Jay Sigel, who was widely viewed as America’s best amateur since Bobby Jones, has died of pancreatic cancer, the U.S. Golf Association said Sunday.
The USGA said Sigel died Saturday at age 81. Along with his two U.S. Amateur titles and three U.S. Mid-Amateur victories, Sigel played in nine Walker Cup matches, twice as a playing captain.
Sigel was low amateur in the Masters three times, and once each at the U.S. Open and British Open during his sterling career.
His intention was to turn pro when he starred at Wake Forest on an Arnold Palmer scholarship. But his left hand went through a pane window on a swinging door that required 70 stitches. Sigel decided to remain amateur and started a successful insurance business.
“I always thought things happen for a reason,” Sigel once said. “The hand injury was the best thing to happen to me.”
He won his first U.S. Amateur in 1982, and the following year became the first player to win the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Mid-Amateur — for players at least 25 years old — in the same season. He also captured some of the nation’s most prestigious titles, such as the Sunnehanna Amateur, the Northeast Amateur and the Porter Cup.
Sigel joined the PGA Tour Champions when he turned 50 and won eight times, though his legacy was amateur golf.
He was on eight winning Walker Cup teams, and played as the captain in 1983 and 1985.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.