“PRO” FILE – TOURING PROFESSIONAL HORTON SMITH

The Masters is the tournament most associated with the late Arnold Palmer, but in the beginning, another man dominated the first three years it took place. Horton Smith won the inaugural event in 1934 and followed that up two years later with another victory, becoming both the first winner and first multiple winner in Masters history. Smith was one of the first prolific winners of the then-nascent professional touring scene in the late 1920s and early 1930s, winning eight of the 22 tournaments he entered in 1929. He wound up winning 32 times in all in the United States, placing him 15th on the all-time list. After his playing career, he became the head professional at Detroit Golf Club in Michigan in 1946, a position he held until his death in 1963 from Hodgkin’s disease. He was voted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.