Wes Ellis

Wesley Ellis, Jr. (January 27, 1932 – June 4, 1984) was an American professional golfer. Ellis, Jr. who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Wes Ellis
Personal information
Full name	Wesley Ellis, Jr.
Born	(1932-01-27)January 27, 1932 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	June 4, 1984(1984-06-04) (aged 52) Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
College	University of Texas
Turned professional	1954
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	15
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	3
Other	12
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	T15: 1965
PGA Championship	T5: 1961
U.S. Open	T8: 1966
The Open Championship	DNP

Early life and amateur career

Ellis was born in Kansas City, Missouri.^[1] He attended the University of Texas in Austin and was a member of the golf team from 1950–1952. Ellis won the Massingill Trophy in 1950, and was the individual medalist at the Southwest Conference Championship in 1952.^[2] He graduated in 1953 with a degree in zoology.

Professional career

In 1954, he turned professional.^[1] He won three PGA Tour events. His first win came at the 1958 Canadian Open. He won by one stroke over Jay Hebert at the Mayfair Golf and Country Club in Edmonton, Alberta.^[3] His last win came in 1965 at the San Diego Open Invitational in a playoff against golf legend Billy Casper. His victory in San Diego was unique in that Ellis used what is commonly known as a "cross-handed" putting grip; that is, as a right-handed golfer he kept his left hand below his right.

Ellis had four top-10 finishes in major championships: a T-9 at the 1956 U.S. Open, a T-8 at the 1966 U.S. Open, a 6th at the 1960 PGA Championship, and a T-5 at the 1961 PGA Championship.

Ellis, like many pro golfers of his generation, earned his living primarily as a club pro. For many years he was the head pro at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York and lived in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Personal life

In 1984, Eliis died of kidney disease at the age of 52 at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey.^[4] He left behind his wife, Marian, and their four children - three daughters and a son.

Professional wins (15)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Aug 23, 1958	Canadian Open	−13 (67-69-65-66=267)	1 stroke	Jay Hebert
2	Feb 22, 1959	Texas Open Invitational	−8 (66-71-72-67=276)	2 strokes	Bill Johnston, Tom Nieporte
3	Jan 17, 1965	San Diego Open Invitational	−17 (66-65-71-65=267)	Playoff	Billy Casper

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1958	West Palm Beach Open Invitational	Pete Cooper	Lost to birdie on first extra hole
2	1965	San Diego Open Invitational	Billy Casper	Won with birdie on first extra hole

Source:^[5]

Other wins (12)

• 1957 Metropolitan Open
• 1961 New Jersey PGA Championship, Metropolitan Open
• 1962 New Jersey State Open, New Jersey PGA Championship
• 1963 New Jersey State Open, New Jersey PGA Championship, Metropolitan Open
• 1964 New Jersey PGA Championship
• 1968 Maracaibo Open Invitational, Westchester PGA Championship
• 1969 Westchester PGA Championship

Results in major championships

Tournament	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970
Masters Tournament		CUT		CUT		WD	CUT	T24	T34	T15	T36	T16	CUT
U.S. Open	T9	CUT		T43	CUT	T40	T36	CUT		T24	T8	T12	CUT		CUT
PGA Championship				T44	6	T5	T30	T17	CUT	T13		25	CUT

Note: Ellis never played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10

  Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	5
U.S. Open	0	0	0	0	2	4	12	7
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PGA Championship	0	0	0	1	2	5	9	7
Totals	0	0	0	1	4	12	31	19

• Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1965 Masters – 1967 PGA)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)