Doug Sanders, winner of 20 PGA Tour events, has died at the age of 86. The PGA Tour confirmed Sanders’ death on Sunday.
Sanders was born in Georgia, the fourth of five children, and taught himself the game. The Sanders home was near a nine-hole golf course. He played collegiately at the University of Florida, but only for a year. Still, the Gators won the 1955 SEC Championship with Sanders on the roster.
After winning the 1956 Canadian Open as an amateur, a feat that has never been repeated, he turned professional.
Aside from Sanders’ 20 PGA Tour titles, what stands out about his career is the number of times he was in contention in major championships. He finished runner-up four times in those events (at the 1959 PGA Championship, 1961 U.S. Open and 1966 and 1970 British Opens). In all, he had 13 top-10 finishes in majors.
Most notably, and perhaps most painfully, Sanders lost the 1970 British Open to Jack Nicklaus in a playoff.
Sanders was also a member of the victorious 1967 U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Thanks to his penchant for stylish and brightly colored golf attire, Sanders came to own the nickname “Peacock of the Fairways.”