Oscar F. Willing
Encyclopedia
Oscar Fred "Doc" Willing (October 16, 1889 – March 2, 1962) was an American
amateur golf
er of the 20th century.
), and caddied and learned to play golf at the nearby Waverley Country Club
. He became a dentist, earning his DDS
at North Pacific Dental College (later incorporated into Oregon Health and Sciences University). Soon afterwards, he was drafted in the United States Navy
for World War I
where he became a military dentist.
during the war. He began to compete in Northwest amateur tournaments, and his first win came in 1919 at the Oregon Coast Invitational in Gearhart, Oregon
. He followed that up with back-to-back Portland City Amateur tournaments at Eastmoreland Golf Course in 1920 and 1921. Willing also played in the U.S. Amateur in 1921, losing in the second round to a young Bobby Jones
. That same year, he returned to Oregon to win the Oregon Men's Amateur for the first of five times.
In 1928, Willing won two major Northwest tournaments, the Oregon Open
and the Northwest Open
, and also took his second Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur title. A year later, he had his biggest national finish at the U.S. Amateur played at Pebble Beach Golf Links
, where he defeated two-time champion and fellow Portlander Chandler Egan
in the semifinals before losing to Harrison R. Johnston in the finals.
Willing was the first Pacific Northwest
erner to be selected to the prestigious United States Walker Cup
team in 1923, and was also chosen in 1924 and 1930. He was undefeated in all his matches and his victory in 1923 clinched the tournament for the Americans.
in 1962. He was named to the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1993, and was an inaugural inductee of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1980.
.
LA = Low Amateur
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1923 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1923, pg. 48.
Source for 1930 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1930, pg. 4.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
amateur golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er of the 20th century.
Early life
Willing was born in Sellwood, Oregon (now a part of PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
), and caddied and learned to play golf at the nearby Waverley Country Club
Waverley Country Club
The Waverley Country Club is a golf club located in Portland, Oregon, USA. Chartered in 1896, the club was the second private golf club established west of the Mississippi River.-History:...
. He became a dentist, earning his DDS
DDS
D.D.S. refers to the academic degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery.DDS may refer to:-Computer and information science:*Data Design System, DDS-CAD software vendor*Data Description Specifications, AS400 programming...
at North Pacific Dental College (later incorporated into Oregon Health and Sciences University). Soon afterwards, he was drafted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he became a military dentist.
Golf career
Following the war, Willing returned to Portland to set up a dental practice. His interest in golf was still strong, as he had been able to play golf while stationed on the east coastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
during the war. He began to compete in Northwest amateur tournaments, and his first win came in 1919 at the Oregon Coast Invitational in Gearhart, Oregon
Gearhart, Oregon
Gearhart is a city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. The population was 995 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 1,185 residents.- Geography :...
. He followed that up with back-to-back Portland City Amateur tournaments at Eastmoreland Golf Course in 1920 and 1921. Willing also played in the U.S. Amateur in 1921, losing in the second round to a young Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
. That same year, he returned to Oregon to win the Oregon Men's Amateur for the first of five times.
In 1928, Willing won two major Northwest tournaments, the Oregon Open
Oregon Open
The Oregon Open is the Oregon state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America. It was first played in 1905 and has been played annually since 1925 at a variety of courses around the state...
and the Northwest Open
Northwest Open
The Northwest Open is golf tournament played in the Pacific Northwest, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America...
, and also took his second Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur title. A year later, he had his biggest national finish at the U.S. Amateur played at Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...
, where he defeated two-time champion and fellow Portlander Chandler Egan
Chandler Egan
Henry Chandler Egan was an American amateur golfer and golf course architect of the early 20th century.-Early life and college:...
in the semifinals before losing to Harrison R. Johnston in the finals.
Willing was the first Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
erner to be selected to the prestigious United States Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
team in 1923, and was also chosen in 1924 and 1930. He was undefeated in all his matches and his victory in 1923 clinched the tournament for the Americans.
Legacy
Willing continued to golf competitively into his 60s. He died in Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
in 1962. He was named to the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1993, and was an inaugural inductee of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1980.
Tournament wins
- 1921 Oregon Men's Amateur
- 1922 Oregon Men's Amateur
- 1923 Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
(team) - 1924 Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
(team), Oregon Men's Amateur, Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur - 1928 Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur, Northwest OpenNorthwest OpenThe Northwest Open is golf tournament played in the Pacific Northwest, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America...
, Oregon OpenOregon OpenThe Oregon Open is the Oregon state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America. It was first played in 1905 and has been played annually since 1925 at a variety of courses around the state... - 1929 Oregon Men's Amateur
- 1930 Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
(team) - 1938 Oregon Men's Amateur
Tournament runner-up finishes
- 1923 Oregon Men's Amateur
- 1926 Oregon Men's Amateur, Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur
- 1929 U.S. Amateur
- 1931 Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur
Results timeline
As an amateur, Willing could not play in the PGA ChampionshipPGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
| Tournament | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | DNP | R16 | DNP | DNP | DNQ | DNP | DNP | R32 | QF | 2 |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | R16 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | NYF | NYF | NYF | NYF | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Amateur | R32 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | R32 | DNP | DNP |
| The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur... |
R256 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
LA = Low Amateur
NYF = Tournament not yet founded
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10
Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database
Source for 1923 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1923, pg. 48.
Source for 1930 British Amateur: The Glasgow Herald, May 28, 1930, pg. 4.