Who's who: Norman Von Nida

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
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  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Norman Von Nida

  • Name:

    Norman Guy Von Nida
  • Country:

    Australia
  • Lived:

    [1914-2007]. Born on Feb 14, 1914 in Strathfield, Sydney, NSW. Died on May 20, 2007 in Gold Coast, Queensland, aged 93.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1933

Roll of Honour

Total professional wins (46), including Australasian Tour (30) including three Australian Opens and four Australian PGA Championships. Also 14 European circuit wins and two Philippine Opens. British PGA Order of Merit winner (1947). The PGA Tour of Australasia's developmental tour is named the Von Nida Tour after him.

Did you know?

Measuring just 5ft 6in (1.67m), and weighing in at around 9st 6lb (60kg), Von Nida was never going to be the biggest golfer produced by Australia, but he was one of the country's most successful. In addition to his 30 wins on the Australasian circuit, he became the first Australian to regularly win on the British tour.

World War II (1939-45) denied Von Nida the chance to compete in what might have been his best years. He travelled to Britain for the first time in 1946, finishing second on the British PGA Order of Merit. He returned for the 1947 season and won seven tournaments, this time topping the Order of Merit for the season. Short in stature and also short in temper, Von Nida had a reputation for occasionally hurling his putter into the bushes after missing makeable putts.

Top tournaments won by Norman Von Nida

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

278 (-18)

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian Open (Oct 22-24). Second-placed Peter Thomson (Aus) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Von Nida (Aus), who recorded the last of his three Australian Open wins. [East course, Royal Melbourne GC, Victoria, Aus].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

278 (-14)

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian Open (Aug 29-31). Second-placed Ossie Pickworth (Aus) finished 5 shots behind Von Nida (Aus), who posted the second of his three Australian Open wins. [Lake Karrinyup CC, Perth, WA, Aus].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

6 & 5

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian PGA Ch'ship. Von Nida (Aus) beat Ossie Pickworth (Aus) 6 and 5 in the final.

1951
Europe
281
£225
Yorkshire Eve. News

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

281

Prize money

£225

Title sponsor

Yorkshire Eve. News

Played as the Yorkshire Evening News £1450 Tournament (June 6-8). Norman Von Nida (Aus) and defending champion Dai Rees (Wales) finished in a tie for first place. Ken Bousfield (Eng) finished 1 shot back in third place. [Moortown GC, nr Leeds, W Yorks, England].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

286

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian Open (Aug 24-26). Second-placed Peter Thomson (Aus) finished 1 shot behind Von Nida (Aus), who recorded the first of his three Australian Open wins. [Kooyonga GC, Lockleys, Adelaide, SA].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

6 & 5

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian PGA Ch'ship. Von Nida (Aus) beat Eric Cremin (Aus) 6 and 5 in the final. [The Lakes GC, Sydney, Aus].

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

2 & 1

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian PGA Ch'ship. Von Nida (Aus) beat Eric Cremin (Aus) 2 and 1 in the final. [Royal Hobart GC, Seven Mile Beach, Tasmania].

1948
Europe
Mere
281
£400
Manchester EC

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Mere

Score

281

Prize money

£400

Title sponsor

Manchester EC

Played as the Manchester Evening Chronicle £1,500 Tournament. Second-placed Dick Burton (Eng) finished 4 shots behind Von Nida (Aus). [The Mere Resort, Mere, Knutsford, Cheshire].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

271

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Lotus

Played as the Lotus £1,500 Tournament (Sept 1-3). Second-placed Dai Rees (Wales) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Norman Von Nida (Aus), who fired a pair of 66s in the final two rounds to clinch victory. [Outer course, Royal Mid-Surrey GC, Richmond, Surrey. Now called the J.H. Taylor course.].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

272

Prize money

£300

Title sponsor

Dunlop

Played as the Dunlop Masters (Oct 5-7). Second-placed Fred Daly (N.Ire) finished 2 shots behind Von Nida (Aus), who shot a course record final round 63, "the greatest round of my life" he later commented. [Old course, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

270

Prize money

£525

Title sponsor

Daily Mail

Played as the Daily Mail £2500 Tournament. Second-placed Reg Whitcombe (Eng) finished 5 shots behind Von Nida (Aus). [Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

