1971: The Year in Golf

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Astronaut Alan Shepard, using a club and ball he sneaked aboard the lunar lander, hits a golf shot on the moon. He uses a 6-iron.

Lee Trevino becomes the first player to win the U.S., British and Canadian Opens in the same year (Tiger Woods later does it also). At the U.S. Open, Trevino defeats Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff. Trevino shoots 68 to Nicklaus' 71.

Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship and in so doing becomes the first golfer to win each of the four professional majors twice.

Sam Snead, at age 59, places fourth in the PGA Doral Eastern Open, won by Jack Nicklaus.

Arnold Palmer wins his first event in more than a year, defeating Raymond Floyd in a playoff for the Bob Hope Desert Classic. He wins four times during the year, and it's the 17th consecutive year in which he wins on the PGA Tour.

Hubert Green, in his rookie season, defeats Don January in a playoff for the Houston Champions International and his first PGA Tour victory.

The 36-hole cut at the PGA Tour Phoenix Open is 5-under par, a record for lowest cut mark.

In the Martini International tournament in England, on the British circuit that was a precursor to the European Tour, John Hudson aces the 12th and 13th holes during the second round. This is believed to be the only instance of back-to-back holes-in-one by the same player on any major pro golf tour. But it's even more impressive than that: The second of Hudson's aces occurred on a par-4, a 311-yard hole that Hudson aced with a driver.

Born This Year:

David Duval, 2001 British Open champion
• Thomas Bjorn, PGA European Tour
• Carin Koch, LPGA Tour
• Stuart Appleby, PGA Tour
• Robert Allenby, European Tour, PGA Tour
• Padraig Harrington, European Tour

Died This Year:

Bobby Jones, winner of 13 pro and amateur majors, and founder of Augusta National
• Johnny McDermott, 1911 and 1912 U.S. Open champion
• Jim Turnesa, 1952 PGA Championship winner

Money Leaders:

PGA: Jack Nicklaus, $244,490.50
LPGA: Kathy Whitworth, $41,181
European: Neil Coles, England, £ 10,479

Scoring Leaders:

PGA (Vardon Trophy): Lee Trevino, 70.27
LPGA (Vare Trophy): Kathy Whitworth, 72.88

Men's Major Championship Winners:

The Masters: Charles Coody
U.S. Open: Lee Trevino
British Open: Lee Trevino
PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus

Women's Major Championship Winners:

LPGA: Kathy Whitworth
U.S. Open: JoAnne Carner

Amateur Champions
U.S.: Gary Cowan
British: Steve Melnyk
U.S. Women's: Laura Baugh
British Women's: Michelle Walker

Ryder Cup
U.S. 18.5, Britain 13.5

Walker Cup
Great Britain and Ireland 13, U.S. 11

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