David Graham (golfer)

It was announced on 16 October 2014 that Graham has been elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame. His nomination was supported by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. He was inducted with other nominees Mark O'Meara, course architect A. W. Tillinghast and Laura Davies on 13 July 2015 at the University of St Andrews, during the 2015 Open Championship.

On 27 June 2004, during the final round of the Bank of America Championship on the Champions Tour, Graham collapsed over a putt on the eighth green. He was later diagnosed with congestive heart failure, ending his competitive golf career at age 58. He is now retired and resides at Iron Horse Golf Club in Whitefish, Montana.

Graham was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1988 and inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990.

Another controversy with Graham involved was reported during the inaugural 1985 Dunhill Cup at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland. Australia won the team event, with Graham, Greg Norman and Graham Marsh in the team. Prior to the tournament, Marsh had criticized Graham for accepting appearance money for playing in Australian golf tournaments. At the time, Marsh had recently been made an MBE for services to golf and was for six years chairman of the PGA Tour of Australasia. However, Norman took David Graham's side in the debate and Australia went on to win the tournament despite the conflict. In 1986, Australia successfully defended the title with Graham, Norman and Rodger Davis in their team.

At the end of 1981, Graham was ranked 7th on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings.

Graham won two major championships, the 1979 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills near Detroit, and the 1981 U.S. Open at Merion, just west of Philadelphia. He also finished third at the 1985 Open Championship, after sharing the third-round lead. Both of his major victories came in remarkable fashion. In the 1979 PGA Championship, he stood on the last tee at 7 under par for his final round and leading by two, but double-bogeyed the last hole for a 65 to drop back into a playoff with Ben Crenshaw. At each of the first two sudden-death holes he holed long putts to keep the playoff alive and finally won at the third extra hole. At the 1981 U.S. Open, Graham shot a 67 in the final round to overturn a three-shot deficit to overnight leader George Burns to win by 3 strokes. He became the fourth Australian major champion (after Jim Ferrier, Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle) and the first to win a U.S. Open.

In late 1971 Graham attempted to qualify for the PGA Tour at 1971 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He was successful. In 1976, he won twice on the PGA Tour, and then came from behind to secure a victory over the reigning champion Hale Irwin in the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship in England.

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1971, 1977 and 1984 Open Championships) WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

Shortly thereafter, Graham moved onto the Asia Golf Circuit. In March 1970, he played the Thailand Open. During the final round he "came from three strokes behind" to win the event at 286 (-2). The following month he played the Yomiuri International in Japan, also on the Asian circuit. With consecutive rounds of 71 (-1) Graham took the lead at 142 (-2). Graham fell into the joint lead with New Zealander Walter Godfrey after a third round 75 (+3). However, Graham "began the final round in fine style by sinking a 15ft putt." Graham went on to birdie the final two holes to win by three over Godfrey. He defeated third place finisher, Tommy Aaron, the "pre-tournament favorite," by four shots. With the victory, Graham won A$10,500 and a Japanese car.

Later in the year he played some significant international events. In June he played in the Western Open on the PGA Tour. As of July, he had qualified for the 1970 British Open. In October he played the Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club. However, he "crashed" with an opening round 79 (+7).

In early November, Graham attempted to qualify for the PGA Tour at 1970 PGA Tour Qualifying School in Tucson, Arizona. He opened with rounds of 72. However, ultimately failed to qualify by one stroke.

Later in the month it was announced that Graham would represent Australia at the 1970 World Cup with Bruce Devlin. The event would be held at the Jockey Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It took a 54-hour plane trip for both Graham and Devin to reach Argentina and both were "tired" once they started playing the first round. However, both played excellently in the opening round. Graham fired a bogey-free 65 (−7) and Devlin a bogey-free 66 (−6). At 131 (−13), they held a three-stroke lead over Argentina's team. In the individual competition, Graham was in solo second, one behind leader Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina, while Devlin was tied for third. After the round Graham stated, "I don't regard it as my best performance ever, but it is pretty close." In the second round Graham shot a 67 (−5) while Devlin shot a 69 (−3). In the third round Graham shot a back nine 30 (−7), including birdies on the final four holes, to record at 65 (−7). Devlin recorded a third round 66 (−6). They held a 19-stroke lead over Argentina, the second place team. After the round, according to The Canberra Times, "Graham said the three rounds here were the so far were the best he's ever played." Among individuals, Graham held a two-stroke lead over Roberto De Vicenzo. At the beginning of the final round both Graham and his partner Devlin played poorly shooting 35 and 36, respectively, over the course of the par-35 front nine. In addition, Graham lost the solo individual lead to de Vicenzo when Graham bogeyed the par-3 8th hole and the Argentine birdied it. According to the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, however, at the end of the front nine the Australians "were assured of victory over their nearest rivals Argentina." At his point their team still had an 11 stroke lead over Argentina. Among individuals, "The lead see-sawed back and forth until De Vicenzo took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-5 15th." Graham finished second among individuals. The Australian team won by nine shots. At 544, they beat the team record set by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at the 1966 Canada Cup by four shots. According to the Associated Press, Graham "was hailed today as one of golf's potential greats" after the victory.

