Golf legend Jay Sigel, one of the greatest amateur players in history, has died from pancreatic cancer at 81.
The Pennsylvania native dominated amateur golf for two decades, racking up achievements that most pros could only dream about.
He pulled off something incredibly rare – winning back-to-back U.S. Amateur titles in 1982 and 1983. But that was just the start. Sigel went on to claim three U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships and grabbed The Amateur title in 1979.
At Augusta National, he showed he could hang with the pros. Sigel was low amateur at The Masters three different times – a feat that’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. He also earned low amateur honors at both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
When it came to representing his country, nobody did it better. Sigel played in a record nine Walker Cup teams between 1977 and 1993. He wasn’t just playing either – he served as player-captain in 1983 and 1985, leading the U.S. to victory both times.
Here’s something really cool: he also played in the Eisenhower Trophy seven times. That’s the world amateur team championship, for those who might not know.
But Sigel wasn’t done after his amateur career. At 50, he turned pro and joined what’s now called the PGA Tour Champions. He won eight times there – proving he could compete at any level.
“He was a dear friend and somebody that we will remember forever,” said Kevin Hammer, the USGA’s president-elect. “Best amateur since Bobby Jones hands down.”
Nathan Smith, who’ll captain the 2025 U.S. Walker Cup team, put it perfectly: “Incredible player. Incredible friend. Incredible mentor. He was special.”
Smith added that he’d hoped Sigel would make it to this year’s Walker Cup at Cypress Point, where Sigel had played in the 1981 match.
The golf world has taken some tough hits lately. Sigel’s passing comes just weeks after we lost another amateur great, two-time Amateur Championship winner Peter McEvoy.
