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By Brett Avery
PGATOUR.COM Contributor

Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, Steve Flesch, Russ Cochran, Ernie Gonzalez, Sam Adams, Eric Axley.

There's practically a mini-fraternity of left-handed golfers who have won tournaments on the PGA TOUR. And there are several other lefties who are nearing that distinction, with Nick O'Hern, Richard Green, Bubba Watson and Greg Chalmers among them.

Not surprisingly they all look up to Mickelson, the two-time Masters champion and No. 3 player in the Official World Ranking.

Bob Charles notched the first TOUR win for lefties in Houston in 1963. (Levin/WireImage)

But if you were to trace the roots of lefties, the lines would connect back at the 1963 Houston Classic, when a quiet young man from New Zealand, Bob Charles, brought the first TOUR title to the "other" side of the ball.

That year marked a farewell for the event, now known as the Shell Houston Open. It was the 14th and final playing at Memorial Park GC, built in 1923 as a nine-hole course for soldiers convalescing at nearby Camp Logan. The sand greens were gone by 1936, when designer John Bredemus helped turn the layout into 18 holes available to the public, and the TOUR arrived in 1947.

The 1963 tournament also was unusual in that the sponsors offered a $10,000 prize -- but only for a victory in regulation play.

After four straight playoff decisions (Jack Burke Jr., Bill Collins, Jay Hebert and Bobby Nichols) officials wanted to avoid the extra fuss. That prompted them to knock a grand off the top prize if the event required an extra 18 holes Monday, the custom in those days.

Charles' pedigree was becoming known in the U.S. for more than his left-handed swing, adopted as a 5-year-old when he mimicked his parents' play.

From an early age Charles established himself as one of his nation's best, winning the 1954 New Zealand Open as an 18-year-old amateur by tying the 72-hole record. He remained a bank teller and amateur until 1960 -- compatriot Peter Snell captured Olympic gold that year in the 800 meters in Rome.

Charles decided to test himself on the European circuit, racking up four titles in 1961, including the New Zealand PGA.

During 1962 he claimed the Caltex Open and Swiss Open (now the Omega European Masters) and placed solo fifth behind Arnold Palmer in the British Open at Royal Troon. Once again encouraged by his success Charles set out for the U.S.

The Houston stop, played in late April 1963, became a crucial moment for Charles, who earlier that year had won the U.S. Lefthanders Open by 21 shots and tied for 15th in his third Masters.

Charles not only won at Memorial Park, he did so convincingly, becoming the first Houston champ posting four rounds in the 60s (67-66-66-69).

His second round gave him the lead and an 11-under 199 that pushed him three strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus, who the previous year made the U.S. Open his first major title in an historic playoff against Arnold Palmer.

As happened so many times in his career, Charles had won thanks to the strength of his putting. "I've certainly had my share of putts these last four days," he noted. "The putter is the only thing that held me together the final round."

A one-shot margin over Fred Hawkins and two shots over Homero Blancas, a University of Houston student, provided solid footing in terms of TOUR exemptions. Once again encouraged by his play, he returned to Britain that July for the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

The short-hitting Charles was given little chance to contend in the turbulent weather. But as he showed at Houston, where he stared down some of the game's longest hitters, Charles had the game necessary to allow his putter to succeed.

Charles averaged 30 putts a round to shoot 68-72-66-71, draining a five-footer at the last green to tie Phil Rodgers at 277. They were one swing ahead of Nicklaus and six ahead of Kel Nagel.

The 36-hole playoff saw Charles establish a three-shot advantage in the morning on only 26 putts, then secure an eight-shot victory on 31 putts in the afternoon. It was the last 36-hole playoff in a major.

Charles instantly became known around the world as the first left-handed golfer to win a major championship -- and an encouraging example for new players who followed his example from the "other" side of the ball instead of being convinced to become righties.

Charles enjoyed a remarkable career: three times a runner-up and a pair of thirds in majors; six official TOUR wins (the last the 1974 Greater Greensboro Open) and two dozen other titles worldwide, including the 1969 Piccadilly World Match Play; a lucrative Champions Tour stint with 23 official titles and the 1989 and '93 Senior British Opens.

Today's best lefties have since surpassed him -- Mickelson has 30 TOUR victories and three majors, Weir has seven crowns including a Masters.

But there's one thing they can never claim: Bob Charles was the first TOUR player to make being a lefty the right thing to do.