Golf Books #251 (Sarazen: The Story of a Golfing Legend and His Epic Moment)

Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods won their first majors at the age of 21. Jack Nicklaus and Jordan Spieth claimed their first majors at the age of 22. By the time he was 21, Gene Sarazen had won three. Considered one of the top golfers in the 1920s and ’30s, he is one of only a handful of golfers to win all the major championships—the US Open, the PGA Championship, the Open Championship, and the Masters Tournament.

Sarazen: The Story of a Golfing Legend and His Epic Moment details Gene Sarazen’s life and storied career, from his days sweeping floors in a pro shop through his rise in the golfing world to become one of the country’s foremost players.

Central to the story is Sarazen’s iconic moment in the sport, a long shot from 235 yards that somehow found the bottom of the cup at Augusta National—perhaps fitting for a man whose golfing career was once considered a long shot itself. It became the greatest shot in golf history and put the Augusta National Golf Club on the map.

After his retirement from golf, Sarazen continued to be one of the game’s foremost ambassadors. He hosted an acclaimed golf show for years, was outspoken on issues surrounding the game, and was an honorary starter at the Masters for almost two decades.

Sarazen not only offers a personal and in-depth look into this golfing legend’s life and career, but also into the careers of rivals such as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. In addition, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of golf during the 1920s and ‘30s, a time when the game was still rising in prominence. Rich in detail and including many little-known anecdotes, this book will be enjoyed by golfing enthusiasts and historians across generations.

Publication date: April 18, 2017 (source)

About the Author

David Sowell is a freelance writer specializing in sports history. In addition to writing for magazines, newspapers, and broadcast outlets, Sowell is the author of The Masters: A Hole-by-Hole History of America’s Golf Classic (2003) and Ike, Golf, and Augusta (2012).