Graham participated on the Australian teams that won the World Cup (in 1970) and the Alfred Dunhill Cup (in 1985 and 1986).

Ahead of the 1970 World Cup, the organizing International Golf Association, preferred the more well-known Bruce Crampton to team for Australia with Bruce Devlin. The Australian PGA threatened not to send a team if Graham was not included and Devlin and Graham finally represented Australia and won the team competition by a record eight strokes after holding a record advantage of 19 strokes going into the final round. Graham finished second individually. Devlin and Graham again represented Australia in the 1971 World Cup, but when Devlin was not selected for the event the year after, Graham refused to play and never again participated in any World Cup events.

The following year, 1969, would be Graham's first season of continuous success. In February he played the two-round $3,500 Amoco Open at Forbes, New South Wales. He finished in a tie for third with Ted Ball and Walter Godfrey, four back of champion Tony Mangan.

As of August 1969, Graham had qualified for the Alcan International, an elite international tournament on the PGA Tour to be held in September, "on the strength of his sound performances on the Far East Circuit." Graham opened the tournament with a 74 (+2) to put him five behind the lead. He eventually finished in 22nd place among the 24 players in the field, 23 shots behind champion Billy Casper. After the tournament he intended to try out of the PGA Tour at the Fall 1969 PGA Tour Qualifying School.

At the age of 14, Graham began his first job as an assistant professional at Riversdale Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. In 1967, he started working at a sporting goods store in Sydney, New South Wales. During this time he honed his golf skills at Royal Sydney Golf Club under the tutelage of Alec Mercer, the club professional. He stated later, "Alec taught me all I know. When I arrived in Sydney two years ago I could hardly play and he taught me everything. I've been lucky, I've had financial sponsorships and lots of advice, but Alec stuck with me through thick and thin and I owe all my success and good fortune to him." In early 1968, Graham started working full-time as a touring professional.

Early the following year, Graham won two events in Australia. In February, he played the Tasmanian Open at Kingston Beach Golf Club. Right before the tournament began he played the one-round $750 Golden Crumpet Purse, also at Kingston Beach. He shot a 68 (−5) to tie Terry Kendall for second place, two behind champion Tony Mangan. At the tournament proper Graham was tied for the lead with Alan Murray at the end of the third round, one ahead of Terry Kendall. Kendall, however, played excellently during the front nine of the final round and took a four-stroke lead by the 11th hole. Kendall "crashed over the concluding holes" though and by the 16th hole Graham had regained the lead. With a birdie at the 17th hole he "clinched the title." With a final round 72, Graham defeated Kendall by one. The next week he played the Victorian Open. He opened at 136 (-10), in a tie for second, two off the lead of Guy Wolstenholme. He played well in the third round to take the lead. During the front nine Graham "shook off the big-name challengers" like Kel Nagle and Guy Wolstenholme to create a four-shot lead at the turn. Graham birdied the 10th hole to take a five-shot lead over amateur Kevin Hartley. However, after bogey-birdie exchanges with Hartley at the 11th and 12th holes Graham's lead was suddenly down to one. At the par-5 13th hole, however, Hartley hit a "poor chip" and had to settle for par while Graham made a "morale-boosting" eight-foot birdie putt to expand the lead. At the par-3 14th hole Hartley's approach was short and he made bogey. Graham now had a three stroke lead. Graham cruised home from there and defeated Hartley, Nagle, and Wolstenholme by four shots. His 273 (-19) total broke Yarra Yarra Golf Club's course record, set by Gary Player in 1959, by two shots. According to a journalist for The Canberra Times, "The win, Graham's second state open triumph in eight days, sounded an ominous warning to Australia's aging golf greats that he is heir-apparent to their crowns."

Anthony David Graham, AM (born 23 May 1946) is a former professional golfer from Australia. He won eight times on the PGA Tour, including two major championships.