Densmore “Denny” Shute is the only non-living member of the first group of golfers inducted into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame.
Denny, one of the early standouts in professional golf, was born in Cleveland in 1904 and passed away at 75 after a brilliant career teaching and playing golf. He was an outstanding club professional during his early days in the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA).
In Ohio, Denny was at York Temple Country Club and Brookside Country Club in Columbus and Lake Forest Country Club near Cleveland.
Before he became active on the tour, Shute won the Ohio Open in 1929, 1930, and 1931. There was no big money years back then. Here's how he fared:
But his record sparkled with achievements. After all, he was brought up on a golf course because his father was a golf pro. Denny knew what he was facing in his chosen career.
Denny won the Los Angeles and Texas Opens in 1930; was runner up in the 1931 PGA; won Miami-Biltmore and Glen Falls in 1932; won the British Open and Gasparilla Open in 1933.
In 1935, he tied for second in Bellaire Open; tied for third in Hershey Open; tied for fourth in Medinah, British Colonial, Illinois PGA, USGA and Illinois Opens; fifth in Augusta Open; tied for sixth in St. Paul Open; sixth in Indianapolis Open; and ninth in the North and South Open.
In his hey-day, Denny would give between 400 and 600 lessons a year. Denny finished tenth in the 1936 US Open. He won the Tropical Open and the PGA Championship by beating Jimmy Thomson in the finals.
Shute was on the 1931 Ryder Cup team, winning in both the foursomes and singles, but in 1933 he lost both events. He played with the US PGA team in Australia in 1934. Denny won the 1937 PGA, defeating Jug McSpaden on the 37th hole. He was a member of the 1937 Ryder Cup team and played against Henry Cotton in a challenge for the Unofficial World's Title. Cotton won 6 and 5 over 72 holes.
