Cradle of the PGA

Around the turn of the 20th century, golf was growing fast in the US and with it came a demand for greenkeepers, club makers, and teachers. Many young men from St. Andrews and Carnoustie headed for the US to find jobs in the burgeoning sport. Among them came Alex Smith in 1898. The first of his family to emigrate, he was followed by four brothers and his parents.

The brothers were among the best golfers of their day. Alex won the US Open Championship in 1906 followed by his brother, Willie, in 1909. At the time of his win, Alex was the golf professional at Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, NY.

In addition to the two US Opens, Smith won two Western Opens and four Met Opens. His golfing reputation was further enhanced after Francis Ouimet won the US Open in 1913. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray toured the US playing exhibition matches. Their only defeat was at Wykagyl against Alex and his brother, Macdonald, (3 and 2 over 36 holes).

And all of those winners' medals and trophies are in the trophy cabinet at Carnoustie. Once a year they pay a visit to Wykagyl so that Its members can be reminded of the connection between the two clubs.

Robert “Bob” L. Watson was born in Wichita Falls, Texas and was Wykagyl’s Head Golf Professional from 1962 - 1974. He played for the University of Texas golf team under the legendary coach, Harvey Penick, author of the best-selling "Little Red Book." Bob was the Southwest Conference’s individual champion in 1947 and 1949. On the PGA tour, he won the 1958 Panama Open, against a strong field, including Arnold Palmer, Roberto De Vicenzo, Don January, and Doug Ford. Watson also won the 1960 Colombia Open. Locally, he won the Met Open (1958), the Westchester PGA Championship (1959), the Westchester Open (1959), and the Westchester PGA Championship (1965). In 1960, he set the competitive course record of 64 at Westchester Country Club.

Harvey Penick’s teachings served him well. Watson was known as a superb golf instructor and striker of the ball, but his putter often let him down. During a PGA Senior Tour super senior event, he was quoted as saying, “I am hitting the ball great. I am one-putting everything … one putt left-handed, one putt right-handed, and one putt with the long putter!”

Robert White is the “father” and first President of the PGA. Born in St. Andrews, Scotland, Robert White moved to the US in 1884. As a golf professional, he wore many hats. As a club professional, he kept the shop, built clubs, and maintained the course. White studied to become the first true golf turf expert, working with many of the clubs throughout the East and Midwest. He also designed over 20 golf courses. It is believed that Robert White originally conceived the idea of the PGA in Wykagyl’s pro shop with associate, Alex Smith. White advanced the concept with his vast golf professional network, and the idea finally took hold with the support of department store tycoon, Rodman Wanamaker.

According to the book Seventy Years of Wykagyl, an early and informal organizational meeting of the fledgling PGA was held at Wykagyl in January 1916. The first PGA tournament was held that year and Wanamaker put up the money for the championship. He also funded the silver championship trophy which is still presented to the winner today and known as the Wanamaker Cup.

Robert White became Wykagyl's greenkeeper in 1921 and then head golf professional from 1922 through 1926.

In the modern era, Wykagyl’s most accomplished head professional was Lloyd Monroe. When he was a member of Colgate University’s golf team, he set the course record of 67 at the Taconic Golf Club, Williams College’s home course. He won two New Jersey State Amateurs in 1958 and 1962, respectively. Professionally, in his home state of New Jersey, he won the Dodge Open in 1974 and 1978 and the Toyota Open in 1977. He has played in five US Opens and both the 1975 and 1979 PGA Championships. Lloyd went on to win five tournaments in the Club Professional Tournament Series in Florida, the Westchester PGA Championship, and Westchester Senior Open.

However, Lloyd’s greatest achievement occurred during the 1982 US Open, a tournament best remembered for the improbable chip-in by Tom Watson during the final round, on Pebble Beach’s 17th hole, to beat Jack Nicklaus. Perhaps, more improbable, was that Lloyd Monroe not only qualified for this US Open as a full-time head professional, but also fired a 70 during Friday’s second round to better all but five players that day, including tying Jack Nicklaus and beating Tom Watson by two shots. But, Lloyd was not finished. On Saturday, he went out in 34 and, after 45 holes, was only three over par, lifting him into the top 15, and on the weekend leaderboard of the US Open at Pebble Beach!

Lloyd was Wykagyl’s head professional for 16 years, one of Wykagyl’s longest tenures. It would be impossible to overstate the respect Lloyd earned, not only of Wykagyl members, but also his peers, who voted him New Jersey’s PGA Player of the Year (1973), the Met PGA Professional of the Year (1986), and later President of the Met PGA Section.

After leaving Wykagyl, Lloyd joined the Senior PGA Tour and played in six majors, competing against many former PGA tour players.

More important than Lloyd’s record as a golfer was his infectious love of the game and ambassadorship of its rules, tenets, and spirit. While playing in a local Pro-Junior with Walter D. Peek II, after ducking from multiple errant shots from dangerously close adjoining fairways, Peek complained that the course was the worst in Westchester County. With that, Lloyd taught the privileged young golfer a valuable lesson, “there is no such thing as a bad golf course.”

Though a fierce competitor, it was always fun to play golf with him. During a PGA Senior Championship practice round, one of his playing partners asked, referring to his 80-plus yearold caddie, who was also his close friend and Wykagyl member, Rip Rohrs, “Where the heck did you find him?” Lloyd replied, with his signature dry wit, “Well, on the way to the course, I passed an old folks home and this guy was sitting in a wheelchair. I felt sorry for him and asked him to caddie for me!”

Lloyd leaves a lasting legacy at Wykagyl. Twentyeight years after moving on, Wykagyl was proud to honor him during its 125th anniversary Pro-Am earlier this summer.

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