At an early age, Harry Shoemaker’s uncanny ability at golf baffled all who saw him. To watch him play, you might, at first glance, think your eyes were playing tricks on you. You see, Shoemaker hit from the left side in a game traditionally played by right-handers. And what a player he was!
The native of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, became captain of the Chattanooga High School team and led it to the TSSAA state championship in 1948. In 1953 while serving overseas, Shoemaker was the Air Force Champion of Europe. This accomplishment earned him a trip to the World Wide Service Championships, where he distinguished himself by being the low amateur in both the European and French opens.
After his discharge from the service, Shoemaker enrolled at Florida State University and led the Seminoles to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA tournament. From 1956 to 1958, he secured his place in golf history by winning three consecutive National Association of Left-Handed Golfers championships, an unprecedented feat. In 1960 Shoemaker entered a “left-handers only” U.S. Open Tournament at Sarasota, Florida, which featured the top professional and amateur players. You guessed it; he won that one, too!
Lefty Harry Shoemaker proudly carried the Tennessee banner across America and Europe and put together an exceptional record in an extraordinary realm of sports.