Mário Gonzalez (golfer)

Mário Gonzalez (22 November 1922 – 29 July 2019) was a Brazilian professional golfer. He was one of the first players from his country to have enjoyed success on the international circuit and was known as the "father of Brazilian golf".[1][2]

Mário Gonzalez
Personal information
Full nameMário Gonzalez
Born(1922-11-22)22 November 1922
Santana do Livramento, Brazil
Died29 July 2019(2019-07-29) (aged 96)
Nationality Brazil
Career
Turned professional1949
Professional wins15
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT48: 1962
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenCUT: 1941
The Open ChampionshipT11: 1948
Achievements and awards
Officer of the Order of Rio Branco2006

As an amateur, Gonzalez has a great deal of success and built a reputation around the world. He won the Brazil Amateur Championship nine times,[3] the Brazil Open twice, the Argentine Open in 1941, and the Spanish Open in 1947. He also played in several tournaments and matches in the United States; in 1941 he finished in a tie for sixth place in Chicago Open and tied a match with Bobby Jones. He had one other top-ten finish in a PGA Tour event, which came at the 1946 Pensacola Open.[1] In the 1948 Open Championship he was near the top of the leaderboard before a poor final round saw him finish 11th, which was still enough to tie for low amateur honours.

After turning professional in 1949, he became the head professional at Gávea Golf and Country Club in Rio de Janeiro, where he remained until 1984. Although he did not pursue a playing career, he won many more tournaments including the Brazil Open a further 6 times and a second Argentine Open in 1953. He also represented Brazil in the Canada Cup, on sixteen occasions. In 1961 he was asked to appear in the first edition of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf; in the match held at Gávea, he beat Billy Casper by three strokes.[4][5]

Gonzalez played in few international tournaments as a professional. However he did occasionally play in the major championships, recording best finishes of tied for 33rd in the 1956 Open Championship and tied for 48th in the 1962 Masters Tournament.[6] In 2006 he was recognised by being awarded the honour of Officer of the Order of Rio Branco.[7]

Personal

Gonzalez was born in Santana do Livramento. His father José Maria, was a teaching professional and course designer. His younger brother José Maria Gonzalez Filho was also an accomplished golfer, winning the Brazilian Amateur four times,[7] and his son Jaime Gonzalez has enjoyed a successful career playing on both the European Tour and PGA Tour.

Amateur wins
  • 9 x Brazilian Amateur Championship
  • 3 x Argentine Amateur Championship

Professional wins (15)

Team appearances

Professional

References
  1. "Mario Gonzalez, 1922-2019". PGA Tour. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. Alliss, Peter (1983). The Who's Who of Golf. Orbis Publishing. p. 365. ISBN 0-85613-520-8.
  3. "O Amador do Brasil". Confederação Brasileira de Golfe (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. Goldstein, Richard (1 August 2019). "Mario Gonzalez, Father of Golf in Brazil, Is Dead at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  5. Madden, Pete. "Olympics 2016: Mario Gonzalez Was a Tremendous Talent Who Chose Family Over Fame". Golf.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  6. "O golfe brasileiro se despede de seu maior ídolo, o imortal Mestre Mário Gonzalez". golfe.esp.br (in Portuguese). 29 July 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  7. "Hall da Fama do Golfe Brasileiro resgata história do esporte e homenageia seus heróis". Jornal do Golfe (in Portuguese). 12 November 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  8. "Phoenix Open seen as wide open affair". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. 18 January 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 22 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Mario Gonzalez vencedor do Campeonato Aberto do Uruguai". A Noite (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP. 10 December 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 22 May 2020 – via Biblioteca Nacional Digital (Brasil).
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