Kelvin David George Nagle AM (21 December 1920 – 29 January 2015) was an Australian professional golfer best known for winning The Open Championship in 1960. He won at least one tournament each year from 1949 to 1975.
Early life Nagle was born in North Sydney. Because of five-and-a-half years of World War II military service (1939–45), Nagle got a late start on pro golf, as he played no golf between ages 19 and 24, and turned pro at age 25 (1946). He made up for lost time by winning at least one tournament each year from 1949 to 1975.
Professional career During his early career, he had a long swing and was regarded as the longest hitter on the Australasia tour, as evidenced by the Australian press dubbing him as "the Pymble Crusher". By age 39 (in 1960, when he won The Open Championship), Nagle had shortened his swing and become a straight hitter with what Gary Player described as "the best short game out here".
Although he had won over 30 tournaments in Australia, and had won the Canada Cup for Australia in partnership with five-time Open champion Peter Thomson in 1954 and 1959, Nagle was a shock winner of The Open, as he was 39 years old but had never finished in the top-10 at a major championship before. Thomson told Nagle a few weeks prior to the 1960 Open championship that he "had the game" to win and that "you can beat me". He beat the rising star of American golf Arnold Palmer into second place, and it was Palmer who deprived him of his title in 1961.
Although he never regained The Open title, Kel Nagle had six top-five finishes at the Open between 1960 and 1966 (ages 39 to 45). His best result in a United States major was second in the 1965 U.S. Open—the year after he won the Canadian Open—when he and Gary Player finished the 72-hole tournament in a tie. Nagle lost to Player the next day in an 18-hole playoff, during which Nagle hit a female spectator in the forehead on the fifth hole and was visibly affected to the point that he hit another spectator on the same hole. Player won the playoff by 3 strokes.
As late as 1970, the year he turned 50, Nagle was ranked among the top ten players in the world on the McCormack's World Golf Rankings, the forerunner of the modern world ranking system. Nagle played on the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) in the U.S. in the 1980s, when he was in his 60s and early 70s. His best finishes were a pair of T-3s: at the 1981 Eureka Federal Savings Classic and the 1982 Peter Jackson Champions. In July 2007, Nagle was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and was inducted in November 2007.
Death Nagle died in Sydney on 29 January 2015 at the age of 94.
Award and honors In 1980, he was awarded Member of the Order of Australia for the service to the sport of golf. In 1986, he was awarded Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee. In 2001, Nagle was awarded Australian Sports Medal. In 2005, Kel Nagle Plate, presented annually to the best performing rookie in the Australian PGA Championship. In 2007, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Professional wins (95) PGA Tour wins (2) LegendMajor championships (1)Other PGA Tour (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up1 9 Jul 1960 The Open Championship −10 (69-67-71-71=278) 1 stroke Arnold Palmer2 2 Aug 1964 Canadian Open −11 (73-71-66-67=277) 2 strokes Arnold Palmer
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11965U.S. Open Gary PlayerLost 18-hole playoff;Player: +1 (71),Nagle: +4 (74) Source:
PGA Tour of Australia wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up122 Sep 1974West End Tournament−7 (70-70-68-73=281)1 stroke Tom Linskey, Rob McNaughton216 Feb 1975South Coast Open−8 (72-67-68-69=276)1 stroke Bob Shearer310 Apr 1977Western Australia PGA Championship−5 (73-71-69-70=283)1 stroke Barry Vivian
Other Australian wins (47) 1949 (1) Australian PGA Championship 1950 (1) WA Open 1951 (4) North Coast Open, New South Wales Close, WA Open, ACT Open 1952 (3) North Coast Open, WA Open, NSW PGA Championship 1953 (3) NSW PGA Championship, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament, McWilliam's Wines Tournament 1954 (5) Australian PGA Championship, North Coast Open, Lakes Open, ACT Open, Riverside and Tasmanian Tyre Services £500 Tournament 1955 (2) North Coast Open, NSW PGA Championship 1956 (1) NSW PGA Championship 1957 (2) New South Wales Close, Lakes Open 1958 (3) Australian PGA Championship, Lakes Open, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament 1959 (5) Australian Open, Australian PGA Championship, Queensland Open, NSW PGA Championship, Ampol Tournament (tie with Gary Player) 1962 (2) Victorian PGA Championship, Adelaide Advertiser Tournament 1963 (1) Lake Karrinyup Bowl 1964 (1) Queensland Open 1965 (2) Australian PGA Championship, NSW PGA Championship 1966 (2) Wills Masters, West End Tournament (tie with Murray Crafter), 1967 (2) Victorian Open, West End Tournament 1968 (3) New South Wales Open, Australian PGA Championship, West End Tournament 1969 (1) Victorian Open 1970 (1) NBN-3 Tournament 1971 (1) NSW PGA Championship 1972 (1) West End Tournament 1975 (1) Forbes Open
