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Walter Hagen
Hagen won five PGA Championships and four Opens, then used his fame to demand respect for touring professionals. He transformed what it meant to be a golf celebrity.
Hagen won 11 professional majors, including four Opens and five PGA Championships. He could recover from trouble with a showman's ease, yet the competitive record was serious.
As touring professionals sought better treatment, Hagen used his celebrity and confidence to insist they belonged at the center of the game. His legacy includes both victories and a change in professional status.
Hagen played in an age when professionals could be treated as second-class guests at clubs. His public insistence on their standing helped the generation after him.