Nelson Whitney

Nelson McStea Whitney[1] (February 4, 1887 – February 27, 1948) was an American amateur golfer. He won the Southern Amateur a record five times.[2]

Early life

Whitney was born on February 4, 1887.[1][3] He grew up playing golf.[1] His father, George Q. Whitney, was the founder of Whitney National Bank in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1]

Career

In 1909, Whitney was ranked the No. 1 golfer in the South by the Southern Golf Association.[4] He won the Southern Amateur in 1907 in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1908 in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1913 in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1914 in Memphis again, and in 1919 in New Orleans.[2] He was a three-time runner-up as well.[2] He won the Trans-Mississippi Amateur in 1919.[5]

In 1916, Whitney won a national amateur invitational tournament at the National Golf Links of America.[6] The New York Times stated that it was the "finest and largest field of golfers ever entered in a club invitation tournament".[6] The Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame notes that his "greatest individual feat was likely defeating the legendary Bobby Jones head-to-head" in the semifinals of the 1919 Southern Championships.[7][2]

Whitney finished in 40th place at the 1921 U.S. Open.[8]

Later life and legacy

In 1928, Whitney became vice president of the Whitney National Bank, serving in that role for the remainder of his life.[1] On February 27, 1948, he died of a heart attack at his home in New Orleans.[9][1]

Whitney was inducted into the Southern Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Banker, Veteran Golfer Expires". The Times-Picayune. February 28, 1948. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Nelson Whitney". Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  3. ^ "Nelson McStea Whitney". Ancestry.com. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  4. ^ Whiting, Percy H. (April 12, 1910). "Gives Ranking Of Southern Golfers". Birmingham Post-Herald. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  5. ^ "All Tournament Champions". Trans-Mississippi Golf Association. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Gold Medal Taken By Nelson Whitney". The New York Times. August 18, 1916. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  7. ^ "Jones Loses To Whitney". The New York Times. June 28, 1919. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  8. ^ "Nelson Whitney". Golf Major Championships. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  9. ^ "Deaths". The Times-Picayune. February 28, 1948. p. 2 – via newspapers.com.
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