer after the 1936 season. He won six PGA events during his career.
Early life
Samuel Dewey Byrd was born on October 15, 1906, in
Bremen, Georgia
Bremen ( ) is a city in Haralson and Carroll counties, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,227, up from 4,579 at the 2000 census. Most of the city is in Haralson County, with a small portion in Carroll ...
, as the second of four children of Rhone and Delphia Byrd. He was often known by his
middle name
In various cultures, a middle name is a portion of a personal name that is written between the person's first given name and their surname.
A middle name is often abbreviated and is then called middle initial or just initial.
A person may be ...
when he was growing up. His family moved to
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, in 1911. They lived near a golf course, where he worked as a caddy. He graduated from Birmingham's Simpson High School, where he played baseball and basketball. His father, who worked in construction, trained him to be a bricklayer.
Baseball career
After playing
sandlot baseball
Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is often less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot.
History an ...
in Birmingham, Byrd signed with the
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...
in 1926. The Barons
optioned
In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...
Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball.
History
The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.
The second leagu ...
before the start of the season. He had a .348
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with three
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s in 59 games for Jonesboro. The league folded during the season, and he finished the season with the Alexandria Reds of the Class D
Cotton States League
The Cotton States League''Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: The Official Record of Minor League Baseball'' – Lloyd Johnson, Steve McDonald, Miles Wolff (editors). Publisher: Baseball America, 1997. Format: Paperback, 672pp. Language: Englis ...
, where he batted .238 with one home run in 25 games. He played for the
Knoxville Smokies
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
in 1927, where he batted .331 with 15 home runs in 140 games. During the 1927 season, the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
purchased Byrd's contract. In 1928, the Yankees optioned Byrd to the
Albany Senators
The Albany Senators was a name used by multiple minor league baseball teams representing Albany, New York, that existed between 1885 and 1959. The mid-20th century club played at Hawkins Stadium (Albany), Hawkins Stadium.
The various editions of t ...
of the Class AEastern League, and he batted .371 with 18 home runs in 130 games.
Byrd made his
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
debut with the Yankees on May 11, 1929, as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
and defensive replacement for
Earle Combs
Earle Bryan Combs (May 14, 1899 – July 21, 1976) was an American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees (1924–1935). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (oft ...
. When
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
fell ill in June, Byrd started for the Yankees in his place from June 2 to 18. He batted .312 with five home runs in 202
plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
s across 62 games for the Yankees in 1929. In 1930, Byrd batted .284 with six home runs in 254 plate appearances across 92 games. He batted .270 with three home runs in 281 plate appearances across 115 games in 1931.
Byrd got a big opportunity to be the starting
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
for the Yankees in 1932, as Combs went to the bench. Using a
baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although histor ...
, in place of the bats he usually used, helped him to match his
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
total for all of 1931 before April 1932 ended. By May, Byrd was experiencing sinus problems and Combs had retaken the starting center fielding job. Aside from a 15 game stretch in September, Byrd spent the rest of the 1932 season backing up the starting outfield of Ruth, Combs, and Ben Chapman. He finished the 1932 season with a .297 average and eight home runs in 243 plate appearances across 105 games. Byrd made one appearance in the 1932 World Series as a defensive replacement for Ruth in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4. In 1933, Byrd batted .280 with two home runs in 122 plate appearances in 85 games. In 1934, he batted .246 with three home runs in 218 plate appearances across 106 games. Byrd led
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
outfielders with a .988
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
in 1934, committing two errors in 160 chances.
After the 1934 season, the Yankees sold Byrd to the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. Byrd played for the Reds as a starting outfielder in 1935, alongside
Chick Hafey
Charles James "Chick" Hafey (February 12, 1903 – July 2, 1973) was an American player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1924–1931) and Cincinnati Reds (1932–1935, 1937), Hafey was a strong line-drive hitt ...
, with
Ival Goodman
Ival Richard Goodman (July 23, 1908 – November 25, 1984) was an All-Star right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1942) and Chicago Cubs (1943–1944). Goodman, who batted left-handed and threw right-h ...
Adam Comorosky
Adam Anthony Comorosky (December 9, 1905 – March 2, 1951) was an American former Major League Baseball player.
Comorosky started working in the coal mines of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, at the age of 12, where he worked as a breaker boy. His ...
competing for the remaining playing time. He batted .262 with nine home runs in 460 plate appearances in 121 games. Heading into the 1936 season, Cincinnati started Goodman,
Babe Herman
Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman (June 26, 1903 – November 27, 1987) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder between and , most prominently as a member of the Brooklyn D ...
, and
Kiki Cuyler
Hazen Shirley Cuyler (; August 30, 1898 – February 11, 1950), nicknamed Kiki, was an American professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodg ...
in the outfield, and Byrd returned to a reserve role. He batted .248 with two home runs in 153 plate appearances in 59 games during the 1936 season.
