Amateur Golf lost another of the giants.
John Harris was the last mid-amateur to win an American amateur and passed away Wednesday. Harris, 73, was battling acute myeloid leukemia, and although his condition has improved over the past few months thanks to a bone marrow transplant, he got sick last weekend and was hospitalized at Hospice on Tuesday.
Harris’ death comes after five-time USGA champion and nine-time Walker Copper Jay Sigel died of pancreatic cancer in April.
Sigel’s best friend, Harris, helped the US win in 1993 and 1997, played for his own four Walker Cup teams. That group remains the last US team to lose a Walker Cup in the soil of the house. At St Andrews in 2023, Harris spoke to Captain Mike McCoy player after falling behind on the first day of the competition, taking the words of legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks.
Harris will nail the delivery for reasons. Six years ago, when Brooks led players to gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics, he led the University of Minnesota to the 1974 NCAA Championship. That Gophers team had senior Harris, who was the team’s second leading scorer that season.
Harris stabbed him with professional hockey after graduating, but by the following year he joined Q-School and secured a PGA Tour card. However, after only nine starts in 1976 and earning under $3,000, Harris finally decided to regain his amateur status in 1983.
While working in insurance, Harris won several notable victories on the amateur circuit, including titles in the four amateurs in Minnesota, five mid amateurs in Minnesota, two opens in Minnesota, Porter Cup, Sunnehana Amateur and Terracotta. His USGA success included being part of the Minnesota team at the 2001 USGA men’s national championship at Hazeltin National in Chaska, Minnesota, but Harris’s revival highlighted Danny Ellis with a 5-3 victory in the final of the golf club’s final at the US Amateurion in 1993. Harris was 41 years old and filmed the Havemeyer trophy.
“It was one of the great moments of my golf career,” Harris said. “It was obviously very humble to win the tournament. I had a special bond for my 14-year-old son (Chris) and when you’re in the moment and compete, you don’t realize the impact of what it is.
Harris finished 50th in the 1994 Masters. He made three starts in the US and made one Open Championship appearance.
“Being able to play for the Masters was a dream I couldn’t even reach,” Harris said.
In his four Walker Cup appearances, including the 1995 match, Harris adhered to the 10-4 record as he teamed up with Tiger Woods to work together 1-1. His six singles victory ranks fourth in history among the Americans as Stewart Hagestad won his sixth and seventh singles match at this year’s Walker Cup. Harris’s 1993 team still holds a record of winning margin (14 points).
“It was a strong time,” Harris told USGA in a 2013 Q&A. “Vinnie Giles is our captain and he held his first meeting, saying, “I have the 10 best amateurs in the world on a team.” I didn’t take one guy from their team and didn’t put him on our team.
Harris once again became a pro at the age of 50, joined the PGA Tour champion, won one time, and recorded nearly 250 starts before retiring in 2021. During his senior career, he worked as golf director at his alma mater. And recently, Harris has become the leader of Junior Noah Kent in Florida. Noah Kent reached the 2024 US amateur final while wearing gloves with Harris’ initials.
“I’m sitting on the edge of the chair,” Harris told Golf Channel last year. “Noah knows who he is. He knows what he is doing. If I had a little motivation, he said, “I’m so happy to see this golf. I’m not rooting for you, but I’m there, but I’m there.” And he feels that. ”
Harris’ father, Robert, was runner-up in the 1992 US Senior Amateur.
Born in Minneapolis on June 13, 1952 and selected as the 10-time Minnesota of the Year player, Harris was undoubtedly the biggest amateur to come out of state.
“He essentially dominated amateur golf from the mid-’80s until 2001-2001,” Warren Ryan, communications director for the Minnesota Golf Association, told USGA. “He defeated both the old and the young. He spoke to some of his close friends and they all said the same thing. He was a perfect gentleman on and off the golf course. He always knew what was right and what was right. … His reputation was huge.”
Ryan added that Harris just played golf last Friday and shot an equal 72 at Minnesota’s Edina Country Club, defeating his age last time.
