Eddie Draper
Golfer

Mr. Eddie Draper first made his mark in golf as a young player in the Seattle, Washington area, where he collected junior golf, high school, and amateur titles with abandon in the 1940s and 1950s. Mr. Draper then made his way to the Las Vegas area, and continued his championship golf. He came to the Las Vegas in the mid-fifties, after a brief stint working as a pro under former Masters champion Claude Harmon (father of 206 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame inductee Butch Harmon), and went to work as a teaching professional for the legendary Howard Capps at the historic Desert Inn Country Club. He also played in professional events in the area, claiming several titles while also attempting to play professionally.

During his long golf career, Draper won some very prestigious titles and played in some of golf’s biggest tournaments. He won the 1952 Washington State Amateur, played in the 1952 and 1953 United State Amateur tournaments, qualified for the 1955 United States Open at Baltusrol Country Club in New Jersey, and was the low amateur at the 1955 Los Angeles Open, a professional event on the PGA Tour. “Eddie Draper is a golfer for all ages,” said Jack Sheehan, nationally-known Las Vegas golf author. “An outstanding professional, with many state open and regional titles to his credit, he eventually retained his amateur status and filled several trophy cases with his dominance in local and state tournaments. Holder of many course records, and considered a wizard around the greens, Draper was perhaps born a generation too late. For had the money in professional golf extended beyond the first 25 players in his era, he certainly would have made a handsome living on the most lucrative professional tours. At one time or another Draper held more than half a dozen course records in the Las Vegas area.”

1940s Won Seattle High School Championship, Seattle City Junior Championship, and the Sixth Army Championship in San Francisco

1950s Appointed to three Morse Cup teams
1951 Washington State Open Champion
1952 Washington State Amateur Champion
1952-53 Qualified for United States Amateur
1953 Seattle City Amateur Champion
1954 Tacoma Open Champion
1955 Low Amateur, Los Angeles Open, PGA Tour
1955 Low Amateur, Phoenix Open, PGA Tour
1956 Washington Open Champion
1962-63 Black Mountain Professional Open Champion
1971 Las Vegas City Amateur Champion
1975 Southern Nevada Amateur Champion
1975 Clark County Amateur Champion
1976 Southern Nevada Amateur Champion
1984 Turns pro again and is low qualifier for Las Vegas Senior Classic
1985 Qualified for U.S. Senior Open