[Tommy Williamsen]

Greg Norman to fly out the executive director personally to see to it that Kel Nagle is personally inducted into the Hall of Fame.  It is nice gesture for Norman to see that his compatriot can  be inducted to the Hall of Fame with some dignity.  
 I remember watching Wide World of Sports in the early 60's and watch Nagle and Arnie battle it out.  He didn't have the prettiest swing but I grew to respect his game.  Good for him.  I hope he has a grand day. Here is a link to the story.
 http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15100&select=24128

[Tommy Williamsen]

A little search reveals the Nagle played in only one US Open and not any PGA's or Masters.

He did, however, win two PGA Senior Championships.

[David Stamm]

Kel Nagle had a pretty solid Open record from what I can recall. One of the unsung great players from that era.

[Bob_Huntley]

A little search reveals the Nagle played in only one US Open and not any PGA's or Masters.

He did, however, win two PGA Senior Championships.

Tommy,

In the one US Open, he entered he lost in a playoff.

Bob

[James Bennett]

I should know this, but didn't he win a (British) Open?  Was it at St Andrews?  Centenary Open or something of the like?

He lost to Julius Boros in the US Open play-off I think.

I recall watching him play in the late 70's - a great wrist-putter, popping the ball in with his centre-shafted putter.

James B

[Jim Nugent]

I should know this, but didn't he win a (British) Open?  Was it at St Andrews?  Centenary Open or something of the like?

He lost to Julius Boros in the US Open play-off I think.

He lost to Gary Player in 1965 at Bellerive.  I was there.  

Bellerive played at 7180 yards back then as I recall.  With modern equipment, what does that translate to?  8000 or so?  

[Lloyd_Cole]

What I want to  know is, if they can pay Gary Player whatever is is they pay him to advertise their joint, they are not a non profit, are they? Why on earth does it take Greg Norman's money to make this happen?
 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I should know this, but didn't he win a (British) Open?  Was it at St Andrews?  Centenary Open or something of the like?

 
James B

He won the Open at St. Andrews.  It was Palmer's first time at the Open.  And as they say, "the rest is history."

[jim_lewis]

Tommy:

I was pretty sure I saw Kel Nagle play at the Masters back in the 60's so I checked some records that I have.

He played several times (not sure how many) between 1960 and 1968 (including both those years). He tied for 21st in 1965 and tied for 15th in 1966. Since he made the top 24, he had an automatic invitation to return in 1967, so I presume he played then also. My record book only lists those who finished in the top 24. The latest issue of the Masters Annual lists every player who ever played in the Masters and the years they played. It lists Nagle as 1960--1968, but that does not mean he played all of the years in between.

Jim Lewis

[Bill Shamleffer]

I count 21 Open Championships, 9 U.S. Opens, 9 Masters, and 2 PGAs.  These stats were obtained from a search function available through Golfobserver.com

Golfstats: The Majors  
The Majors for Kel Nagle  Go Back | Navigation Tips  New Search CAREER STATS PGA TOUR LPGA TOUR CHAMPIONS TOUR NATIONWIDE TOUR EUROPEAN THE MAJORS
 
Date Tournament Finish To Par Score Dollars
7/22/84 British Open CUT +15 84-75 = 159 429.00
7/15/78 British Open CUT +15 76-83 = 159 332.50
7/10/76 British Open CUT +11 81-74 = 155 180.00
7/12/75 British Open T-40 +5 72-73-73-75 = 293 479.60
7/13/74 British Open CUT +26 78-78-83 = 239 180.00
7/14/73 British Open T-39 +8 74-76-73-73 = 296 448.50
7/15/72 British Open T-31 +10 79-72-74-69 = 294 512.50
7/10/71 British Open T-11 -5 70-75-73-69 = 287 2,760.00
7/11/70 British Open T-32 +9 71-74-73-79 = 297 420.00
6/21/70 U.S. Open T-30 +11 78-75-73-73 = 299 1,150.00
7/12/69 British Open 9 +3 74-71-72-70 = 287 2,400.00
6/15/69 U.S. Open CUT +13 80-73 = 153 500.00
7/13/68 British Open T-13 +10 74-75-75-74 = 298 770.40
6/16/68 U.S. Open T-52 +18 72-75-76-75 = 298 765.00
4/14/68 Masters T-30 +2 76-71-72-71 = 290 1,400.00
7/15/67 British Open T-22 +4 70-74-69-79 = 292 378.00
6/18/67 U.S. Open T-9 +5 70-72-72-71 = 285 2,566.67
4/9/67 Masters T-31 +8 73-75-74-74 = 296 1,300.00
7/24/66 PGA Championship CUT +12 75-77 = 152 0.00
7/9/66 British Open T-4 +2 72-68-76-70 = 286 1,974.00
6/20/66 U.S. Open T-34 +18 70-73-81-74 = 298 870.00
4/11/66 Masters CUT +11 78-77 = 155 1,000.00
8/15/65 PGA Championship T-20 +8 74-75-71-72 = 292 1,450.00
7/9/65 British Open T-5 +1 74-70-73-72 = 289 1,330.00
6/21/65 U.S. Open
Playoff: Lost to Gary Player in a 18 hole playoff - Player 71, Nagle 74 2 +2 68-73-72-69-74 = 282 13,500.00
4/11/65 Masters T-15 +2 75-70-74-71 = 290 1,300.00
7/10/64 British Open 45 +25 77-76-80-80 = 313 78.75
6/20/64 U.S. Open CUT +11 74-77 = 151 300.00
4/12/64 Masters T-21 +2 69-77-71-73 = 290 1,100.00
7/12/63 British Open 4 -1 69-70-73-71 = 283 1,820.00
6/23/63 U.S. Open CUT +11 81-72 = 153 150.00
4/7/63 Masters T-35 +12 75-74-76-75 = 300 750.00
7/13/62 British Open 2 -6 71-71-70-70 = 282 0.00
4/9/62 Masters CUT +10 75-79 = 154 400.00
7/14/61 British Open T-6 -3 68-75-75-71 = 289 0.00
6/17/61 U.S. Open T-17 +10 71-71-74-74 = 290 625.00
4/10/61 Masters CUT +9 75-78 = 153 400.00
7/8/60 British Open T-Win -10 69-67-71-71 = 278 3,500.00
4/10/60 Masters CUT +8 77-75 = 152 350.00
7/8/55 British Open T-19 Even 72-72-74-74 = 292 0.00
7/6/51 British Open T-19 Even 76-76-72-75 = 299 0.00
 