New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (19) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up131 Aug 1963Wiseman's Tournament−7 (65-68-75-73=281)2 strokes Ted Ball221 Nov 1964New Zealand Open−26 (67-69-66-64=266)12 strokes Frank Phillips328 Nov 1964Caltex Tournament−7 (69-72-70-74=285)1 stroke John Sullivan44 Dec 1965Forest Products Tournament−19 (65-67-69-68=269)1 stroke Cedric Amm511 Dec 1965BP Tournament−10 (69-72-73-74=278)Shared title with Peter Thomson63 Dec 1966BP Tournament (2)−12 (68-70-69-69=276)3 strokes Clive Clark, Martin Roesink717 Dec 1966Caltex Tournament (2)−4 (71-69-68-68=276)Shared title with Peter Thomson818 Nov 1967New Zealand Open (2)−9 (70-64-70-71=275)4 strokes Ted Ball930 Nov 1968New Zealand Open (3)−8 (69-68-66-69=272)7 strokes Frank Phillips1015 Dec 1968BP Tournament (3)−8 (64-69-69-70=272)1 stroke Bob Charles, Guy Wolstenholme1129 Nov 1969New Zealand Open (4)−7 (69-67-69-68=273)2 strokes John Lister127 Dec 1969Garden City Classic−20 (64-70-66-72=272)2 strokes John Lister1313 Dec 1969Caltex Tournament (3)−9 (70-69-67-69=275)7 strokes Bill Dunk, John Lister1411 Jan 1970Forest Products Stars Travel New Zealand PGA Championship−24 (69-66-66-67=268)3 strokes John Lister1513 Dec 1970Otago Charity Classic−16 (69-68-72-63=272)2 strokes Vic Bennetts167 Jan 1973New Zealand PGA Championship (2)−9 (66-73-70-66=275)4 strokes John Carter176 Jan 1974New Zealand PGA Championship (3)−16 (67-64-64-69=264)2 strokes Walter Godfrey185 Jan 1975New Zealand PGA Championship (4)−17 (65-67-65-70=267)5 strokes Lindsay Sharp1928 Nov 1976Otago Charity Classic (2)−14 (66-69-66-63=274)4 strokes Bob Charles
Other New Zealand wins (7) 1957 (2) New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA Championship, 1958 (2) New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA Championship 1960 (2) New Zealand PGA Championship, Caltex Tournament 1962 (1) New Zealand Open
European wins (11) 1960 Open Championship 1961 French Open, Swiss Open, Irish Hospitals Tournament, Dunlop Tournament 1962 Bowmaker Tournament, Carling-Lancastrian Tournament 1963 Esso Golden Tournament 1965 Bowmaker Tournament 1967 Esso Golden Tournament (tie with Peter Thomson) 1971 Volvo Open
Other wins (3) 1954 Canada Cup (with Peter Thomson) 1959 Canada Cup (with Peter Thomson) 1961 Hong Kong Open
Senior wins (5) this list may be incomplete 1971 Pringle of Scotland Seniors Championship, World Senior Championship 1973 Pringle of Scotland Seniors Championship 1975 PGA Seniors Championship, World Senior Championship
Major championships Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 1960 The Open Championship 2 shot lead −10 (69-67-71-71=278) 1 stroke Arnold Palmer
Results timeline Tournament195119521953195419551956195719581959Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipT19T19PGA Championship
Tournament1960196119621963196419651966196719681969Masters TournamentCUTCUTCUTT35T21T15CUTT31T30U.S. OpenT17CUTCUT2T34T9T52CUTThe Open Championship1T52445T5T4T22T139PGA ChampionshipT20CUT
Tournament1970197119721973197419751976197719781979Masters TournamentU.S. OpenT30The Open ChampionshipT32T11T31T39CUTT40CUTCUTPGA Championship
Tournament19801981198219831984Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTPGA Championship
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1974 Open Championship) "T" = tied
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 5U.S. Open 0 1 0 1 2 3 9 6The Open Championship 1 1 0 6 7 12 21 17PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1Totals 1 2 0 7 9 18 41 29 Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (twice) Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1965 U.S. Open – 1965 Open Championship)
Team appearances Canada Cup (representing Australia): 1954 (winners), 1955, 1958, 1959 (winners), 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 Lakes International Cup (representing Australia): 1952, 1954 (winners) Vicars Shield (representing New South Wales): 1948 (winners), 1949 (winners), 1950 (winners), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 (winners), 1955 (winners)
See also List of men's major championships winning golfers
References
External links
Kel Nagle interviewed by Neil Bennetts, National Library of Australia, 1990