Athletes - Ralph Guldahl

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	Athletes - Ralph Guldahl

Ralph Guldahl (22 November 1911 - 11 June 1987) was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the sport for three years in the late 1930s. He was born in Dallas, Texas.

Guldahl started playing on the professional tournament circuit in 1932 and won an event in his rookie season. In the 1933, at the age of 21, he went into the last hole of U.S. Open tied for the lead with Johnny Goodman. A par would have taken him into a playoff, but he made bogey and finished second. After further frustrating failures Guldahl quit the sport temporarily in 1935 and became a car salesman. He made a comeback part way through the 1936 PGA Tour season. He won the prestigious Western Open and finished second on the money list. He went on to win the Western Open in 1937 and 1938 as well.

Guldahl won three major championships. He claimed the U.S. Open title in 1937 and 1938. He was runner up at the Masters in both 1937 and 1938, before taking that title in 1939.

Guldahl game then fell apart and did not win after 1940. Two-time PGA champion Paul Runyan commented, "It's the most ridiculous thing, really. He went from being temporarily the absolute best player in the world to one who couldn't play at all." One popular theory is that when he wrote an instructional book, he overanalyzed his swing and it fell apart. He played occasionally in the 1940s but then quit tournament golf for good and spent the rest of his working life as a club professional. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

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Athletes - Ralph Guldahl

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