Welcome to the Devil Ball 100, our ranking of the 100 most important people in the history of golf. Over the next couple weeks, we'll be rolling them out, 10 at a time. Our list includes everyone from golfers to politicians to actors, and each one had a dramatic impact on the game as we know it today. Some names you'll recognize, some you won't. Some positions you'll agree with, and some will have you wondering if we've gone insane. Enjoy the rollout, and see where your favorites made the list!
40. David Leadbetter – One of the leading golf instructors in the world, Leadbetter has built a golf instruction empire that includes a chain of golf academies around the world. Aside from his work with Nick Faldo, he’s also instructed Nick Price, Michelle Wie, Charles Howell III and Ernie Els.
39. Butch Harmon – He will always be known as Tiger Woods’ coach, a role in which he served from 1993 to 2004, but Harmon’s reach as a world-class instructor goes far beyond his relationship with Woods. The son of famed Winged Foot head pro Claude Harmon, Butch has taught a number of top golfers over the years, including Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Dustin Johnson and Davis Love III.
38. Karsten Solheim – Putters have come a long way thanks to Karsten Solheim. After leaving his post at G.E. in the late 1960’s, Solheim went about designing the first “Anser” putter for his new company, Ping. Julius Boros’ Phoenix Open win in 1967 turned the putter into a must-have for golfers. Ping has since expanded the business to include irons, drivers and wedges.
37. Tony Jacklin – Considered by many to be the most successful British player of his generation, Jacklin won two major championships and eight European Tour titles during his career, but it might be his contributions to the Ryder Cup that people remember most. Jacklin was part of “The Concession” at the 1969 Ryder Cup when Jack Nicklaus conceded Jacklin’s two-foot putt on the 18th hole, thereby ending the event with a tie score. The photo of Nicklaus and Jacklin walking off the course, arms around each other, is an image that’s still flashed across the screen every year before the start of the Ryder Cup. Jacklin also captained the European team to its first victory on American soil in 1987.
36. Bing Crosby – The former singer and actor is credited with making golf popular with the masses. Crosby came up with the idea to host the "Crosby Clambake" back in 1937 as a friendly pro-am that allowed his friends at Lakeside Country Club to play with tour professionals. Now known as the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the event is one of the most popular on the tour schedule – especially if you enjoy watching celebrities hack the ball around Pebble Beach for six-plus hours. Crosby’s event has raised more than $93 million for local charities.
35. Ely Callaway – Founder of the Callaway Golf Company, Ely Callaway’s equipment company has been instrumental in pushing the limits of club technology. After buying Hickory Sticks in 1984 for $400,000, Callaway eventually changed the name of the company to Callaway Golf. Some of his major contributions to the sport include the Big Bertha driver and Callaway forged wedges.
34. Alister MacKenzie – Alister MacKenzie may have been a surgeon by trade, but his best work was done on the golf course where he turned rough terrain into works of art. As a course designer, MacKenzie used his knowledge of military camouflage to build some of golf’s most famous courses. He his credited with co-designing Augusta National with Bobby Jones, as well as designing Cypress Point, Royal Melbourne, Pasatiempo and Crystal Downs. MacKenzie was known best for designing courses that flowed with the general topography of the land, as opposed to moving heaven and earth to build a course.
33. Annika Sorenstam – With 93 wins to her name, Annika Sorenstam ranks right up there as one of the most prolific winners in the history of the sport. Besides the victories, Sorenstam also holds the record as the only woman in golf to ever shoot a 59 during a competitive round. She was also the first female golfer since Babe Didrikson Zaharias to play in a PGA event when she teed it up at the 2003 Colonial. Her $22 million in career earnings puts her more than $8 million ahead of her closest competitor.
32. Joseph Dey – Most golf fans have never heard of the name Joseph Dey, and that’s a damn shame. The former executive director of the USGA, known to many as “Mr. Rules of Golf,” was instrumental in bringing sweeping changes to the game. Some of his bigger accomplishments included the expansion of the Rules of Golf, the implementation of gallery ropes, and the decision to turn reachable par-5s at the U.S. Open into diabolical par-4s. During his time as PGA Tour commissioner, he also came up with the idea to add the Players Championship to the schedule. Read as much as you can about this man; he’s an absolute legend.
31. Old Tom Morris – It’s hard to read a book on the history of golf that doesn’t start out with a list of Old Tom Morris’ accomplishments. The four-time Open Champion was one of golf’s greatest players during the 1800’s. By age 20, he was considered to be the second-best player in Scotland. Aside from being a strong player, Morris was also known as the father of modern greenskeeping. He was the first to introduce the idea of top-dressing greens with sand to promote turf growth. Morris also played a role in the course design process at Carnoustie, Prestwick and the Jubilee Course at St. Andrews, among others.
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