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Billy
Johnston
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Inducted, 1994 Billy Johnston,
69, has had a diverse career as a player, a club professional, tournament
director, and golf course architect. He won the
Utah State Amateur in 1947 and the Utah Open in 1954 and 1960, one
of only six golfers to win both crowns. He played
on the PGA Tour from 1950 through 1980, and since then has played
on the PGA Senior Tour. On the PGA Tour he was a semifinalist in
the PGA Championship when it was a match play tournament, won the
Sahara Invitational, and the Texas Open. He was runnerup in the
French Open, the Denver Open, the Long Beach Open, and the Texas
Open. In addition
to his two Utah Open victories he won the Nevada Open four times,
the Arizona Open three times, the Colorado PGA Match Play twice,
the Southwest PGA twice, the Arizona PGA Match Play twice, the Rocky
Mountain PGA twice, the Montana Open twice, and the Colorado Open
once. He has played
in the majors, the British Open, the U.S. Open, the Masters, and
the PGA a total of 22 times. His first
club professional job was at Dinaland Golf Course in Vernal. He
later became head professional at the Timpanogos Golf Course in
Provo. He won many
Utah events as a professional and was known for his charismatic
personality. He has a distinguishing walk, and played with a winning
flair that made him easily recognizable and attracted large galleries. After leaving
Utah he held numerous club professional jobs, and has built and
owned several of his own golf courses. He has designed eight golf
courses. He was born
January 2,1925 in Donora, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Ogden
when he was four years old. He graduated from Ogden High School
and the University of Utah. He played
golf on the University of Utah golf team where he was the Skyline
Conference individual champion twice. He was recent inducted into
the University of Utah Sports Hall of Fame. He served
in the U.S. Navy and graduated from Submarine and Torpedo School. He married
JoAnne Whitehead and they have four sons, Brad, Blake, Brice, and
Burke. He is currently the head professional at Orange Tree Golf Club Scottsdale, Arizona |
