Michael Souchak (May 10, 1927 – July 10, 2008) was an American professional golfer who won fifteen events on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s, and played for the Ryder Cup teams in 1959 and 1961.
In his first win at the 1955 Texas Open, Souchak set and tied several records. In the first round, he tied the tour’s 18-hole record with a 60. This record was finally broken in 1977 by Al Geiberger’s 59, and then lowered by Jim Furyk’s 58 in 2016. This first round also included a record-breaking 27 on the back nine holes, a record that was tied by Andy North in 1975, Billy Mayfair in 2001 and Robert Gamez in 2004, and broken by Corey Pavin in 2006. He then finished with a 72-hole record of 257 (27-under-par). This record stood until 2001 when Mark Calcavecchia shot 256 at the Phoenix Open (this record was subsequently broken when Tommy Armour III shot 254 at the Valero Texas Open in 2003). Justin Thomas lowered the mark again in 2017 when he shot 253 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Souchak’s 15 PGA Tour wins came between 1955 and 1964, with his best year being 1956, when he won four times. He won three tour titles in 1959, and was on an early cover of Sports Illustrated in January 1956, for its preview of the Bing Crosby Pro-Am.
