Ed Dudley

Ed Dudley

Edward Bishop Dudley (February 19, 1901 – October 25, 1963) was an American professional golfer of the late 1920s and 1930s. He was given the nickname, "Big Ed," in acknowledgment of his 6-foot-4 frame.

Dudley was born in Brunswick, Georgia. He was a 15-time winner on the PGA Tour. After winning both the Los Angeles and Western Opens in 1931, Dudley had his best year in 1933, when he was a quarter-finalist in the PGA Championship and won selection to the Ryder Cup team (having also played on the 1929 team). He won two key matches in the 1937 Ryder Cup, to help the United States win for the first time in England. In a total of four Ryder Cup matches played, Dudley compiled a record of three wins and one loss, across three Cup series; all the three U.S. teams he played for (1929, 1933, 1937) had to travel to Great Britain.

Dudley finished 24 times in the top-10 at major championships, and this is a record among players who did not win at least one major. His high finishes in majors include third place at the 1932 PGA Championship and the 1937 Masters Tournament. In 1937, he became the first player to finish in the top-10 in all four majors in one year, a feat not repeated until Arnold Palmer did it in 1960.

Dudley served as the first head golf professional at Augusta National Golf Club, from 1932 to 1957, and also served as president of the PGA of America from 1942 to 1948. He was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1990.

Among Dudley's most famous students were President Dwight Eisenhower, singer Bing Crosby, and comedian Bob Hope. He died of a heart attack in Colorado Springs, Colorado, one week after undergoing surgery to remove blood clots from his leg.