The best golfer from every U.S. state

West Virginia: Bill Campbell

When looking at many of the golfers that appear on this list, you’re looking at guys who have played on the PGA Tour and, for the most part, players who have succeeded when it comes to major championships. That’s not exactly what William C. Campbell was about throughout his career as a golfer. However, he’s one of the best amateur golfers in the history of the sport and undoubtedly made his mark on the game throughout his time playing.

Hailing from Huntington, Campbell played in an incredible 37 U.S. Amateur Championships throughout his career, which also saw him play in an unreal 33-straight from 1944-77. What’s more, he was also finally able to capture the title in said tournament in 1964. That’s not only incredible just to win such a prestigious tournament, but also to do so after playing for 20-odd years in the tournament before actually picking up the win.

Campbell, in truth, didn’t have much success when he was able to play in PGA Tour events. He qualified for The Masters and the U.S. Open on numerous occasions, but his best finish at Augusta was just tying for 36th twice (1955, 1966). Moreover, a tie for 23rd in 1954 was the best he could manage in the U.S. Open.

Even still, the Huntington native was able to win an absurd 15 West Virginia Amateur Championships throughout his career in addition to his numerous other achievements. With that, he earns the state’s top honors for the purposes of this list.