Dow Finsterwald Dies at Age 93; 1st to Win PGA Championship in Stroke Play

Former golfer Dow Finsterwald died at 93 years old peacefully in his sleep on Friday night, per Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press.

Finsterwald is best known as the 1958 PGA champion, which was the first year the event was scored in stroke play. He won by two strokes over Billy Casper.

A year earlier, the Ohio native lost in the finals of the match play version of the PGA Championship.

Finsterwald won 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour during his career and was named the 1958 PGA Player of the Year. He also represented the United States at the Ryder Cup four times, leading the squad to victory as captain in 1977.

Though he only won a single major, he had several top-10 finishes at both the Masters and U.S. Open, notably losing in a playoff to Arnold Palmer and Gary Player at the 1962 Masters.

Late in his career, Finsterwald spent 28 years as the head pro at The Broadmoor in Colorado.

"He did all he could for the game," his son, Dow Finsterwald Jr., told the Associated Press. "He enjoyed his friends, and they always remembered. He loved the rules, and he cared about the game. He had a wonderful life, and he felt like for sure it was complete."