Skip to main content
You’re viewing our refreshed design —  Switch to the previous design ↗
Adv.
Home Item #729905
Walter Hagen wins 1926 Western Open...
5 photographs · click to enlarge ⤢ Open zoom view

Walter Hagen wins 1926 Western Open...

Item # 729905 ·
CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE (section 2 (sports) only), Aug. 29, 1926 

* Walter Hagen wins Western Open
* Professional golf tournament record

The front page of this section has a nice banner headline for display: "HAGEN'S RECORD GOLF WINS WESTERN" with subheads and small photo of Hagen.
Complete section 2 only with 10 pages, light toning and a little wear at the margins, more so along the spine on the back pages (unrelated), generally good.

Background: The 1926 Western Open stands out as a historic milestone in early professional golf, defined by unprecedented individual dominance and a rare, peaceful moment in one of the sport's greatest rivalries. Held at Indianapolis's Highland Golf & Country Club, the tournament saw Walter "Sir Walter" Hagen capture his third of five career Western Open titles with an astonishing nine-stroke victory over legendary runners-up Gene Sarazen and Harry Cooper. Hagen put on a ball-striking display for the ages, setting a new course record of 66 en route to breaking the world record for 36 holes of medal play with a aggregate score of 132. Beyond the raw numerical dominance, the tournament gained immense historical lore for a rare off-course moment: amidst their intense decade-long duel for global golf supremacy, Hagen and legendary amateur Bobby Jones set aside their fierce personal rivalry for a highly publicized, ceremonial handshake on the fairways, framing the 1926 Western Open as both a stunning athletic feat and an iconic cultural artifact of golf’s Golden Age.
Category: The 20th Century
Price
$48
100% Authentic: Original printing, never a reproduction.