The Reds traded Byrd to the
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...
of the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
for
Phil Weintraub
Philip Weintraub (October 12, 1907 – June 21, 1987) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder.
Weintraub played for 13 minor league teams, for whom he had an aggregate batting average of .337, as well as for the New Yo ...
and
Jack Rothrock
Jack Houston Rothrock (March 14, 1905 – February 2, 1980) was a utility player in Major League Baseball who played with four teams between the 1925 and 1937 seasons. Listed at , 165 lb., Rothrock was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. ...
following the 1936 season. Byrd refused the assignment to the minor leagues, and announced in February 1937 that he was retiring from baseball to focus on his golf career. Cincinnati sent Rochester another player to complete the trade, and sold Byrd to the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, who sent him a new contract for $10,000. After consulting with Jones,
Ed Dudley
Edward Bishop Dudley (February 19, 1901 – October 25, 1963) was an American professional golfer active in the late 1920s and 1930s. He was given the nickname of "Big Ed" in acknowledgment of his frame.
Biography
Born in Brunswick, Georgia, ...
, and Bill McWane, Byrd informed the Cardinals that he still intended to retire and pursue a career in golf.
Byrd was called "Babe Ruth's Legs", a reference to the fact that he often would appear as a
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
and defensive replacement for Ruth at the end of games toward the latter part of Ruth's career. In 745 major league games, Byrd posted a .274 batting average (465-for-1,700) with 304 runs, 38 home runs, 220
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
, and a .412
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
. He recorded a .975
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
playing at all three outfield positions.
Golf career
Upon joining the Yankees, Byrd quickly developed the reputation of being the best golfer in professional baseball. In 1930, Bobby Jones played a round of golf with Byrd, and called Byrd "the very best man with a driver I ever saw." Byrd won the first tournament he entered, the amateur portion of the 1933 Southeastern PGA Open. He made his professional golf debut in a tournament at the
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina in the United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including three U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateur Championships, one ...
in November 1933. In January 1937, he won a golf tournament of baseball players in
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
, by fourteen strokes.
When Byrd retired from baseball in 1937, he became an assistant to Dudley at the
Philadelphia Country Club
Philadelphia Country Club is a private country club located in the Gladwyne suburb of Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It has 27 holes of regulation golf including one 18-hole championship course, a nine-hole course, an ...
. He tied with
Abe Espinosa
Abelard George "Abe" Espinsosa (February 9, 1889 – February 13, 1980) was an American professional golfer who is best known as the first Hispanic-American to win a significant professional championship.
Born in Monterey, California, Espinosa ...
Ralph Guldahl
Ralph J. Guldahl (November 22, 1911 – June 11, 1987) was an American professional golfer, one of the top five players in the sport from 1936 to 1940. He won sixteen PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, including three majors (two U.S. Opens and one ...
Philadelphia Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open Championship is an annual golf tournament played in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. It is organized by the Golf Association of Philadelphia. It has been played annually since 1903 (except for war years & 2020) at member c ...
. In 1940, Byrd became the golf pro at the
Merion Golf Club
Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a township bordering Philadelphia to the northwest along the historic Main Line. The club has two courses: the East Course, and the West Cours ...
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
and a
Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
.
At the 1941 Providence Open, Byrd set a competitive record at Triggs Memorial Golf Course when he shot a 66, six under par, in the first round. He finished in third place in the 1941 Masters Tournament. He won the
Greater Greensboro Open
The Wyndham Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro and was originally the Greater Greensboro Open.
History
Founded in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open, it was usua ...
in 1942 with a 279, five under par, two strokes ahead of
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory and ...
and
Lloyd Mangrum
Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle." Early life and family
Mangrum ...
. He finished in fourth place in the
1942 Masters Tournament
The 1942 Masters Tournament was the ninth Masters Tournament, held April 9–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Byron Nelson, the 1937 champion, won an 18-hole playoff by one stroke over runner-up Ben Hogan. Down by three stro ...
. In June 1942, Byrd won the
Pennsylvania Open Championship The Pennsylvania Open Championship is the Pennsylvania state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pennsylvania Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1912 (except for war years) at ...
by seven shots over
Henry Ransom
Henry B. Ransom (February 25, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s.
Ransom was born in Houston, Texas. He turned professional in 1933. He won five PGA Tour events duri ...
. Byrd setting a course record with a 64, seven under par, in the second round. He won the Chicago Victory National Open in 1943 with a score of 277, five strokes ahead of Craig Wood.
Byrd resigned from the Merion Golf Club to succeed
Jimmy Demaret
James Newton Demaret (May 24, 1910 – December 28, 1983) was an American professional golfer. He won 31 PGA Tour events in a long career between 1935 and 1957, and was the first three-time winner of the Masters, with titles in 1940, 1947, and ...
