Cesar Sanudo

{{Short description|Mexican professional golfer (1943–2011)}} {{use mdy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Cesar Sanudo | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1943|10|26}} | birth_place = Tijuana, Mexico | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|8|28|1943|10|26}} | death_place = La Mesa, California, U.S. | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}} | weight = {{convert|175|lb|kg st|abbr=on}} | nationality = {{MEX}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = Grossmont Junior College<br>Lamar Tech | status = Professional | yearpro =  | retired =  | tour =  | extour = PGA Tour | prowins = 2 | pgawins = 1 | otherwins = 1 | majorwins =  | masters = T43: 1973 | usopen = T9: 1972 | open = DNP | pga = T47: 1971 | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 =  | year1 =  | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Cesar Sanudo''' (October 26, 1943 – August 28, 2011) was a Mexican professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.

== Early life == Sanudo was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico with his four siblings.<ref name="western">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/30/archives/sanudo-leads-by-stroke-with-67-in-western-open-curl-schroeder-at-69.html |title=Sanudo Leads by Stroke With 67 in Western Open |last=Radosta |first=John S. |date=1978-06-30 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2019-05-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Like many other Hispanic professional golfers of the era, Sanudo got his start in golf by caddying. His first job was at Tijuana Country Club in 1954.<ref name="idol">{{Cite news |url=https://www.courant.com/sdut-sanudo-was-idol-hero-many-golf-circles-2011aug30-story.html |title=Sanudo was 'idol, hero' to many in golf circles |last=Leonard |first=Tod |date=August 30, 2011 |newspaper=Hartford Courant |access-date=2019-05-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> During his teens he moved from Tijuana to San Diego. He graduated from El Cajon High School in El Cajon, California.<ref name="idol" /> While in high school he improved on his golf game through San Diego's elite juniors program.<ref name=newton>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7qQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5486,2651027 |title=Newton powers his way to title |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |via=news.google.com |date=September 16, 1974 |page=5 |access-date=2019-05-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

== Amateur career == Sanudo had a number of highlights as an amateur golfer. He made the semi-final of the 1965 U.S. Amateur.<ref name="coronado">{{Cite web |url=http://golfcoronado.com/pages/cesar-sanudo.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920140911/http://golfcoronado.com/pages/cesar-sanudo.html |title=Cesar Sunado |publisher=Coronado Municipal Golf Course |date=2010-09-20 |archivedate=September 20, 2010 |access-date=2019-07-10}}</ref> He also won winning the 1966 Mexican Amateur.<ref name="obit" /> He qualified for the 1966 Masters Tournament as an amateur.<ref name="1966m" />

== Professional career == Sanudo primarily played on tour between 1969 and 1982, vacillating between full-time and part-time status.<ref name=pga>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pgatour.com/players/player.02045.cesar-sanudo.html |title=Cesar Sanudo – Profile |publisher=PGA Tour |access-date=2019-05-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> His sole PGA Tour win came at the 1970 Azalea Open Invitational held in Cape Fear, North Carolina; he earned $12,000 for his efforts by defeating Bobby Mitchell by one stroke at 15-under-par 269.<ref>{{cite web |title=Today in Golf History: October 4 |url=http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0,17742,468205,00.html |accessdate=December 26, 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011122707/http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0%2C17742%2C468205%2C00.html |archivedate=October 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Sanudo described it as the proudest moment of his professional career.<ref name=idol/> With the win, Sanudo became the first Mexican player to win on the PGA Tour. He was later followed by Victor Regalado in 1974 and Carlos Ortiz in 2020.

Nearly two years after his PGA Tour victory, Sanudo seriously contended for a major championship for the only time. At the 1972 U.S. Open he was tied for the lead after two rounds. Over the weekend, in the high winds at Pebble Beach, he fell back considerably with scores of 78-77 but would still finish in the top 10.

Sanudo finished second at the European Tour's 1974 Benson & Hedges Match Play Championship to Australia's Jack Newton. He defeated British golfers Maurice Bembridge and David Jagger on his way to reaching the finals.<ref name="newton" /> It was the only time he would finish runner-up on either the European Tour or PGA Tour.<ref name="pga" />

By the mid-1970s, he lost his full-time playing status and worked in the used car business.<ref name=western/> He briefly regained full time status but after the 1981 season he would rarely play again on tour.<ref name=pga/> After his PGA Tour playing days were over, Sanudo became a long-time club professional in El Cajon, California and later at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course.<ref name=coronado/><ref>{{cite web |title=Senior golfer regains spring in his step |last=Leonard |first=Tod |newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=June 28, 2001 |url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/golf/20010628-9999_1s28sropen.html |accessdate=December 26, 2007}}</ref>

== Personal life == Sanudo was in a relationship with Kris Houghton – now Kris Jenner – in the mid-1970s.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=The Kardashians: An American Drama |last=Oppenheimer |first=Jerry |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-1250087140}}</ref> After they broke up he married Jacqui Schenz.<ref name=":0" /> They had three children: Amber, Anthony, and Lee.<ref name="idol" /> Lee is a local teaching professional.<ref name="idol" />

Sanudo was good friends with Lee Trevino.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jcgolf.com/san-diego-golf-blog/2016/08/17/talkin-golf-lee-sanudo/ |title=Talkin' Golf with Lee Sanudo |date=2016-08-17 |website=www.jcgolf.com |access-date=2019-05-15 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He also played golf with Presidents Nixon, Ford, and George H.W. Bush.<ref name="idol" />

Sanudo died in 2011 in La Mesa, California.<ref name="obit">{{cite magazine |date=September 12, 2011 |title=Sanudo: 1970 Azalea champ dies at 67 |magazine=Golf World |pages=12–4}}</ref>

==Amateur wins== *1966 Mexican Amateur<ref name=obit/>

==Professional wins (2)== ===PGA Tour wins (1)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner-up |- |align=center|1 |Oct 4, 1970 |Azalea Open Invitational |−15 (66-68-68-67=269) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Mitchell |}

===Other wins (1)=== *1973 Columbia Open

==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1966 !1967 !1968 !1969 !1970 !1971 !1972 !1973 !1974 !1975 !1976 |- |align=left|Masters Tournament |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T43 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |- |align=left|U.S. Open |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T54 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:yellow;"|T9 |T39 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |- |align=left|PGA Championship |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T47 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |} ''Note: Sanudo never played in The Open Championship.'' {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut<br> "T" = tied

Source:<ref name=1966m>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I9laAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lGwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1912,1229251 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=Master's Scorecard |date=April 9, 1966 |page=8 |access-date=2019-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=556 |title=Cesar Sanudo |website=www.golfmajorchampionships.com |access-date=2019-07-10}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{PGATour player|02045}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanudo, Cesar}} Category:Mexican male golfers Category:Lamar Cardinals golfers Category:Mexican expatriate golfers in the United States Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:Golfers from San Diego Category:Sportspeople from El Cajon, California Category:1943 births Category:2011 deaths Category:20th-century Mexican sportsmen Category:Golfers from Baja California Category:Sportspeople from Tijuana