Walter Hagen was golf's first extrovert character, flamboyant in everything he did. He had a chauffeur-driven limousine, enjoyed partying well into the early hours - even during tournaments - and he always wore the most fashionable clothes. He was a showman in every sense.

Yet behind that glitzy exterior lay a tough competitor. In a career that spanned over 20 years, Walter Hagen collected 11 professional major titles - only Jack Nicklaus has won more. And bear in mind that Hagen never had the opportunity to play in as many major tournaments as the likes of Nicklaus, Hogan, Palmer or Watson. When Hagen was at his peak, between 1913 and 1930, the US Masters didn't exist. He also lost a couple of years to the First World War. But his record was still outstanding. Despite being one of golf's all-time greats, Hagen was never a particularly good ball striker. His driving was erratic and it was once said that he played more bad shots in one year than Harry Vardon did in his career. But his short game was a revelation. His powers of recovery were immense. If he missed a green in regulation he would usually get up and down in two. He was also an excellent putter and had great nerve on the green. Hagen won two US Opens and four British Opens but where he really excelled was at matchplay. He triumphed in five USPGA Championships including four in a row from 1924. And he holds the USPGA record for winning most successive matches - 22 in all. He also had a good Ryder Cup record, winning seven of his nine contests and losing only once. That defeat came at the hands of George Duncan who thrashed Hagen 10&8 (over 36 holes) at Moortown, Leeds, in 1929.

Hagen was credited with raising the status of professional golf. In the early years of this century, professional golfers were simply servants of the clubs that employed them to teach wealthy members. When Hagen first came to England to play in the 1920 British Open at Deal, he shocked the game's establishment by ordering champagne to be delivered to his limousine which was parked in the club's driveway. At the time, professionals were not allowed to enter the clubhouse through the front door, they had to use either a side or back entrance. So Hagen made a point of not going into the clubhouse at all. Everything he needed was delivered to his car. He refused to accept second class treatment. His clashes with the establishment, both sides of the Atlantic, was legendary yet it helped to give golf a higher profile, as did his colourful personality. This, in turn, brought greater sponsorship into the game. And as Hagen's great friend and rival, Gene Sarazen, once commented: "All the players who have a chance to go after big money should say a silent prayer to Walter Hagen. It was Walter who made professional golf what it is."

"That's the easiest sixty-nine I ever made" - Walter Hagen, on turning sixty-nine

Hagen is congratulated by his wife after winning the British Open at Hoylake in Junre 1924.

Hagen was golf's first superstar.