Southfield, Michigan
Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618.
As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...
, effective November 1, 1943. In February 1944, he won the New Orleans Open with a score of 285, five strokes ahead of
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946, widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hoga ...
Al Watrous
Albert Andrew Watrous (February 1, 1899 – December 3, 1983) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s.
Early life
Born in Yonkers, New York, of Polish descent, Watrous moved to Michigan at an ear ...
tied with 145, and won the Michigan Open in August 1944 with a score of 208, while
Claude Harmon
Eugene Claude Harmon Sr. (July 14, 1916 – July 23, 1989) was an American professional golfer and golf instructor.
Born in Savannah, Georgia, Harmon spent much of his boyhood in Florida, in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, he qualified for ...
finished in second with 214. In January 1945, Byrd won the
Texas Open
The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Val ...
with a score of 268, beating Nelson by one stroke, and setting a new Texas Open record, which had previously been 271. Byrd lost the final of the
1945 PGA Championship
The 1945 PGA Championship was the 27th PGA Championship, held July 9–15 at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb south of Dayton. Then a match play championship, Byron Nelson won 4 & 3 in the final over Sam Byrd, a former major l ...
to Nelson, 4 and 3, in
match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 h ...
.
Byrd defended his Michigan PGA Championship title in August 1945, beating Chick Rutan by two strokes, 142 to 144. In November 1945, he won the
Azalea Open
The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event; it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 thro ...
, beating
Dutch Harrison
Ernest Joseph "Dutch" Harrison (March 29, 1910 – June 19, 1982) was an American professional golfer whose career spanned over four decades—one of the longest in the history of the PGA Tour.
Born in Conway, Arkansas and nicknamed "The Arkansa ...
in a playoff by one stroke, after they both shot 283. In March 1946, Byrd teamed with
Sam Snead
Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced English_phonology">sni:d.html" ;"title="English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an ...
in the
Inverness Invitational Four-Ball The Inverness Invitational Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1935 to 1953. It was played at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
Format
The tournament featured an unusual team round robin format. From 1935 to 1951, the field co ...
, which they lost to Demaret and Hogan. Byrd hosted the
1947 PGA Championship
The 1947 PGA Championship was the 29th PGA Championship, held June 18–24 at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Jim Ferrier won the match play championship, 2 & 1 over Chick Harbert in the Tuesday f ...
, which was held at Plum Hollow Country Club. In the
1948 Masters Tournament
The 1948 Masters Tournament was the 12th Masters Tournament, held April 8–11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Claude Harmon shot a record-tying 279 (−9) and finished five strokes ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff, a future c ...
, he tallied the highest score ever at the second hole, recording a 10. He finished the round with a 12-over-par 84. He retired from the PGA Tour in 1949.
On April 1, 1963, Byrd became the golf pro at Willowbrook Country Club. Byrd won his last tournament, a Senior PGA Tour event, in 1967. He served as the golf pro for ten years at the Anniston County Club in
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acco ...
, until he retired in 1978.
Professional wins (11)
PGA Tour wins (6)
*1942 (1)
Greater Greensboro Open
The Wyndham Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro and was originally the Greater Greensboro Open.
History
Founded in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open, it was usua ...
Texas Open
The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Val ...
,
Azalea Open
The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event; it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 thro ...
Other wins (5)
:''This list is probably incomplete.''
*1939
Philadelphia Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open Championship is an annual golf tournament played in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. It is organized by the Golf Association of Philadelphia. It has been played annually since 1903 (except for war years & 2020) at member c ...
*1942
Pennsylvania Open Championship The Pennsylvania Open Championship is the Pennsylvania state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pennsylvania Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1912 (except for war years) at ...
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
.''
:
:
:NT = no tournament
:CUT = missed the half-way cut
:R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
:"T" indicates a tie for a place
Personal life
Byrd married Rachel Elizabeth Smith of Birmingham in October 1932, days after the conclusion of the 1932 World Series. Teammate
Bill Dickey
William Malcolm Dickey (June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees for 19 seasons. Dickey managed the Yankees as a player-manager in ...
was his best man. Their daughter, Catherine, was born in 1939. After Rachel died in 1979, Byrd moved to
Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix within the city's metropolitan area. Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World". It is the fifth-larg ...
, to be closer to his daughter.
Byrd was inducted into the
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history. The museum displays over 5,000 objects related to athletes who were born in Alabama or earned fame ...
in 1974 for his accomplishments in golf and baseball. He died in
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...
, on May 11, 1981.
See also
*
List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
This is a list of the fifty golfers who have won the most official (or later deemed historically significant) money events on the PGA Tour. It is led by Sam Snead and Tiger Woods with 82 each.
Many players won important events early in the 20th ce ...