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In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
| John Mahaffey | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. |
| Born | May 9, 1948 Kerrville, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | The Woodlands, Texas, U.S. |
| Career | |
| College | University of Houston |
| Turned professional | 1971 |
| Former tours | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 16 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 10 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 1 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
| Masters Tournament | T8: 1981 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 1978 |
| U.S. Open | 2nd: 1975 |
| The Open Championship | T10: 1975 |
| Signature | |
 | |
John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. (born May 9, 1948) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour events.
Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas. He attended the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Mahaffey graduated in 1970 with a degree in psychology.
In 1971, Mahaffey turned pro. He came close to winning back-to-back U.S. Opens. At the 1975 U.S. Open he lost in a playoff to Lou Graham at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. The following year, at the 1976 U.S. Open, Mahaffey had a two-shot lead after 54 holes at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia before shooting a final round 73 and finishing T-4.
In 1978, he won the PGA Championship. It was held at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Mahaffey became the best comeback winner in PGA history after trailing Tom Watson by seven strokes with 14 holes to play. Ultimately, the tournament came down to a three-player playoff – Mahaffey, Watson and Jerry Pate. All three players made par on the first playoff hole. The drama ended on the second playoff hole when Pate missed the green, Watson missed a 30-foot birdie attempt and Mahaffey made his 12-foot birdie putt for the Championship.[1] Later in the year he also won the World Cup individual and team event where he was paired with Andy North in 1978.
Mahaffey played on the 1979 Ryder Cup team the following year.
Later in his career, he began work as an announcer on Golf Channel telecasts of the PGA Tour Champions.
Mahaffey lives near Houston at The Woodlands in his home state of Texas.
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (1) |
| Players Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (8) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 28, 1973 | Sahara Invitational | −13 (68-66-69-68=271) | 3 strokes |  Dave Eichelberger
|
| 2 | Aug 6, 1978 | PGA Championship | −8 (75-67-68-66=276) | Playoff | Jerry Pate, Tom Watson
|
| 3 | Aug 13, 1978 | American Optical Classic | −14 (71-65-67-67=270) | 2 strokes | Raymond Floyd, Gil Morgan
|
| 4 | Jan 14, 1979 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | −17 (66-66-71-71-69=343) | 1 stroke | Lee Trevino
|
| 5 | Jun 1, 1980 | Kemper Open | −5 (68-72-67-68=275) | 3 strokes | Craig Stadler
|
| 6 | July 26, 1981 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | −8 (72-67-70-67=276) | 2 strokes | Andy North
|
| 7 | Jan 15, 1984 | Bob Hope Classic (2) | −20 (66-70-70-68-66=340) | Playoff | Jim Simons
|
| 8 | Sep 29, 1985 | Texas Open | −12 (68-68-65-67=268) | Playoff | Jodie Mudd
|
| 9 | Mar 30, 1986 | Tournament Players Championship | −13 (69-70-65-71=275) | 1 stroke | Larry Mize
|
| 10 | Aug 6, 1989 | Federal Express St. Jude Classic | −12 (70-71-66-65=272) | 3 strokes | Bob Gilder, Hubert Green, Bernhard Langer, Bob Tway
|
PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1975 | U.S. Open | Lou Graham
|
Lost 18-hole playoff; Graham: E (71), Mahaffey: +2 (73) |
| 2 | 1978 | PGA Championship | Jerry Pate, Tom Watson
|
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 1984 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | Jim Simons
|
Won with par on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1985 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | Mark Wiebe
|
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 5 | 1985 | Texas Open | Jodie Mudd
|
Won with par on second extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 3, 1978 | World Cup (with Andy North)
|
−12 (141-144-138-141=564) | 10 strokes |  Australia − Wayne Grady and Greg Norman
|
| 2 | Dec 3, 1978 | World Cup Individual Trophy | −7 (69-72-69-71=281) | 2 strokes | Andy North
|
| 3 | Nov 11, 1979 | World Cup (2) (with Hale Irwin)
|
−1 (141-141-152-141=575) | 5 strokes |  Scotland − Ken Brown and Sandy Lyle
|
| 4 | Jan 4, 1981 | Spalding Invitational | −9 (69-69-69-72=279) | 1 stroke | Buddy Allin
|
| 5 | Dec 12, 1982 | JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with JoAnne Carner)
|
−20 (68-67-63-70=268) | 1 stroke | Jay Haas and Hollis Stacy
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 20, 1999 | Southwestern Bell Dominion | −12 (67-67-70=204) | Playoff |  José María Cañizares, Bruce Fleisher
|
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Southwestern Bell Dominion | José María Cañizares, Bruce Fleisher
|
Won with birdie on second extra hole Fleisher eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 2 | 2002 | FleetBoston Classic | Bob Gilder
|
Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | PGA Championship | 7 shot deficit | −8 (75-67-68-66=276) | Playoff1 | Jerry Pate, Tom Watson
|
1Defeated Pate and Watson with a birdie on the second extra hole.
