Dan Sikes

Daniel David Sikes, Jr. (December 7, 1929 – December 20, 1987) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. Sikes won nine tournaments as a pro, including six PGA Tour events. He was influential as the chairman of the tournament players committee in the late 1960s, prior to the formation of the PGA Tour.

Early years

Born in Wildwood, Florida, Sikes was raised in Jacksonville and attended Andrew Jackson High School.

College career

He enrolled the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for the Florida Gators' golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1951 to 1953. He was recognized as an All-American in 1952—the University of Florida's first All-American golfer. Sikes graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1953, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."

Professional career

Although he later earned a law degree from the university's College of Law and was known as the "golfing lawyer," he never actually practiced law. He was the chairman and spokesman of the controversial tournament players' committee prior to the formation of the "Tournament Players Division" in late 1968, which was later renamed the PGA Tour.