John Cook

Born in Toledo, Ohio, John Cook was an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour and a winner of the U.S. Amateur, but he never won a professional major.

Cook was a top flight amateur. In 1978, he crushed Scott Hoch 5&4 at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. In 1979, he worked his way back to the finals at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio. Cook was hoping to become the first repeat winner of the U.S. Amateur since Harvie Ward in 1956. Unfortunately, he ran into a hot Mark O'Meara and was routed 8&7.

He was coached personally by Ken Venturi and played golf at Ohio State where he was a member of the 1979 NCAA Championship team.

With such a solid amateur resume, the fact Cook never won a professional major was a disappointment. He had his chances, finishing in the top 10 seven times, including taking two second place finishes.

Both of his runner-up results came in 1992 when he was voted Comeback Player of the Year. At that year's British Open, Cook trailed Nick Faldo by four shots going into the final round at Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland.

Cook shot a solid 1-under par 70, his fourth straight round under par, and held the lead on the back nine. Faldo, who lurched to the finish with a 2-over par 73, rallied in the final holes to win by one.

In the following PGA championship at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri, Cook finished tied with Faldo, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Gene Sauers for second three shots behind Nick Price.