Willie Goggin
- August 2, 1979
- 73 years
About Willie Goggin
Willie Goggin, 73, American golfer.
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60 Seconds Life Story
William Ambrose Goggin was a talented American professional golfer who made his mark on the sport throughout
Willie Goggin
1906 – 1979
60 Seconds: Willie Goggin's Life Story
Willie Goggin was an American professional golfer who won twice on the PGA Tour and multiple major senior championships.
Transcript
William Ambrose Goggin was a talented American professional golfer who made his mark on the sport throughout the twentieth century. His career featured two PGA Tour victories, starting with the 1936 North California Pro Championship. In 1933, Goggin achieved a career milestone by finishing as the runner-up at the PGA Championship. Later in his career, he dominated the senior circuit, winning the 1959 PGA Seniors' Championship in Florida. He notably defeated Arthur Lees in 1959 during a unique twilight match, billed as the world professional senior golf title. In December of that same year, he also secured the National Senior Open at Eldorado Country Club. William Goggin passed away on August 2, 1979, at the age of seventy-three, leaving behind a distinguished competitive legacy.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
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Full Biography
|William Ambrose Goggin (February 18, 1906 – August 2, 1979) was an American professional golfer.
Career
Goggin won twice on the PGA Tour. He also won a number of other significant events, including the Metropolitan PGA Championship and Northern California Open. His best finish in a major championship was runner-up at the 1933 PGA Championship. He lost to Gene Sarazen in the finals, 5 & 4.
In February 1959, Goggin won the PGA Seniors' Championship, at Dunedin, Florida, with a score of 284, a shot ahead of the field. In June of that year faced British PGA Seniors Championship winner Arthur Lees in a match for what was billed as "the world professional senior golf title". To boost attendance, the final 18 holes of the match were scheduled to be played at night. In what the Associated Press called "the first twilight championship match on record," Goggin won the match 5&3. In December that year he also won the National Senior Open at Eldorado Country Club in a 3-way playoff, retaining the title he had won in 1958.
Professional wins
PGA Tour wins (2)
- 1936 North California Pro Championship-Match
- 1950 Savannah Open
Source:
Other wins (7)
note: this list may be incomplete
- 1935 Northern California Open
- 1936 Northern California Open
- 1944 Metropolitan PGA Championship
- 1958 National Senior Open
- 1959 PGA Seniors' Championship, World Senior Championship, National Senior Open
Results in major championships
NYF = tournament not yet founded
NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 11 (1938 U.S. Open – 1947 PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Goggin
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Willie Goggin's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was the 1959 PGA Seniors' Championship held?
- A.Savannah, Georgia
- B.San Francisco, California
- C.Dunedin, Floridacorrect
- D.Palm Desert, California
Willie Goggin won the PGA Seniors' Championship in February 1959 at Dunedin, Florida.
Source: career section
2.Which professional tournament did Willie Goggin win in 1950?
- A.Northern California Open
- B.National Senior Open
- C.Metropolitan PGA Championship
- D.Savannah Opencorrect
The biography lists the 1950 Savannah Open as one of Willie Goggin's PGA Tour wins.
Source: PGA Tour wins section
3.Against whom did Willie Goggin compete for the world professional senior golf title in 1959?
- A.Ben Hogan
- B.Sam Snead
- C.Gene Sarazen
- D.Arthur Leescorrect
Willie Goggin played against British PGA Seniors Championship winner Arthur Lees for the world senior title.
Source: career section
4.Where was the National Senior Open held when Willie Goggin won it in December 1959?
- A.Augusta National
- B.Eldorado Country Clubcorrect
- C.Pebble Beach
- D.Dunedin Golf Club
Willie Goggin won the 1959 National Senior Open at Eldorado Country Club.
Source: career section
5.What was the final score of the twilight championship match where Willie Goggin defeated Arthur Lees?
- A.4 & 2
- B.3 & 2
- C.5 & 3correct
- D.6 & 4
In the twilight championship match held in 1959, Willie Goggin defeated Arthur Lees by a score of 5&3.
Source: career section
6.What was Willie Goggin's best finish in a major championship?
- A.Third place
- B.Winner
- C.Runner-upcorrect
- D.Tied for fourth
Willie Goggin's best major championship performance was finishing as runner-up at the 1933 PGA Championship.
Source: career section
7.In which year did Willie Goggin first win the National Senior Open?
- A.1956
- B.1959
- C.1957
- D.1958correct
Willie Goggin retained his National Senior Open title in 1959 after having won it previously in 1958.
Source: career section
8.What was the total score Willie Goggin achieved to win the 1959 PGA Seniors' Championship?
- A.286
- B.284correct
- C.282
- D.280
Willie Goggin won the 1959 PGA Seniors' Championship with a total score of 284.
Source: career section
9.How many consecutive cuts did Willie Goggin make between the 1938 U.S. Open and 1947 PGA Championship?
- A.11correct
- B.10
- C.12
- D.9
Willie Goggin's most consecutive cuts made streak was 11 tournaments between 1938 and 1947.
Source: major championships summary
10.When did Willie Goggin die?
- A.February 18, 1980
- B.August 2, 1980
- C.February 18, 1979
- D.August 2, 1979correct
William Ambrose Goggin passed away on August 2, 1979.
Source: biographical introduction
11.Which of these events did Willie Goggin win in 1936?
- A.PGA Seniors' Championship
- B.North California Pro Championship-Matchcorrect
- C.Savannah Open
- D.Metropolitan PGA Championship
The biography lists the 1936 North California Pro Championship-Match as one of Willie Goggin's PGA Tour wins.
Source: PGA Tour wins section
12.How many 'Other wins' are attributed to Willie Goggin in the provided list?
- A.8
- B.7correct
- C.5
- D.6
The biography lists 7 victories under the section titled 'Other wins'.
Source: Other wins section
13.What was the full birth name of Willie Goggin?
- A.William Ambrose Goggincorrect
- B.William Anthony Goggin
- C.Willie Arthur Goggin
- D.William Alan Goggin
The biography identifies the professional golfer as William Ambrose Goggin.
Source: biographical introduction
14.In what year was Willie Goggin born?
- A.1908
- B.1904
- C.1902
- D.1906correct
William Ambrose Goggin was born on February 18, 1906.
Source: biographical introduction
15.Against which golfer did Willie Goggin lose in the 1933 PGA Championship finals?
- A.Arthur Lees
- B.Sam Snead
- C.Gene Sarazencorrect
- D.Ben Hogan
Willie Goggin lost the 1933 PGA Championship final to Gene Sarazen by a score of 5 & 4.
Source: career section
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