On This Day: Larry Mize Claims Victory at the 1993 Northern Telecom Open
Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Mize grew up with golf surrounded by golf. As a young volunteer at the Masters Tournament, he worked as a scoreboard operator, an experience that foreshadowed his future success. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Mize turned professional in 1980, finishing in the top 125 of the PGA Tour money list for 20 consecutive years from 1982 to 2001.
Mize’s crowning achievement came at the 1987 Masters Tournament, the very event he grew up volunteering for. Competing in a sudden-death playoff against Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman, Mize delivered one of golf’s most unforgettable moments—a miraculous 125-foot chip-in with a sand wedge on the 11th hole to secure his Green Jacket.
Following his Masters triumph, Mize represented the United States on the 1987 Ryder Cup team and went on to win two more times on the PGA Tour. In the later stages of his career, he competed on PGA Tour Champions, earning a victory at the 2010 Montreal Championship.
In recognition of his contributions to the game, Larry Mize was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1991.