Longtime PGA TOUR scoring record-holder Souchak dies at 81

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Former PGA TOUR and Champions Tour member, Mike Souchak died from complications of a heart attack July 10 in Clearwater, Fla. He was 81.

Mike Souchak held the PGA TOUR scoring record for almost half a century. (Getty Images)

Souchak, a native of Berwick, Pa., joined the PGA TOUR in 1952 with his first start at the 1953 San Diego Open. He went on to win 15 events, his last coming at the 1964 Memphis Open. Souchak finished in the top 10 on the TOUR's money list five times.

At one time he held the PGA TOUR record for lowest 72-hole score, 257 at the 1955 Texas Open at Brackenridge Park (San Antonio, Texas), a record that stood for over 45 years. He had 11 top-10 finishes in major championships including a pair of third-place finishes in the U.S. Open. (1959 and 1960).

Souchak played on the PGA TOUR's Champions Tour from 1980 to 1990. He was also a member of two U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1959 and 1961

Souchak was an outstanding two-sport star at Duke University, where he played golf and football. He was an end and kicker on the football team and won All-Conference honors and also captained the golf team. He is a member of the Duke Athletic Hall of Fame.

"The PGA TOUR family has lost one of its true pioneers," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, "Mike Souchak was in many ways the prototype of today's modern golfer. His formidable athletic skills made him long off the tee and he helped elevate the game's profile before the game was televised on a regular basis. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy and his family."

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