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Dave Ragan

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Dave Ragan
Personal information
Full nameDavid William Ragan, Jr.
Born(1935-08-07)August 7, 1935
Daytona Beach, Florida
DiedMarch 13, 2018(2018-03-13) (aged 82)
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
CollegeUniversity of Florida
Turned professional1956
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins9
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour3
Other6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT25: 1960, 1962
PGA Championship2nd: 1963
U.S. OpenT12: 1963
The Open ChampionshipDNP

David William Ragan, Jr. (August 7, 1935 – March 13, 2018) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.

Ragan was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for the Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) competition from 1954 to 1956.[1] During his time as a Gator golfer, he was a member of the Gators team that finished sixth in the NCAA national tournament in 1955, and won the first two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships in team history in 1955 and 1956.[1] As a senior in 1956, he won the SEC individual championship, and was recognized as an All-American.[1][2] Ragan was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[3]

Ragan turned professional in 1956 and played on the PGA Tour in the late 1950s and 1960s, winning three times. He finished second to Jack Nicklaus in the 1963 PGA Championship.[4] He was a member of the 1963 Ryder Cup team.

In the early 1980s, he was the coach for the Tennessee Temple Crusaders golf team of Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[5] He was also the coach of the Ragin' Cajuns golf team at University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana. From 1984 to 1986, he worked in partnership with Jack Wall and Bobby Greenwood at the Master's School of Golf.[6] He played sparingly on the Senior PGA Tour starting in 1987.

Golf Digest magazine recognized Ragan as one of the top golf instructors in the state of Alabama in 2007.[7] He worked for many years as a teaching pro at Inverness Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. He taught at Pine Tree Country Club in Irondale, AL (near Birmingham) from 1995 to 1998. His son, Dave III, is a teaching pro in Miami.[8] Another one of his sons, Chuck is a singer/songwriter, as well as the frontman for the punk rock group Hot Water Music.

Ragan died on March 13, 2018, aged 82 years.[9]

Professional wins (9)

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PGA Tour (3)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 7, 1959 Eastern Open Invitational −15 (69-68-66-70=273) 1 stroke United States Gene Littler
2 Nov 4, 1962 Beaumont Open Invitational −5 (70-72-71-70=283) 3 strokes United States Dow Finsterwald, United States Lionel Hebert,
United States Don Massengale
3 Dec 2, 1962 West Palm Beach Open Invitational −11 (70-72-67-68=277) Playoff United States Doug Sanders

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1962 West Palm Beach Open Invitational United States Doug Sanders Won with birdie on second extra hole

Other (6)

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This list is possibly incomplete

U.S. national team appearances

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Professional

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement" (PDF). Gainesville, Florida: University Athletic Association. 2010. pp. 35, 39, 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  2. ^ "2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide" (PDF). Gainesville, Florida: University Athletic Association. 2008. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  3. ^ "Gator Greats". F Club, Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  4. ^ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved December 26, 2007.
  5. ^ "Covenant Promotes Tom Schreiner to Head Golf Coach". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  6. ^ "Bobby Greenwood, PGA Career Timeline". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  7. ^ "Best Teachers in Your State" (PDF). Golf Digest. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  8. ^ "Dave Ragan, III". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  9. ^ Cox, Chris (March 15, 2018). "Three-time Tour winner Ragan passes away". PGA Tour.
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