| On this date - December 21, 1892 - Walter Hagen, known by many as "The Haig," was born in a picturesque farmhouse on the banks of the Allens Creek River in Rochester, NY.
His tally of eleven majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger Woods (14). He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on to win four times in total. The Haig also won the PGA Championship a record-tying five times (1921, '24-'27), the Western Open five times, totaled 45 PGA wins in his career, and was a six time Ryder Cup captain.
Herbert Warren Wind wrote, "Hagen was historically important. More than any other individual, he opened the way for young men who wanted to make a living not as a golf professional, but as professional golfers. Hagen, who started out as a golf professional, was the first really successful American professional golfer. Hagen enjoyed the pressure of tournaments and the pleasures of exhibitions far more than he did the staid duties of a club pro."
 In the Classics of Golf foreword to "The Walter Hagen Story," Wind continues to provide insight on Hagen's impact on the game, including his explanation as to why "The Haig may well have been the best pressure putter of all time."
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