George Low Jr.
Sport: Golf
Born: July 5, 1912
Died: April 10, 1995
Town: Springfield
George Anderson Low Jr. was born July 5, 1912 in Springfield. His father was the golf pro at Baltusrol Golf Club and the family lived on the grounds. As a young boy, George spent endless hours playing on the club’s putting green. He didn’t play Baltusrol’s two courses regularly until he was a teenager. For the rest of his life he would be associated with putters and putting. In fact, George was arguably the finest putter of his era.
 George went to work as a golf pro in his early 20s and was elevated to head pro for the first time at the Plymouth Country Club outside Philadelphia in 1936. He also worked at the Manufacturers Golf & Country Club and a driving range owned by his father. He also competed in PGA events into the early 1950s. He was the player who officially snapped Byron Nelson’s legendary 11-tournament winning streak in 1945.
George’s name was well known by countless thousands of golfers by then. During the 1940s, he designed the Wizard putter for Sportsman’s Golf. During the 1950s and 1960s he served as putting coach for several top players, including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus. In 1983, he co-authored The Master of Putting.
Although George did not bank much money as a touring pro, he made countless thousands every year as a hustler. He was famous for saying, “Show me a millionaire with a bad backswing and I can have a very pleasant afternoon.” He reportedly won $35,000 once putting an entire round with his shoe. He also won bets putting with a pool cue, broom handle and shovel. George passed away at age 82 in 1995.
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