289

Prize money

£300

Title sponsor

Spalding

Played as the Spalding £1,250 Tournament (June 2-4). Second-placed Fred Bullock (Eng) and Reg Whitcombe (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Norman Von Nida (Aus). [The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

6 & 5

Prize money

£300

Title sponsor

The Star

Played as The Star £1,500 Professional Tournament (June 18-21; 36-hole strokeplay followed by match play for the top 32 players). Norman Von Nida (Aus) beat Flory Van Donck (Belg) 6 and 5 in the 36-hole final. [West course, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Hesketh

Score

285

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Dunlop

Played as the Dunlop-Southport £2000 Tournament. Second-placed Charlie Ward (Eng) finished 5 shots behind Von Nida (Aus). [Hesketh GC, Southport, Merseyside].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

271

Prize money

£500

Title sponsor

x

Played as the inaugural North British-Harrogate 2000 Guineas Tournament. Second-placed Charlie Ward (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Von Nida (Aus). [Harrogate GC, North Yorkshire - also known as Starbeck].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

270

Prize money

£120

Title sponsor

Penfold

Played as the Penfold Tournament. The competiton ended in a three-way tie between Dai Rees (Wales), Reg Whitcombe (Eng) and Norman Von Nida (Aus), who were all declared winners. [Stoke Park CC, Stoke Poges, Bucks].

1947
Europe
277
£150
Yorkshire Eve. News

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

277

Prize money

£150

Title sponsor

Yorkshire Eve. News

Played as the Yorkshire Evening News 1000 Guineas Professional Tournament (June 11-13). Norman Von Nida (Aus) and Henry Cotton (Eng) finished in a tie for first place. Bill Shankland (Aus) finished 6 shots further back in third place. [Moortown GC, nr Leeds, W Yorks, England].

1947
Awards
71.25
British PGA

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Score

71.25

Prize money

Title sponsor

British PGA

Von Nida (Aus) won the Harry Vardon Trophy as the British PGA Tour 1947 Order of Merit winner. Award based on lowest scoring average in the season's top professional events. Von Nida's 71.25 was based on 52 rounds played.

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

280

Prize money

£350

Title sponsor

Lotus

Played as the Lotus £1,500 Tournament (Aug 6-8). Second-placed Dai Rees (Wales) finished 5 shots behind Norman Von Nida (Aus). [Notts GC, Hollinwell, nr Mansfield, England].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Score

290

Prize money

£500

Title sponsor

R.A. Brand

Played as the Brand-Lochryn £1,500 Tournament (April 23-25). Second-placed Max Faulkner (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Norman Von Nida (Aus). [Outer course, Royal Mid-Surrey GC, Richmond, Surrey. Now called the J.H. Taylor course.].

1946
Europe
Hollingbury Park
283
News Chronicle

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Hollingbury Park

Score

283

Prize money

Title sponsor

News Chronicle

Played as the News Chronicle £1,500 Tournament. Second-placed John Burton (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Von Nida (Aus), who recorded his first professional win in Britain. [Hollingbury Park GC, Brighton, East Sussex].

1946
Aus/NZ
Manly GC
1 hole
x

Category

Aus/NZ

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Manly GC

Score

1 hole

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Australian PGA Ch'ship. Von Nida (Aus) beat Eric Cremin (Aus) by 1 hole in the final. [Manly GC, Manly, nr Sydney, Aus].

1939
Asia
Wack Wack G&CC
292 (+4)
US$2,000
x

Category

Asia

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Wack Wack G&CC

Score

292 (+4)

Prize money

US$2,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Philippine Open. Second-placed Seisui Chin (Jpn) and Rokuzo Asami (Jpn) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Norman Von Nida (Aus). [East course, Wack Wack G&CC, Manila, Philippines].

1938
Asia
Wack Wack G&CC
x

Category

Asia

Winner (holder)

Von Nida, Norman

Venue

Wack Wack G&CC

Score

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Philippine Open. Defending champion Larry Montes (Phil) finished second behind Norman Von Nida (Aus). [East course, Wack Wack G&CC, Manila, Philippines].

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