- published: 05 May 2016
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Jack Donald Fleck (November 7, 1921 – March 21, 2014) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1955 in a playoff over Ben Hogan.
Born in 1921 and raised in Bettendorf, Iowa, Fleck's parents were poor farmers who had lost their land in the 1920s. He attended Davenport High School and played on its golf team. Fleck started as a caddy for a local dentist in the mid-1930s, turned professional in 1939, and worked as an assistant golf pro at the Des Moines Country Club for five dollars a week prior to World War II. He joined the military in 1942 and served in the U.S. Navy as a quartermaster; he participated in the D-Day invasion from a British rocket-firing ship off Normandy's Utah Beach. Within two weeks after his discharge from the service, Fleck was on the PGA's winter golf tour with pro friends trying to qualify for PGA Tour events.
After a few years of competing in local and PGA Tour events, Fleck decided to play full-time on the Tour for two years. Within six months, Fleck had his first win — on the biggest stage in men's professional golf — at the 1955 U.S. Open. Fleck won an 18-hole Sunday playoff by three strokes over his idol, Ben Hogan, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. His first round deficit of nine strokes (behind Tommy Bolt), was the greatest number overcome by a U.S. Open winner. The following year he resigned his job as a municipal club pro in Davenport and moved to the Detroit area in October 1956.
Chris Sailer Kicking athletes are well rounded. Impressive performance by Jack Fleck.
Doc Watson with Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Jack Lawrence, Tim O'Brien; 7/31/05
1955 U.S. Open: Fleck Defeats Hogan in Playoff
Jack Fleck beats Ben Hogan in US Open,1955 and 58 years later!
JTOG090 Jack Fleck Golf Lesson for Andy Reistetter
JTOG089 Jack Fleck & Jeremy Moe Hardscrabble CC
Jack Fleck ● A Simple Tribute
1955 U.S. Open: Jack Fleck and Kay Cockerill
1955 U.S. Open: Jack Fleck Looks Back
JTOG009 Jack Fleck Presentation of 1904 Olympic Golf Gold Medal
This is it, your time is through
You're boring!
You're rambling on, no end in sight
You're boring!
No need to thank your parakeet
You're boring!
Look at Catherine Zeta-Jones
She's snoring!
You could have rushed up to the stage
But you were lollygagging!
They're turning off your microphone
And cutting to a commercial for Del Taco