A 21-year-old nobody from Dallas surprised the sports world on Jun. 8, 1933 by coming within a single stroke of grabbing golf’s biggest prize – the U.S. Open Championship.

Ralph Guldahl was born in Big D in 1911, a year before two legendary lions of the links – Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson – also drew their first breath in the Lone Star State. By age 11, the son of Norwegian immigrants was caddying at Lakewood Country Club, and in 1927 he captained the Woodrow Wilson High Sc...