On August 26, 1950, Sam Urzetta won the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship at Minneapolis Golf Club, and at 24 years old became a hometown hero. He had beaten Frank Stranahan (who was heavily favored) in a 1-up victory in 39 holes.
I first met Mr. Urzetta when we were selected to be members of the ER Alumni Foundation Board of Directors. Having lived in East Rochester my whole life, I had certainly heard of Sam, but had never met him. I came to know him as a very kind, humble, caring man who was devoted to his family and community.
Sam Urzetta was one of nine children. He had four brothers and four sisters. His parents, Carmine and Palma, were immigrants from Calabria, Italy. Growing up in East Rochester, Sam began to caddie at Irondequoit Golf Club where his brother, Frank, was caddie master. Though really too young to be a caddie, he was allowed to do so by golf pro, Frank Commisso. When Sam was in high school, there was no golf team. He was very popular and played baseball and basketball, was manager of the football team, vice president of the Senior Class, and a member of the Brown and White (the high school newspaper). Working with Frank Commisso, Sam became a top golf amateur. When he was 21, he won the Rochester District Golf Association title. The next year he was state amateur champion. Sam served in the Army for 18 months. He then went to St. Bonaventure where he starred in golf and basketball. As captain of the basketball team, he led the nation in free throw shooting for two years, and still has the St. Bonaventure free throw record.
As an amateur golfer, Sam won the Monroe Invitational three times. In the summer of 1950, Sam took part in the US Amateur Championship in Minneapolis. He was one of 210 golfers there. After winning the tournament, a Gannett newspapers plane brought him home. 5,000 fans greeted him at the airport. Neighbors on West Elm Street spray painted the road in front of the family’s home – “Welcome Home Sam Urzetta, US Amateur Champion.” His victory at Minneapolis truly made him a hero to our village. He played on the Walker Cup team twice (1951, 1953), and in the America’s Cup once (1952). His team won all three of these events. In 1952, Sam married his school classmate, Mary Ellen Trescott. They would have four children: Helen, Michael, Peter, and Joseph.
Sam turned pro in 1954. Over the years he took part in a number of tournaments and received many awards. He played in four US Opens, four Masters, four PGA Championships. He is on the Frontier Field (now Innovative Field) Walk of Fame, Monroe County Hall of Fame, Rochester District Association Hall of Fame, Western New York PGA Hall of Fame, St. Bonaventure Hall of Fame, and the ER Hall of Fame. He served as head golf pro at the Country Club of Rochester for 37 years, and was pro emeritus until he died. While he could have made a career as a professional golfer in tournaments, Sam chose to stay home with his family.
This summer Sam’s daughter, Helen, went to Minneapolis to visit the place where her father had b