Who's who: George Fazio

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Who's who: George Fazio

  • Name:

    George Fazio
  • Country:

    USA
  • Lived:

    [1912-1986]. Born on Nov 12, 1912 in Norristown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Died on June 6 1986 in Jupiter, Florida, aged 73.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer, club pro, course architect.
  • Turned Pro:

    early-1930s

Roll of Honour

Total of eight professional wins, including two PGA Tour wins. Came third in 1950 U.S. Open, losing in a playoff to Ben Hogan and second-placed Lloyd Mangrum.

Golf course design

After his career as a professional golfer, George Fazio became a well-known golf course architect, usually designing with his nephew Tom Fazio and course designer Lou Cappelli. George Fazio's best known work includes, but is not limited to:

UNITED STATES: Aronimink (Penn, modifications); Bel-Air CC (Calif, modifications); Butler Natl (IL, with Tom Fazio); Columbia CC (MD, modifications with Tom Fazio); Edgewood-Tahoe (Calif, with Tom Fazio); Hershey CC, West course (Penn); Inverness Club (Ohio, redesign with Tom Fazio); Jupiter Hills Club, Hills & Village courses (FL, with Tom Fazio); Palmetto Dunes, Fazio course (SC); PGA Natl, Fazio course (FL, with Tom Fazio); Turtle Bay, Fazio course (Hawaii).

OUTSIDE UNITED STATES: National GC of Canada (Ont, with Tom Fazio); La Querce (Italy, with nephew Jim Fazio); Mahogany Run (U.S. Virgin Islands, with Tom Fazio); Rio Mar, Ocean course (Puerto Rico, with Tom Fazio); .

Did you know?

George Fazio is a member of a distinguished family of course designers, which includes his nephews Tom and Jim Fazio, and Jim's son Tom Fazio II (also known as Tommy). George became a successful professional golfer, with two PGA Tour wins to his name, career earnings of more than $50,000, and a third place finish in the 1950 U.S. Open, won by Ben Hogan.

Like most golfers of his generation, Fazio was also a club pro during his touring years. During the 1940s, he was head pro at Hillcrest CC in Los Angeles, where many of Hollywood's celebrities played. After his playing days, Fazio became a well-respected golf course architect, often working with his nephew Tom Fazio and course designer Lou Cappelli. Between them they built many notable golf courses, that often incorporated clover-leaf and butterfly-shaped bunkers.

Top tournaments won by George Fazio

1947
America
213 (-3)
$1,625
Bing Crosby

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Fazio, George

Score

213 (-3)

Prize money

$1,625

Title sponsor

Bing Crosby

Played as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am (Jan 11-13; 54-hole event). Third-placed Lloyd Mangrum (USA) and Sam Snead (USA) finished 3 shots behind Ed Furgol (USA) and George Fazio (USA), who tied for first place. There was no sudden-death playoff in those days. [Pebble Beach Links, Monterey Peninsula, CA. Earlier rounds also at: Cypress Point Club and Monterey Peninsula CC].

1946
America
Beaconsfield GC, Que.
278 (-10)
$2,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Fazio, George

Venue

Beaconsfield GC, Que.

Score

278 (-10)

Prize money

$2,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Canadian Open (June 28-July 1). George Fazio (USA) beat Dick Metz (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff (Fazio 70, Metz 71), to record the first of his two PGA Tour wins. [Beaconsfield GC, Pointe-Claire, Québec].

Find a course

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Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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