Diegel was a runner-up in his first
U.S. Open in
1920, one stroke behind champion
Ted Ray. He won 28
PGA circuit events, and was a four-time winner of the
Canadian Open (1924–25, 1928–29); a record for that event. In 1925, Diegel outperformed over 100 competitors to win the Florida Open (billed as the "Greatest Field Of Golfers Ever to Play in Florida") at the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club. Diegel was selected for the first four
Ryder Cup teams in
1927,
1929,
1931, and
1933. His greatest season was 1928, with wins at the
Canadian Open and the
match play PGA Championship, where he stopped the four-year winning streak of
Walter Hagen. Diegel defeated him in the quarterfinal to avenge earlier defeats in the
1925 quarterfinal and the
1926 final. Diegel achieved the rare feat of defending both titles successfully in 1929, this time defeating Hagen in the semifinals of the PGA. Diegel was a runner-up to
Bobby Jones at the
British Open in
1930. Diegel was an excellent ball-striker, but struggled with his putting after joining the tour. After extensive experimentation, he eventually developed an unusual putting style where he pointed both elbows outwards; this was referred to as 'Diegeling'. He was a tour winner from 1920 to 1934, but dropped out of regular contention when he reached his mid-30s; a playful wrestling incident in
Australia in late 1934 with friend
Harry Cooper caused nerve damage to his right shoulder and effectively ended his tour career. ==Death==