Al Besselink

Who is Al Besselink?

Albert Cornelius Besselink is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.

Besselink grew up in Merchantville, New Jersey. He attended the University of Miami and was the first UM golfer to win a national tournament. He won the Southern Invitational Championship twice before graduating in 1949. He turned pro later that year.

Besselink won five PGA Tour events including the inaugural Tournament of Champions in 1953. He was called "Bessie" by the other tour players and was known for living life with a gambler's recklessness and a showman's flair. One famous example of his showmanship occurred during the third round of the 1965 Colonial Invitational in Fort Worth when Besselink played the final four holes of his third round with a red rose—plucked from a bush at the 15th hole—between his teeth. Afterward, Besselink said the gesture was a nod to the "loveliness of Texas women in general and Fort Worth women in particular." The next day, locker room attendants presented Besselink with 50 roses sent by female fans.