{{short description|Canadian golfer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Karl Keffer | image = Karl Keffer.jpg | imagesize = <!-- e.g. 250px (default is 200px) --> | caption = | fullname = Karl Kaspar Keffer | nickname = | birth_date = 1882<!--{{Birth date|1882|mm|dd}}--> | birth_place = Tottenham, Ontario, Canada | death_date = October 22, 1955 (aged 73)<!--{{Death date and age|1955|10|22|1882|mm|dd}}--> | death_place = Aylmer, Quebec, Canada | height = <!-- {{height|ft=|in=}} OR {{height|m=|precision=0}} --> | weight = <!-- {{convert| |lb|kg st|abbr=on}} OR {{convert| |kg|lb st|abbr=on}} --> | nationality = {{CAN}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | status = Professional | yearpro = <!-- Year turned professional --> | extour = | prowins = 4 | pgawins = | otherwins = | majorwins = <!-- Number of Major Championship wins --> | masters = | usopen = | open = | pga = | wghofid = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame member ID --> | wghofyear = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame year inducted --> | award1 = Canadian Golf Hall of Fame | year1 = 1986 | awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section --> }} '''Karl Kaspar Keffer''' (<!--could be 1881-->1882 – October 22, 1955) was a Canadian professional golfer. He won the Canadian Open twice, in 1909 and 1914, and remained the only Canadian-born winner of the national open until 2023.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-0cxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=guMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7098%2C2158303 |title=Royal Ottawa golf pro, Karl Keffer, dies at 74 |date=October 24, 1955 |page=33 |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |location=Ontario, Canada |via=Google News Archive |accessdate=April 7, 2020}}</ref><ref name=gchof/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thespec.com/sports/hamilton-region/2018/07/20/history-on-display-at-canadian-open.html |title=History on display at Canadian Open |newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |first=Garry |last=McKay |date=July 20, 2018 |accessdate=April 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Nick Taylor wins Canadian playoff over Tommy Fleetwood with 72-foot putt |url=https://www.golfchannel.com/news/nick-taylor-wins-canadian-playoff-over-tommy-fleetwood-72-foot-putt |website=Golf Channel |agency=Associated Press |access-date=June 12, 2023 |date=June 11, 2023}}</ref>
Keffer was born in Tottenham, Ontario. He was the head professional at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club for over thirty years until his retirement in 1943 due to ill health,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1395279/ |title=Wakelam succeeds Karl Keffer at Royal Ottawa |newspaper=The Ottawa Journal |location=Ontario, Canada |date=June 18, 1943 |page=21 |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 7, 2020}}</ref> and was a founder member of the PGA of Canada. Until 1942, he also worked as the professional at Jekyll Island Club on Jekyll Island, Georgia during the winters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pgaofcanada.com/media-centre/archive/golf-pioneer-1154 |title=Golf pioneer {{!}} Karl Keffer |publisher=PGA of Canada |accessdate=April 7, 2020}}</ref> His biggest achievements as a tournament player came in the national open championship, which he won twice, in 1909 and 1914, and finished as runner-up in 1919. He also won the provincial opens of Manitoba and Quebec.<ref name=obit/>
Keffer has been widely recognised for his achievements and contributions to golf, highlighted by his induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1986. He has also been inducted into the PGA of Canada, Ontario Golf and Quebec Golf halls of fame.<ref name=gchof>{{cite web |url=https://heritage.golfcanada.ca/hall-of-fame-members/karl-keffer/ |title=Karl Keffer |publisher=Golf Canada |accessdate=April 7, 2020}}</ref>
==Professional wins== * 1909 Canadian Open * 1914 Canadian Open * 1919 Manitoba Open * 1926 Quebec Open
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://heritage.golfcanada.ca/hall-of-fame-members/karl-keffer/ Karl Keffer] at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame website * [https://www.pgaofcanadahalloffame.com/hall-fame-members/karl-keffer/ Karl Keffer] at the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame website * [https://gao.ca/about-us/ontario-golf-hall-of-fame/ontario-golf-hall-of-fame-member-bios/karl-keffer-class-of-2000/ Karl Keffer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407110454/https://gao.ca/about-us/ontario-golf-hall-of-fame/ontario-golf-hall-of-fame-member-bios/karl-keffer-class-of-2000/ |date=April 7, 2020 }} at the Golf Ontario website * [https://www.golfquebec.org/en/pages.asp?id=394 Karl Keffer] at the Golf Quebec website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keffer, Karl}} Category:Canadian male golfers Category:Golf people from Ontario Category:1882 births Category:1955 deaths Category:People from New Tecumseth Category:Sportspeople from Simcoe County