Smiley Quick
Lyman Loren "Smiley" Quick (March 19, 1909 – December 23, 1979) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s.
| Smiley Quick | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Lyman Loren Quick |
| Nickname | Smiley |
| Born | March 19, 1909 Centralia, Illinois |
| Died | December 23, 1979 (aged 70) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1948 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 6 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T27: 1952 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T8: 1948 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Quick was born in Centralia, Illinois,[1] but lived most of his life in southern California in places like Inglewood and Los Angeles. He served as a combat Marine in World War II.[2] His best year as an amateur was 1946 when he won the U.S. Amateur Public Links and was runner-up at the U.S. Amateur after missing a putt from 21⁄2 feet at Baltusrol's Lower Course giving Ted Bishop the championship.[3] Quick played on the 1947 Walker Cup team and turned professional in 1948.[1]
As a pro, Quick never lived up to the potential he showed as an amateur; the closest he came to winning on the PGA Tour was when he tied for first with Jack Burke Jr., Sam Snead and Dave Douglas at the 1950 Bing Crosby Pro-Am.[1]
In his later years, he made a living gambling on the golf course with people like Titanic Thompson.[1] Quick hustled boxing great Joe Louis out of a quarter million dollars — enough to buy an apartment in Los Angeles and a fleet of fast cars.[2][4]
Amateur wins
- 1940 Southern California Golf Association Championship
- 1943 Southern California Golf Association Championship
- 1946 U.S. Amateur Public Links
- 1947 Mexican Amateur
Professional wins (6)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 15, 1950 | Bing Crosby Pro-Am | −2 (72-69-73=214) | Shared title with Jack Burke Jr., Dave Douglas and Sam Snead | |
Other wins (5)
- 1948 California State Open
- 1949 California State Open
- 1951 Utah Open, Ontario Open (Canada)
- 1955 Northern California Open
Results in major championships
Amateur
| Tournament | 1946 | 1947 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T26LA | CUT |
| U.S. Amateur | 2 | R128 |
| The Amateur Championship | R128 |
Professional
| Tournament | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T27 | ||||||||||
| U.S. Open | T8 | CUT | T10 | CUT | WD | T16 | CUT |
LA = low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1947 Amateur Championship: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1947, pg. 6.
References
- "Today in Golf History: March 19". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- McGowan, Jack (September 29, 2007). "Boxing: Money burned a hole in sucker Joe's pocket". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- "Major National Championships Conducted at Baltusrol – 1946 Men's U.S. Amateur". Tillinghast.net. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
- Lerner, Rich (November 12, 2007). "The Brown Bomber's Green Legacy". The Golf Channel. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2007.