Bob Murphy (golfer)

Bob Murphy
Personal information
Full name Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr.
Born February 14, 1943 (1943-02-14) (age 69)
Brooklyn, New York
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Nationality  United States
Residence Delray Beach, Florida
Spouse Gail
Career
College University of Florida
Turned professional 1967
Current tour(s) Champions Tour
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 21
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 5
Champions Tour 11
Other 5
Best results in Major Championships
Masters Tournament T13: 1971
U.S. Open T3: 1975
The Open Championship T48: 1976
PGA Championship T2: 1970

Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr. (born February 14, 1943) is an American professional golfer who was formerly a member of the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Murphy has won 21 tournaments as a professional.

Contents

Early years

Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] He was a standout pitcher in his youth, and as a teen led his high school baseball team to the state championship in 1960. After suffering a football injury (which also ended his baseball career), Murphy got started in golf.[2]

College career

Murphy attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[1] where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity (Florida Upsilon Chapter). While he was an undergraduate, he played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1964 to 1966.[3] While he was an undergraduate, he won the 1965 U.S. Amateur Championship and the 1966 individual NCAA championship,[3] and was recognized as an All-American in 1966.[2][4] He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in health and human performance in 1966,[1] and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1971.[5][6]

Professional career

Murphy turned professional in 1967,[1] and won five tournaments on the PGA Tour.[2] He was a member of the victorious U.S. team in the 1975 Ryder Cup competition.[7] His best finish in a major tournament was a second-place tie at the 1970 PGA Championship.[8] Murphy won 11 times on the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour).

He joined NBC Sports in November 1999, and is now a tower announcer for the PGA Tour on NBC.[7][2]

He was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Personal life

Murphy lives in Delray Beach, Florida with his wife, Gail.[7]

Amateur wins (2)

Professional wins (21)

PGA Tour wins (5)

No. Date Tournament Winning Score Margin of Victory Runner(s)-up
1 Aug 25, 1968 Philadelphia Golf Classic -12 (69-71-66-70=2769) Playoff Labron Harris, Jr.
2 Sep 2, 1968 Thunderbird Classic -11 (68-70-71-69=277) 3 strokes Bruce Crampton, Bob Lunn
3 Sep 7, 1970 Greater Hartford Open Invitational -17 (66-66-66-69=267) 4 strokes Paul Harney
4 Mar 2, 1975 Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic -17 (68-71-66-68=273) 1 stroke Eddie Pearce
5 Jun 29, 1986 Canadian Open -8 (71-70-68-71=280) 3 strokes Greg Norman

PGA Tour playoff record (1-5)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1968 Philadelphia Golf Classic Labron Harris, Jr. Won with birdie on third extra hole
2 1970 Tucson Open Lee Trevino Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 1972 Hawaiian Open Grier Jones Lost to par on first extra hole
4 1973 Westchester Classic Bobby Nichols Lost to birdie on second extra hole
5 1974 World Open Golf Championship Frank Beard, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller Miller won with birdie on second extra hole
Murphy eliminated with par on first extra hole
6 1981 Tallahassee Open Dave Eichelberger, Mark O'Meara Eichelberger won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (3)

Senior PGA Tour wins (11)

Other senior wins (2)

Results in major championships

Tournament 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters T59 LA 52 LA DNP CUT
U.S. Open T15 LA T23 LA T32 5
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP T63
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters T23 T13 T43 DNP DNP 42 T28 T31 DNP DNP
U.S. Open CUT CUT T63 T20 DNP T3 CUT DNP CUT T25
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T48 DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T2 T46 T40 T35 T32 T25 CUT T25 T54 CUT
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT
U.S. Open CUT DNP DNP T50 DNP DNP CUT DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T20 18 T34 DNP CUT T62 69 DNP

LA = Low Amateur
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

See also

Biography portal
Golf portal

References

  1. ^ a b c d PGATour.com, Champions Tour, Players, Bob Murphy Profile. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d PGATour.com, Champions Tour, Players, Bob Murphy Media Guide. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 29, 34, 39, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  4. ^ 2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 36 (2008). Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  5. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  6. ^ Associated Press, "O'Connell Lauded for Actions," Sarasota Journal (May 3, 1971). Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c NBCSports.com, Golf, Bob Murphy, Tower Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  8. ^ Golf Major Championships, Players, Bob Murphy. Retrieved July 24, 2011.

External links

United States Ryder Cup team – 1975

Billy Casper • Raymond Floyd • Al Geiberger • Lou Graham • Hale Irwin • Gene Littler • Johnny Miller • Bob Murphy • Jack Nicklaus • J. C. Snead • Lee Trevino • Tom Weiskopf

Arnold Palmer (non-playing captain)
Won: 21 – 11