Watts Gunn (January 11, 1905 – November 5, 1994) was an American amateur

golfer 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 wit ...

. He had a long golf career that began in his high school days at Lanier High School in Macon,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. He went on to become a successful player in college at

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

when he was twice the winner of the Georgia Amateur, in 1923 and 1927. He won a number of other events in his career as well.

Early life

Gunn was born in Macon, Georgia, on January 11, 1905.

Golf career

He became a member of the Atlanta Athletic Club's

East Lake Golf Club East Lake Golf Club is a private golf club 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1904, it is the oldest golf course in the city. East Lake was the home course of golfer Bobby Jones and much of its clubhouse serves as a tribu ...

in the mid 1920s while a student at

. At East Lake Gunn took lessons from James Maiden. Gunn's first major tournament win was in the 1923 Georgia Amateur. At the 1925

U.S. Amateur The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...

, played at Oakmont Country Club, Gunn won 15 straight holes in the first round of the 36-hole match. In that tournament, he went to the finals and lost against friend and rival Bobby Jones, marking the only time two players from the same club ever met for the U.S. Amateur crown.

Georgia Amateur

Gunn won the Georgia Amateur title again in 1927. In 1927, he won the Southern and National Intercollegiate tournaments, and the following year he won the

Southern Amateur The Southern Amateur is an amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1902 and is organized by the Southern Golf Association. From 1902 to 1963, it was played at match play. Since 1964, it has been played at stroke play. In December 2021, ...

and the Southern Open. Gunn was a member of the United States

Walker Cup The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match (not "Matches" as in Ryder Cup Matches). It is ...

teams in 1926 and

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhan ...

, winning all four of his matches. He later served as president of the Atlanta Athletic Club from 1953 to 1954.

Death and legacy

Gunn died on November 5, 1994. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame on January 14, 1989. He is best remembered for winning the Georgia Amateur twice, in 1924 and again in 1927.

Amateur wins

''Note: This list may be incomplete'' *1923 Georgia Amateur *1927 Georgia Amateur, Southern Intercollegiate,

NCAA Championship The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

*1928

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Watts American male golfers Amateur golfers Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's golfers Sportspeople from Macon, Georgia 1905 births 1994 deaths