Demaret, Jimmy (James N.)
Golf
b. May 10, 1910, Houston, TX
The genial, good-natured Demaret, probably Ben Hogan's best golfing friend, won the Texas PGA tournament five times in a row, from 1934 through 1938, before joining the professional tour full time. He became the first player to win the Masters Tournament three times.
In the 1940 Masters, Demaret played poorly on the first nine holes of the first round but shot a record 30 on the second nine. He was still three shots back, but he tied Lloyd Mangrum after the second round, shot a 70 in the third to take the lead and finally beat Mangrum by four strokes.
Demaret was the top golfer on the pro tour in 1947, leading in money won, claiming the Vardon Trophy with an average of 69.9 strokes per round, and winning his second Masters by two shots over Byron Nelson and Frank Stranahan. He needed a great finish for his third Masters victory, in 1950. Australian Jim Ferrier had a four-shot lead going into the final round, but Demaret shot a 69 and Ferrier collapsed to a 75, giving Demaret a 283-285 win.