[Mike_Clayton]

Kel Nagle was a fabulous player - who was competitive on the tour in Australia in to his fifties.
 He was a late developer as player.
He was 20 -25 when the war stopped most things and then he got a club job in Sydney and had a family.
By all accounts he was a long hitter who drove it all over the place and whilst still a club pro he shortened his swing and concentrated on accuracy.
He really did not start playing the tour until his late thirties and Peter Thomson - who was much younger - encouraged him to go to Britain and play.
They had won the Canada Cup at Royal Melbourne in 1959 - the first time they used the Composite Course - and played well the next year at Portmarnock when Palmer and Snead won.
A few weeks later he won The Open.


I played with him quite a bit late in his career and he rarely missed a shot - and never missed a fairway.
He was a terrific bloke - loved by all down here.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Thanks for that, Mike. Great stuff.

[Marty Bonnar]

Mike,
I am utterly convinced that I may once have owned a 'Kel Nagle' branded 3-wood, which may now be in the ownership of my nephew. I seem to recall being gifted it when I was about 8 or 9.

Could I be wrong? As I recall, it was a lovely golden-varnished lump of timber which sounded sweet as a nut in contact with an old Dunlop. Any 'local' knowledge?

Do I need to have a word with my nephew that I may, in fact, require the immediate return of such a valuable antique...?

FBD.

[Mike_Clayton]

Martin,

Kel had a contract with Precision Golf Forging - PGF -  the major Australian club makers in the 60s and 70s.
They made a number of sets with his name on them - for their time they were good clubs and PGF did make very good woods.Tom Crow - Cobra - worked for PGF in the 60s before going to America to start Cobra.
He would have worked with Kel on his clubs.

He always played with beautiful McGregor woods and had an Acushnet centre shaft his whole career.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I count 21 Open Championships, 9 U.S. Opens, 9 Masters, and 2 PGAs.  These stats were obtained from a search function available through Golfobserver.com

Golfstats: The Majors  
The Majors for Kel Nagle  Go Back | Navigation Tips  New Search CAREER STATS PGA TOUR LPGA TOUR CHAMPIONS TOUR NATIONWIDE TOUR EUROPEAN THE MAJORS
 
