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. This first round also included a record-breaking 27 on the back nine holes. This record was not broken until 2006 by
Corey Pavin. He then finished with a 72-hole record of 257 (27-under-par). This aggregate total record also stood until the 21st century until
Mark Calcavecchia shot 256 at the 2001
Phoenix Open. Souchak's fifteen PGA Tour wins came between 1955 and 1964, with his best year in 1956 (four victories). 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. Souchak had eleven top-10 finishes at
major championships, including third-place finishes at the
U.S. Open in
1959 and
1960. Souchak led after 36 holes in 1960 with a new record score of 135, which was 7-under-par. But he struggled on the final hole of the third round (which was played on the same day as the fourth round,) making a triple bogey, and couldn't regain his composure.
Arnold Palmer, who had been seven strokes behind entering the final round, shot 65 to win the championship. In 1970, Souchak moved from North Carolina to
Florida and became the first head pro at the
Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in
Palm Harbor, Florida, and resided in
Belleair. Souchak played on the
Senior PGA Tour from its inception in 1980 until 1990. His best finish was second place in his very first tournament, the
Atlantic City Senior International in 1980. == Personal life ==