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T39 | |||||||
| U.S. Open | T36 LA | CUT | T29 | T12 | 2 | T4 | T36 | |||
| The Open Championship | T44 | T10 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T30 | T9 | T28 | WD | 1 | T51 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T44 | T8 | CUT | T40 | CUT | T14 | T42 | T35 | ||
| U.S. Open | T28 | CUT | T22 | T34 | T30 | T39 | CUT | T24 | T46 | |
| The Open Championship | T32 | T30 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T15 | CUT | T42 | CUT | T20 | T23 | CUT | T65 | T15 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T42 | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | ||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T40 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | WD |
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 13 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 12 |
| Totals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 59 | 37 |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Tournament Players Championship | 4 shot deficit | −13 (69-70-65-71=275) | 1 stroke | Larry Mize
|
| Tournament | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T19 | T11 | T34 | T12 | T5 | T19 | T35 | T3 | T10 | CUT | 1 | T32 | T27 | T45 | CUT | CUT | T9 | CUT | T27 | T55 | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Professional
 | ||
Won: 17 – 11 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. (born May 9, 1948) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour events.
Mahaffey is a surname of Scottish origin, and is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic name Mac Dhuibhshithe. It is a sept of Clan Macfie in Scotland, but the clan originated in Ireland. There the name is found largely in County Donegal, Ulster. People with the surname Mahaffey include: Art Mahaffey (born 1938), American athlete Audley F. Mahaffey (1899–1982), American politician Fred K. Mahaffey (1934–1986), American military officer Jim Mahaffey (1936–2020), American bridge player John Mahaffey (born 1948), American golfer Maryann Mahaffey (1925–2006), American politician Matt Mahaffey (born 1973), American musician Mike Mahaffey (1967–2005), American musician Randolph Mahaffey (born 1945), American basketball player Roy Mahaffey (1904–1969), American baseball player Valerie Mahaffey (1953–2025), Indonesian-American actress
The Houston Cougars golf program is an NCAA Division I golf program at the University of Houston. The men's program, under head coach Andrew Danna, and the women's program, coached by Rachel Pollock, both compete in the Big 12 Conference. The men's golf program is one of the oldest sports played at the University of Houston, as it began in 1946 along with the football program. The team is one of the most successful college programs in history, with 16 team national championships and eight individual national championships. This makes the team the second-most successful team of all time, behind only Yale. The team also holds 21 conference championships and has produced 44 All-Americans. Team members who went on to professional golf careers include Fuzzy Zoeller, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Nick Faldo, Butch Harmon, Bruce Lietzke, Billy Tuten, John Mahaffey, Bill Rogers, Blaine McCallister, Dave Marr, Fred Marti and Billy Ray Brown. Future broadcaster Jim Nantz was also a member of the team. The women's golf program began in 2013.
The 1983 U.S. Open was the 83rd U.S. Open, held June 16–20 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh. Larry Nelson won the second of his three major titles, and only U.S. Open, one stroke ahead of defending champion Tom Watson. Watson and Seve Ballesteros shared the 54-hole lead, with Nelson a stroke back. Nelson was 7-over for the championship after four holes in his third round, but then played the final fourteen holes on Saturday in 7-under to get to even-par 213, one shot behind the co-leaders. Watson was attempting to become the first to successfully defend a U.S. Open title in over thirty years, last achieved by Ben Hogan in 1951. In the final round, Watson opened with a front-nine 31 to open up a three-stroke lead over Nelson, who shot 33. Nelson tied Watson with a birdie at 14 after Watson had bogeyed 10 and 12. A storm came through Oakmont around 5:30 p.m., which postponed play to the following morning. Watson was on the 14th green, Nelson on the 16th tee, tied at four-under for the championship. On Monday morning, Nelson holed a 62-foot (19 m) birdie putt at the par-3 16th, but then three-putted at the 18th for bogey. Nelson finished at four-under 280 total and waited for Watson. After he failed to save a par from a bunker at the 17th, Watson was one stroke behind Nelson. Watson needed a birdie at 18 to tie but his approach flew over the green. Nelson became the winner when Watson failed to hole out his chip shot. Nelson established a new tournament record with 132 strokes over the last 36 holes, breaking Gene Sarazen's 51-year-old mark. It was the second consecutive runner-up finish at Oakmont for Watson, who lost a sudden-death playoff to John Mahaffey five years earlier at the PGA Championship in 1978. Arnold Palmer made his last cut in a U.S. Open here and tied for 60th place. He played the Open just once more, in 1994 when he was granted a special exemption when it returned to Oakmont. Future major champion Paul Azinger made his major championship debut but missed the cut. Johnny Miller, the champion when the Open was last played at Oakmont in 1973, battled health issues, and also missed the cut. This was the sixth U.S. Open at Oakmont, and ninth major championship. Ticket prices were $24 per day, cash only; practice days were $14.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Joe Louis.
