Remembering Jay Sigel
It is with sadness we inform you of the loss of Philadelphia-area golfing great Jay Sigel, who passed away on Saturday, April 19 after a battle with cancer. Sigel was a retired PGA of America Member, having won eight PGA Tour Champions events. An Aronimink Golf Club member since 1967, he had been closely associated with the club for nearly 60 years.
Sigel was born and raised in Narberth, Pa., grew up playing golf at Bala Golf Club, and then at Aronimink. He graduated from Wake Forest University, where he was the first recipient of the Arnold Palmer Scholar award. He was a two-time All-American at Wake Forest and won the ACC Championship individual title in 1963. From the mid-1970s through the late 1980s, he was the most dominant player in amateur golf, winning the 1977 (R&A) Amateur Championship for his first major amateur championship. In 1982, he won his first U.S. Amateur Championship at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Far and away his biggest achievement as an amateur was his second U.S. Amateur title the following year at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill. He was the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Amateur titles since Harvie Ward in 1955 and 1956; only Tiger Woods has done so since. In addition, Jay won the 1983, 1985 and 1987 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships. His five men’s USGA Ccampionships are only bettered by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. During this run of great play, Jay also played on a record nine Walker Cup teams, amassing the greatest Walker Cup record of all time. In 1984, the USGA honored Jay with their Bob Jones Award, an honor presented annually to an individual who demonstrates the spirit, personal character, and respect for the game of golf. He also received the Ben Hogan Award, presented annually by the Golf Writers Association of America, for overcoming a significant physical handicap or illness.
In addition to his enormous success as a player, Sigel made a significant impact with his philanthropic efforts, hosting the Jay Sigel Invitational at Aronimink for 32 years and raising over $5.3 million for prostate and breast cancer research. In addition to his annual tournament, he was heavily involved with the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, serving on the board for more than four decades, including serving as president.
