Lloyd Mangrum

Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle".

Mangrum was born in Trenton, Texas. He became a professional golfer at age fifteen, working as an assistant to his brother Ray, the head professional at Cliff-Dale Country Club in Dallas. He joined the PGA Tour in 1937 and went on to win 36 events on the Tour. He might have won more if his career had not been interrupted by service in World War II. While serving in the U.S. Army and training for the D-Day landings, Mangrum was offered the professional's job at the Fort Meade golf course in Maryland, which would have kept him out of combat, but he declined. He won two Purple Hearts and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. His best years on tour came after the war: he led the PGA Tour money list in 1951 and won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the tour in 1951 and 1953.

Mangrum's only major championship win came at the 1946 U.S. Open, though he was runner-up in four majors and third in five more. He lost two U.S. Open playoff, in 1940 and 1950. He finished in the top ten at the Masters Tournament ten consecutive years. In 1940 he shot a tournament record 64 in the opening round, a record that stood for 46 years, until Nick Price shot a 63 in third round in 1986.

Mangrum played on four Ryder Cup teams in 1947, 1949, 1951, and 1953. On the last occasion, he was a playing captain. He had a record of six wins, two losses, and no ties (.750), including three wins, one loss, and no ties (.750) in singles matches.

Mangrum died at age 59 in Apple Valley, California in 1973. The cause of death was a heart attack, the 12th he had suffered. Mangrum was called "the forgotten man of golf" by sportswriter Jim Murray. Even though only 11 men have won more PGA Tour events, his reputation has been overshadowed by the other stars of his era who lived long, extraordinary lives such as Sam Snead; and fellow Texans Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, and Byron Nelson. At the 1996 Masters, Nelson conducted a test. "I asked three young pros if they ever heard of Lloyd Mangrum, and they never had." Nelson commented, "Lloyd's the best player who's been forgotten since I've been playing golf." A quarter century after his death, Mangrum was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1998.

1. ^ Glick, Shav (June 18, 1998). "Cool Customer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 6, 2010. 
2. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Lloyd Mangrum". About.com.