Jay Sigel, one of the most decorated amateur golfers in history, died on Saturday at age 81 from pancreatic cancer.
Sigel was native to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He got an Arnold Palmer Scholarship to Wake Forest University and thought he would go pro, but a hand injury derailed those plans, but he continued to play amateur golf while pursuing a career in insurance.
He won the U.S. Amateur championship in 1982 and 1983 as well as the 1983 Mid-Amateur and two more by 1986. Those followed up the British Amateur in 1979.
He later said that he believed the hand injury was the "best thing that happened" to him.
He was a nine-time member of the U.S. Walker Cup team, which he captained twice.
He participated in a record 33 Walker Cup matches, both in singles and foursomes. Of those, he won 18, tied 10, and lost only five.
Sigel was also the low amateur three times at the Masters as well as once at the U.S. Open and the Open Championship.
“He was a dear friend and somebody that we will remember forever, and take a lot of inspiration from,” USGA President-elect Kevin Hammer said to USGA’s David Shefter about Sigel. “Best amateur since Bobby Jones hands down."
When Sigal was 50, he finally turned professional and joined the PGA Tour Champions.
He took the tour by storm, winning Rookie of the Year in 1994.
In total, he won eight senior tournaments including the GTE West Classic his first year and the 1996 Senior Tour Championship.
He ended up with $9 million in winnings as a pro, even though he was a senior when he started.
He remained a Pennsylvania resident, but spent his winters in South Florida.
In his own way, Sigel made a huge mark on the golf world that could probably never have happened if he had gone pro as a young adult.
