Wes Ellis

Wes Ellis
— Golfer —
Personal information
Full name	Wesley Ellis, Jr.
Born	(1932-01-27)January 27, 1932 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Nationality	United States
Career
College	University of Texas
Turned professional	1954
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	14
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	3
Other	11
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	T15: 1965
U.S. Open	T8: 1966
The Open Championship	DNP
PGA Championship	T5: 1961

Wesley Ellis, Jr. (January 27, 1932 – June 4, 1984) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Ellis was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended the University of Texas in Austin and was a member of the golf team from 1950–1952. He won the Massingill Trophy in 1950, and was the individual medalist at the Southwest Conference Championship in 1952. He graduated in 1953 with a degree in zoology and turned professional in 1954.

Ellis won three PGA Tour events. His first win came in 1958 at the Canadian Open. He won by one stroke over Jay Hebert at the Mayfair Golf and Country Club in Edmonton, Alberta. His last win came in 1965 at the San Diego Open Invitational in a playoff against golf legend Billy Casper. His victory in San Diego was unique in that Ellis used what is commonly known as a "cross-handed" putting grip; that is, as a right-handed golfer he kept his left hand below his right. Ellis had four top-10 finishes in major championships: a T-9 at the 1956 U.S. Open, a T-8 at the 1966 U.S. Open, a 6th at the 1960 PGA Championship and a T-5 at the 1961 PGA Championship.

Ellis, like many pro golfers of his generation, earned his living primarily as a club pro. For many years he was the head pro at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York and lived in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. He died of kidney disease at the age of 52 at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey. He left behind his wife, Marian, and their four children - three daughters and a son.

Professional wins (12)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Aug 23, 1958	Canadian Open	–13 (67-69-65-66=267)	1 stroke	Jay Hebert
2	Feb 22, 1959	Texas Open Invitational	–8 (66-71-72-67=276)	2 strokes	Bill Johnston, Tom Nieporte
3	Jan 17, 1965	San Diego Open Invitational	–17 (66-65-71-65=267)	Playoff	Billy Casper

Other wins (11)

• 1957 Metropolitan Open
• 1961 New Jersey PGA Championship, Metropolitan Open
• 1962 New Jersey State Open, New Jersey PGA Championship
• 1963 New Jersey State Open, New Jersey PGA Championship, Metropolitan Open
• 1964 New Jersey PGA Championship
• 1968 Westchester PGA Championship
• 1969 Westchester PGA Championship

Results in major championships

Tournament	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970
Masters Tournament	DNP	CUT	DNP	CUT	DNP	WD	CUT	T24	T34	T15	T36	T16	CUT	DNP	DNP
U.S. Open	T9	CUT	DNP	T43	CUT	T40	T36	CUT	DNP	T24	T8	T12	CUT	DNP	CUT
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	T44	6	T5	T30	T17	CUT	T13	DNP	25	CUT	DNP	DNP

Note: Ellis never played in The Open Championship.
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

Summary

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0	0	3	10	5
U.S. Open	0	0	0	0	2	4	12	7
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PGA Championship	0	0	0	1	2	5	9	7
Totals	0	0	0	1	4	12	31	19

• Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1965 Masters – 1967 PGA)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)