Toney G. Penna (January 15, 1908 – August 6, 1995) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

professional

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

er and designer of golf clubs and gear. He won four events 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 ...

between 1937 and 1947. He introduced new lines of golf clubs and was the holder of four patents for golf clubs. Many of these clubs are considered collectors' items: some are still in production. He also introduced the use of color to both clubs and to golf accessories, such as carrying bags.

Character

Penna was born in

Naples, Italy Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. He grew up in

Harrison, New York Harrison is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States, northeast of Manhattan. The population was 28,218 at the 2020 census. History Harrison was established in 1696 by a patent granted by the British government to John Harrison a ...

and also lived in

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

and

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. By 1946, Penna had moved to

Delray Beach, Florida Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles ...

. Starting out in golf by being a caddy, Penna was known for his personality and individualism as much as for his golfing abilities. He was often a critic of his high-ranking golf contemporaries, and published a table illustrating his thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of each in his autobiography. With a ready temper but also a sense of humor, Penna's work as a golf pro brought him into contact with

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

, and

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

, among others.

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

was a long-time friend of Penna's. Before his permanent move to Florida, Como often came to golf with him on the weekends after completing his weekly television program. After a tournament where Penna beat Como, he remarked that the only thing that was keeping him from returning to the large professional golf tours was his lack of hair. A week later, Penna received a package from Como; inside was a hairpiece and a note which said "Go!". Penna was a longtime employee and representative of the MacGregor Golf Company. After years of working for MacGregor, Penna started his own company and manufactured his own golf clubs. A stretch of road in

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the town had a population of 61,047 as of April 1, 2020. It is 84 miles north of Miami, and the northernmost community in the Miami met ...

, where his company was located is named after him. Penna used the spelling of his name as an attention-getter, and was known for having a taste for fine clothing. Penna displayed an ability for concentrated problem-solving in improving golf club performance which led to his success as an equipment representative, a golf pro, and also as the producer of his own line of golf clubs. With his brother, Charley, Penna was associated with the Beverly and with the Calumet Country Clubs, both near Chicago; at one time both brothers were playing professionally. Penna died in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1995 at the age of 87.

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins (4)

*1937

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 ...

*1938 Kansas City Open *1946 Richmond Open *1947 Atlanta Open

Other wins

''this list is incomplete'' *1948

North and South Open The North and South Open was one of the most prestigious professional golf tournaments in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It was played at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, long the largest golf resort in the world, ...

Results in major championships

NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
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

Summary

*Most consecutive cuts made – 20 (1940 Masters – 1949 Masters) *Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)