Date Tournament Finish To Par Score Dollars
7/22/84 British Open CUT +15 84-75 = 159 429.00
7/15/78 British Open CUT +15 76-83 = 159 332.50
7/10/76 British Open CUT +11 81-74 = 155 180.00
7/12/75 British Open T-40 +5 72-73-73-75 = 293 479.60
7/13/74 British Open CUT +26 78-78-83 = 239 180.00
7/14/73 British Open T-39 +8 74-76-73-73 = 296 448.50
7/15/72 British Open T-31 +10 79-72-74-69 = 294 512.50
7/10/71 British Open T-11 -5 70-75-73-69 = 287 2,760.00
7/11/70 British Open T-32 +9 71-74-73-79 = 297 420.00
6/21/70 U.S. Open T-30 +11 78-75-73-73 = 299 1,150.00
7/12/69 British Open 9 +3 74-71-72-70 = 287 2,400.00
6/15/69 U.S. Open CUT +13 80-73 = 153 500.00
7/13/68 British Open T-13 +10 74-75-75-74 = 298 770.40
6/16/68 U.S. Open T-52 +18 72-75-76-75 = 298 765.00
4/14/68 Masters T-30 +2 76-71-72-71 = 290 1,400.00
7/15/67 British Open T-22 +4 70-74-69-79 = 292 378.00
6/18/67 U.S. Open T-9 +5 70-72-72-71 = 285 2,566.67
4/9/67 Masters T-31 +8 73-75-74-74 = 296 1,300.00
7/24/66 PGA Championship CUT +12 75-77 = 152 0.00
7/9/66 British Open T-4 +2 72-68-76-70 = 286 1,974.00
6/20/66 U.S. Open T-34 +18 70-73-81-74 = 298 870.00
4/11/66 Masters CUT +11 78-77 = 155 1,000.00
8/15/65 PGA Championship T-20 +8 74-75-71-72 = 292 1,450.00
7/9/65 British Open T-5 +1 74-70-73-72 = 289 1,330.00
6/21/65 U.S. Open
Playoff: Lost to Gary Player in a 18 hole playoff - Player 71, Nagle 74 2 +2 68-73-72-69-74 = 282 13,500.00
4/11/65 Masters T-15 +2 75-70-74-71 = 290 1,300.00
7/10/64 British Open 45 +25 77-76-80-80 = 313 78.75
6/20/64 U.S. Open CUT +11 74-77 = 151 300.00
4/12/64 Masters T-21 +2 69-77-71-73 = 290 1,100.00
7/12/63 British Open 4 -1 69-70-73-71 = 283 1,820.00
6/23/63 U.S. Open CUT +11 81-72 = 153 150.00
4/7/63 Masters T-35 +12 75-74-76-75 = 300 750.00
7/13/62 British Open 2 -6 71-71-70-70 = 282 0.00
4/9/62 Masters CUT +10 75-79 = 154 400.00
7/14/61 British Open T-6 -3 68-75-75-71 = 289 0.00
6/17/61 U.S. Open T-17 +10 71-71-74-74 = 290 625.00
4/10/61 Masters CUT +9 75-78 = 153 400.00
7/8/60 British Open T-Win -10 69-67-71-71 = 278 3,500.00
4/10/60 Masters CUT +8 77-75 = 152 350.00
7/8/55 British Open T-19 Even 72-72-74-74 = 292 0.00
7/6/51 British Open T-19 Even 76-76-72-75 = 299 0.00
 

Thanks for cleaning up my stats.  I looked again at my source I had read the records wrong.  I had thought he had competed.

[Bob_Huntley]

Martin,

Kel had a contract with Precision Golf Forging - PGF -  the major Australian club makers in the 60s and 70s.
They made a number of sets with his name on them - for their time they were good clubs and PGF did make very good woods.Tom Crow - Cobra - worked for PGF in the 60s before going to America to start Cobra.
He would have worked with Kel on his clubs.

He always played with beautiful McGregor woods and had an Acushnet centre shaft his whole career.

Mike,

PGF were represented in California by Grover Todd, an old friend of mine and a long time member at MPCC, this had to have been in the late sixties and early seventies. I do think that Tom Crow was still the driving force for the company at the time, out of San Diego.

Kel was unfortunate in his playoff with Player at Bellerive in 1965 to have pulled a shot that injured a spectator. The incident affected his play quite a lot and he seemed never in the picture thereafter.

Bob

[Mike_Clayton]

Bob,

It would have surprised me is Tom was doing anything for PGF when he was in America.He left PGF and moved to San Diego to start Cobra.
At PGF he invented a plastic headed club called the Little Slammer.
It had a rounded heavy brass sole and they sold thousands of them - it was the most popular club in Australia in the 60s
He made nothing out of it and as I understand it he went to America and further developed his idea - into the baffler.

[Lloyd_Cole]

Mike, FBD,

There were Kel Nagle clubs in the UK in the 1970's which were not PGF, maybe some PGF licencing deal. My memory is bad, but I recall them distinctly.

[Mike_Clayton]

Lloyd,

I don't remember Kel with anything other than a PGF bag - but I never saw him play in Europe - maybe he had a different deal over there.
PGF did have a distributor over there in the seventies.
Peter Thomson played Dunlop in Europe and PGF in Australia - or at least he carried their bags.
He was always fooling with his clubs.

[Lloyd_Cole]

Lloyd,

I don't remember Kel with anything other than a PGF bag - but I never saw him play in Europe - maybe he had a different deal over there.
PGF did have a distributor over there in the seventies.
Peter Thomson played Dunlop in Europe and PGF in Australia - or at least he carried their bags.
He was always fooling with his clubs.

Mike

Peter Thomson was Dunlop in the UK, my Dad played Peter Thomson woods, still does, I think. So it is likely Nagle went the same route.

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