Toney Penna
Encyclopedia
Toney G. Penna was an Italian
-American
professional golf
er and designer of golf clubs and gear. He won four events on the PGA Tour
between 1937 and 1947. He introduced new lines of golf clubs and was the holder of four patents for golf clubs. Many of these clubs are considered collectors' items: some are still in production. He also introduced the use of color to both clubs and to golf accessories, such as carrying bags.
and also lived in Dayton
and Cincinnati, Ohio
. By 1946, Penna had moved to Delray Beach, Florida
.
Starting out in golf by being a caddy, Penna was known for his personality and individualism as much as for his golfing abilities. He was often a critic of his high-ranking golf contemporaries, and published a table illustrating his thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of each in his autobiography. With a ready temper but also a sense of humor, Penna's work as a golf pro brought him into contact with Dean Martin
, Bing Crosby
, and Bob Hope
, among others.
Perry Como
was a long-time friend of Penna's. Before his permanent move to Florida, Como often came to golf with him on the weekends after completing his weekly television program. After a tournament where Penna beat Como, he remarked that the only thing that was keeping him from returning to the large professional golf tours was his lack of hair. A week later, Penna received a package from Como; inside was a hairpiece and a note which said "Go!".
Penna was a longtime employee and representative of the MacGregor Golf Company. After years of working for MacGregor, Penna started his own company and manufactured his own golf clubs. A stretch of road in Jupiter, Florida
, where his company was located is named after him. Penna used the spelling of his name as an attention-getter, and was known for having a taste for fine clothing. Penna displayed an ability for concentrated problem-solving in improving golf club performance which led to his success as an equipment representative, a golf pro, and also as the producer of his own line of golf clubs.
With his brother, Charley, Penna was associated with the Beverly and with the Calumet Country Clubs, both near Chicago; at one time both brothers were playing professionally. Penna died in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1995 at the age of 87.
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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 and designer of golf clubs and gear. He won four events on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
between 1937 and 1947. He introduced new lines of golf clubs and was the holder of four patents for golf clubs. Many of these clubs are considered collectors' items: some are still in production. He also introduced the use of color to both clubs and to golf accessories, such as carrying bags.
Character
Penna was born in Naples, Italy. He grew up in Harrison, New YorkHarrison, New York
Harrison is a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.-Establishment:...
and also lived in Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. By 1946, Penna had moved to Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
.
Starting out in golf by being a caddy, Penna was known for his personality and individualism as much as for his golfing abilities. He was often a critic of his high-ranking golf contemporaries, and published a table illustrating his thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of each in his autobiography. With a ready temper but also a sense of humor, Penna's work as a golf pro brought him into contact with Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, and Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, among others.
Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
was a long-time friend of Penna's. Before his permanent move to Florida, Como often came to golf with him on the weekends after completing his weekly television program. After a tournament where Penna beat Como, he remarked that the only thing that was keeping him from returning to the large professional golf tours was his lack of hair. A week later, Penna received a package from Como; inside was a hairpiece and a note which said "Go!".
Penna was a longtime employee and representative of the MacGregor Golf Company. After years of working for MacGregor, Penna started his own company and manufactured his own golf clubs. A stretch of road in Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter, Florida
Jupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
, where his company was located is named after him. Penna used the spelling of his name as an attention-getter, and was known for having a taste for fine clothing. Penna displayed an ability for concentrated problem-solving in improving golf club performance which led to his success as an equipment representative, a golf pro, and also as the producer of his own line of golf clubs.
With his brother, Charley, Penna was associated with the Beverly and with the Calumet Country Clubs, both near Chicago; at one time both brothers were playing professionally. Penna died in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1995 at the age of 87.
PGA Tour wins (4)
- 1937 Pennsylvania Open ChampionshipPennsylvania Open ChampionshipThe Pennsylvania Open Championship is the Pennsylvania state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pennsylvania Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1912 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1938 Kansas City Open
- 1946 Richmond Open
- 1947 Atlanta Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T31 | T10 |
| 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... |
T55 | DNP | CUT | T28 | T3 | CUT |
| 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 |
| PGA Championship PGA 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T10 | T19 | 22 | NT | NT | NT | T21 | T8 | 45 | T23 |
| 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... |
42 | T33 | NT | NT | NT | NT | T15 | T31 | T8 | CUT |
| 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... |
NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA 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... |
R64 | R32 | R32 | NT | R16 | R16 | R32 | R32 | R64 | DNP |
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T21 | WD | 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 | CUT |
| 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 | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA 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... |
R64 | R32 | DNP | DNP | R64 |
NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10