Skee Riegel

Skee Riegel
Skee Riegel
	Riegel at the 1951 Masters Tournament
Personal information
Full name	Robert Henry Riegel
Nickname	Skee
Born	November 25, 1914; New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 22, 2009 (aged 94); West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
College	West Point; Hobart College; Lafayette College
Turned professional	1950
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	7
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	2nd: 1951
PGA Championship	T17: 1956, 1957
U.S. Open	T10: 1951
The Open Championship	DNP

Robert Henry "Skee" Riegel (November 25, 1914 – February 22, 2009^[1]) was an American professional golfer.

Early life

Riegel was born in 1914 in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania and grew up in Upper Darby.^[2] He attended West Point, Hobart College, and Lafayette College where he played football and baseball, but not golf. He took up golf at the age of 23.^[1] During World War II, he was a flying instructor for the US Army Air Corp in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Career

Riegel won the 1947 U.S. Amateur over Johnny Dawson at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, 2 and 1. He played on the Walker Cup teams of 1947 and 1949 under captain as Francis Ouimet. He went undefeated in his four Walker Cup matches.^[1]

Riegel was the low amateur (T13) in the 1948 Masters Tournament.

Riegel turned professional in 1950 and played in 11 straight Masters Tournaments from 1947 to 1957. In the 1951 Masters Tournament, he was tied with Sam Snead after three rounds and finished second to Ben Hogan by two strokes.

Riegel finished second to Ted Kroll in the 1952 Insurance City Open.

Riegel stopped playing full-time in 1953. He served as head pro at Radnor Valley Country Club^[3] from 1954 to 1961 and then became involved in the ownership of York Road Country Club in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.^[4]

Riegel was the pro emeritus at the Cape May National Golf Club in Cape May, New Jersey.^[3] He was often found walking the grounds with his poodle John Paul. Cape May National holds a large amount of history, with a number of articles about Riegel on the walls of its clubhouse, as well as a number of plaques located on the 18th tee.

Amateur wins

1942 Florida State Amateur
1943 Southern Oregon Amateur
1946 Trans-Mississippi Amateur
1947 Monroe Invitational, U.S. Amateur
1948 Trans-Mississippi Amateur, Western Amateur

Professional wins

this list may be incomplete

1957 Pennsylvania Open Championship
1959 Pennsylvania Open Championship, Yorktown Open
1960 Philadelphia Open Championship, Genesee (Genny) Open
1967 Salsbury Open
1968 Salsbury Open

Major championships

Amateur wins (1)

Year	Championship	Winning Score	Runner-up
1947	U.S. Amateur	2 & 1	Johnny Dawson

Results timeline

Amateur

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
Masters Tournament				NT	NT	NT		T50	T13 LA	T30
U.S. Open			NT	NT	NT	NT	CUT	T59	CUT	T14 LA
U.S. Amateur	R64	R16	NT	NT	NT	NT	R32 M	1	R64	R32
The Amateur Championship	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT		R16

Professional

Tournament	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament	T21	2	T14	T29	T38	T13	T40	T31
U.S. Open	T12	T10	CUT		T42	T40	CUT		CUT	CUT
PGA Championship						R64	R32	R32	T40	CUT

Tournament	1962	1963	1964	1966	1967	1969
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open		CUT	48		CUT	CUT
PGA Championship	CUT	T63		CUT	T51

Note: Riegel never played in The Open Championship.

Win

Top 10

Did not play

M = medalist
LA = low amateur
NT = no tournament
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1962 PGA Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in match play

Sources: Masters,^[5] U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur,^[6] PGA Championship,^[7] 1947 British Amateur^[8]

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

Walker Cup: 1947 (winners), 1949 (winners)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Klavon, Ken (February 24, 2009). "Skee Riegel, 1947 U.S. Amateur Champion, Dies At 94". USGA. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009.
^ Lentz, Bob (February 26, 2002). "Riegel relishes amateur golf's heyday". Golfweek.
^ ^a ^b Naedele, Walter F. (February 26, 2009). "Robert Riegel, 94, golf champion". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
^ "Highlights of Robert H. "Skee" Riegel's Career". Archived from the original on July 24, 2008.
^ www.masters.com
^ USGA Championship Database Archived 2010-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
^ PGA Championship Media Guide Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Four Scots In Last Eight". Glasgow Herald. May 30, 1947. p. 5.

External links

Biography

[usga-1] Klavon, Ken (February 24, 2009). "Skee Riegel, 1947 U.S. Amateur Champion, Dies At 94". USGA. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009.

[2] Lentz, Bob (February 26, 2002). "Riegel relishes amateur golf's heyday". Golfweek.

[PhilInq-3] Naedele, Walter F. (February 26, 2009). "Robert Riegel, 94, golf champion". The Philadelphia Inquirer.

[4] "Highlights of Robert H. "Skee" Riegel's Career". Archived from the original on July 24, 2008.

[5] www.masters.com

[6] USGA Championship Database Archived 2010-12-21 at the Wayback Machine

[7] PGA Championship Media Guide Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine

[8] "Four Scots In Last Eight". Glasgow Herald. May 30, 1947. p. 5.

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