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Doug Sanders

United States · born , Cedartown, Georgia, USA · died

2Ryder Cup points from 5 matches

Summary

  • Ryder Cup 1 Cups · 2-3-0 · 2 points (40.0%)
  • Singles 0-2-0 · Foursomes 0-1-0 · Four-ball 2-0-0
  • Best major finish runner-up, 1959 PGA Championship, 1961 U.S. Open, 1966 Open and 1970 Open
  • Open top 10s 1971 (T9), 1972 (4)

Near misses

  1. 1959 PGA Championship Minneapolis Golf Club · runner-up to Bob Rosburg · 278
  2. 1961 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C. · runner-up to Gene Littler
  3. 1966 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Jack Nicklaus · 283
  4. 1970 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · runner-up to Jack Nicklaus · 283 · lost playoff
  5. 1971 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T9 · 285 (-7)
  6. 1972 The Open Muirfield · finished 4 · 281 (-3)

Ryder Cup

1 Cups, 5 matches: 2 won, 3 lost, 0 halved, 2 points. Foursomes 0-1-0, four-ball 2-0-0, singles 0-2-0.

  1. 1967 Champions Golf Club USA · USA won 23.5–8.5 · 2-3-0, 2 points · automatic

Rivals

Beat him

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Bob Rosburg's rivals →

Results by championship

    Best day

    1970 The Open

    Runner-up to Jack Nicklaus · 283.

    Chosen by rule: the most recent of the best major finishes. Year page: 1970.

    Career line, 1959–1972

    PGA Championship
    1959 PGA Championship: runner-up to Bob Rosburg
    U.S. Open
    1961 U.S. Open: runner-up to Gene Littler
    The Open
    1966 The Open: runner-up to Jack Nicklaus1970 The Open: runner-up to Jack Nicklaus1971 The Open: finished T91972 The Open: finished 4
    Ryder Cup
    1967 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-3-0
    196019651970

    7 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Doug Sanders was born on July 24, 1933, in Cedartown, Georgia, USA. Sanders' best major finish was second, at the 1959 PGA Championship, the 1961 U.S. Open, the 1966 Open and the 1970 Open. Sanders played in 1 Ryder Cup for USA (1967), winning 2, losing 3 and halving 0 of 5 matches for 2 points.

    See Doug Sanders in our rooms: U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1959 PGA Championship Minneapolis Golf Club · runner-up to Bob Rosburg · 278
    2. 1961 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C. · runner-up to Gene Littler
    3. 1966 The Open Muirfield · runner-up to Jack Nicklaus · 283
    4. 1970 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · runner-up to Jack Nicklaus · 283 · lost playoff
    5. 1971 The Open Royal Birkdale Golf Club · finished T9 · 285 (-7)
    6. 1972 The Open Muirfield · finished 4 · 281 (-3)

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 2 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Sanders played 1 Ryder Cups for USA: 5 matches, 2 won, 3 lost, 0 halved, 2 points (40.0% of those available). By format: foursomes 0-1-0, four-ball 2-0-0, singles 0-2-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1967 Champions Golf Club USA · USA won 23.5–8.5 · 2-3-0, 2 points · automatic

    Partners, with matches played together: Gardner Dickinson (2), Gay Brewer (1).

    Sources

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    2. R&A 1971
    3. R&A 1972
    4. GC: 1967 ryder cup
    5. WP 1967