Lou Graham, a championship-winning golfer, has passed away. He was 88.
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According to the PGA Tour, the native of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away on Monday. The league did not provide a cause of death.
Graham first took up the game of golf at the age of 7. He didn't achieve success early in his life, but this did not serve as an indication of things to come. Instead, he went on to achieve considerable success over a career in which he made 623 starts on the PGA Tour and 239 starts on PGA Tour Champions.
Graham played 23 seasons after making his PGA Tour debut in 1965. He won for the first time in the 1967 Minnesota Golf Classic and then he won the 1972 Liggett & Myers Open.
Of course, his biggest achievement took place in 1975. He made a historic comeback in the U.S. Open as he went from 40th place after the first round to champion after the final round. He overcame an 11-stroke deficit, which remains the largest in the history of the event.
Lou Graham authored one of the greatest comebacks in U.S. Open history, overcoming an 11-shot deficit before winning the championship in a playoff at Medinah Country Club.
Rest in peace to our 1975 U.S. Open champion. https://t.co/mr4weqNDRv pic.twitter.com/MXDoTL2TBM
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) May 12, 2026
"Lou Graham authored one of the greatest comebacks in U.S. Open history, overcoming an 11-shot deficit before winning the championship in a playoff at Medinah Country Club," the U.S. Open said in a statement. "Rest in peace to our 1975 U.S. Open champion."
He closed out his PGA Tour career with three wins in only 71 days. He captured the IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic, American Optical Classic, and San Antonio Texas Open in 1979.
Of course, the winning did not solely take place within the confines of the PGA Tour. He won the 1961 Inter-Service Championship while serving in the United States Army. He won the 1975 World Cup alongside Johnny Miller.
Graham also played on three Ryder Cup-winning teams. He helped the United State defeat Ireland and Great Britain in 1973 (Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire), 1975 (Laurel Valley Golf Club, Westmoreland County), and 1977 (Muirfield, East Lothian).
