Quick Facts
Biography
Alvin Richard Mayer (August 28, 1924 – June 2, 1989) was an American professional golfer.
Mayer was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He apprenticed with renowned player and teacher Claude Harmon at the Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City.
Mayer won seven times on the PGA Tour, between 1953 and 1965. Mayer almost won the 1954 U.S. Open, but a triple bogey on the final hole left him tied for third, two shots back, as Ed Furgol won.
Mayer's career year was 1957, when he finished the regulation 72 holes of the U.S. Open at Inverness Club tied with defending champion Cary Middlecoff. He won the 18-hole playoff 72 to 79, and his prize was $7,200. He later won $50,000 at the World Championship of Golf, topped the PGA Tour money list with winnings of $65,835, and won the PGA Player of the Year award. He also played on the 1957 Ryder Cup team.
Mayer battled alcoholism, which kept him from winning more often on the Tour. Mayer died at age 64 in Palm Springs, California.
PGA Tour wins (7)
- 1953 (1) Eastern Open
- 1954 (1) Miami Beach International Four-Ball (with Tommy Bolt)
- 1955 (1) Kansas City Open
- 1956 (1) Philadelphia Daily News Open
- 1957 (2) U.S. Open, World Championship of Golf
- 1965 (1) Greater New Orleans Open Invitational
Major championship is shown in bold.
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | +2 (70-68-74-70=282) | Playoff 1 |  Cary Middlecoff |
1 Defeated Middlecoff in an 18-hole playoff: Mayer 72 (+2), Middlecoff 79 (+9).
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T41 | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | T25 | DNP | T15 | T29 | T10 | T43 | T35 | CUT | T4 |
| U.S. Open | T12 | CUT | T28 | T54 | T3 | CUT | T41 | 1 | T23 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | R64 | 5 | T14 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | T19 | CUT | T15 | DNP | CUT | CUT | DQ |
| U.S. Open | DNP | T42 | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP |
Note: Mayer never played in The Open Championship.
DNP = Did not play
DQ = Disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 32 | 21 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (twice)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1957 U.S. Open – 1957 PGA)