Wilfred Hiram "Wiffy" Cox (October 27, 1896 – February 20, 1969) was an American
professional golfer who played 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 ...
in the 1930s.
Cox was born and grew up in a tough Irish-Italian section of
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
.
He started in
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 ...
as a
caddie at
Westchester County
Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
courses and learned to play at sunrise and sunset with clubs borrowed from the pro shop. The diminutive Cox had a hot-temper and a reputation for foul-mouthed, trash talk among his fellow players.
Cox won nine times 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 ...
.
His first individual win on the PGA Tour came at the 1931
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, ...
;
his four wins that year led the PGA Tour for most wins.
His best finish in a
major championship was tied for third at the 1934
U.S. Open.
Cox played on the winning U.S. team in the
1931 Ryder Cup
The 3rd Ryder Cup Matches were held June 26–27, 1931 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio. The United States team won the competition by a score of 9 to 3 points.
The course was the venue for U.S. Open in 1926, won by amateur Bobby Jon ...
, winning both his matches.
Like most professional golfers of his generation, Cox earned his living primarily as a club pro. He was the course pro at
Dyker Beach Golf Course in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
from 1921 to 1935. He eventually landed a plum job as head pro at the Congressional Country Club in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
,
which he held until 1969.
He died in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
[
]
Professional wins (12)
PGA Tour wins (9)
*1930 Mid-South Open Bestball (with Willie Macfarlane)
*1931 Miami International Four-Ball
The Miami International Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1924 to 1954. It was played primarily at what is now the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club in Miami, Florida. It was also played at the Miami Biltmore Golf Course in Co ...
(with Willie Macfarlane), 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, ...
, Massachusetts Open
The Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by Mass Golf (formerly the Massachusetts Golf Association). It has been played annually since 1905 (except for wa ...
, San Francisco National Match Play Open
The San Francisco Open was a golf tournament played in the San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern Califo ...
*1934 Agua Caliente Open
The Agua Caliente Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour first played in 1930 in Tijuana, Mexico
Tijuana ( , , 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 ...
*1936 Sacramento Open
The Sacramento Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played intermittently from 1951 to 1962. It was played in Sacramento, California at three different courses: the Del Paso Country Club in 1951 and 1961, the Bing Maloney Golf Course in 195 ...
*1937 District Open
Other wins (3)
*1931 Florida Open
The Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA). It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the ...
(tie with Joe Turnesa
Joseph R. Turnesa (January 31, 1901 – July 15, 1991) was an American professional golfer.
Early life
Turnesa was born in New York, New York.
He was one of seven famous golfing brothers: Phil (1896–1987), Frank (1898–1949), Joe (1901–1 ...
)
*1942 Maryland Open
The Maryland Open is the Maryland state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Maryland State Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1921 at a variety of courses around the state. I ...
*1943 Long Island PGA Championship
The Long Island PGA Championship is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. The current title of the event is the MasterCard Long Island PGA Championship.
...
Results in major championships
''Note: Cox never played in 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 t ...
.''
NYF = tournament not yet founded
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
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Wiffy
American male golfers
PGA Tour golfers
Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
Golfers from New York (state)
Golfers from Maryland
Sportspeople from Brooklyn
1896 births
1969 deaths