Rod Funseth
Rod Funseth | |
---|---|
— Golfer — | |
Personal information | |
Full name | James Rodney Funseth |
Born |
Spokane, Washington | April 3, 1933
Died |
September 9, 1985 52) Napa, California | (aged
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
Nationality | United States |
Career | |
College |
University of Idaho (briefly attended)[1][2] |
Turned professional | 1956 |
Retired | 1985 (death) |
Former tour(s) |
PGA Tour Senior PGA Tour |
Professional wins | 8 |
Number of wins by tour | |
PGA Tour | 3 |
Champions Tour | 1 |
Other | 4 |
Best results in Major Championships | |
Masters Tournament | T2: 1978 |
U.S. Open | T10: 1977 |
The Open Championship | DNP |
PGA Championship | T8: 1965 |
James Rodney "Rod" Funseth (April 3, 1933 – September 9, 1985) was an American professional golfer who played on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour).
Funseth was known for being one of the game's long hitters in his time and for having a pessimistic attitude toward the game.[3][4] He claimed that his "I'll never be able to make that shot" mental attitude of lowered expectations helped motivate him to play better.[1][5][6]
Early years
Born and raised in Spokane, Washington,[7] Funseth's father was a men's clothing store operator, born in Sweden.[1] Rod competed with his older brother Carl for city junior titles[1][8] and graduated from North Central High School in 1951.[9] Funseth briefly attended the University of Idaho in Moscow[2][10] to study civil engineering, but did not graduate.[1][11] He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[12]
PGA Tour
Funseth played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1963–1979 and won three tournaments during this period. The first event he won was the 1965 Phoenix Open Invitational. His second win came at the 1973 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. His final Tour win came in 1978 at the Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open,[7] which paid for his horse barn.[13] Funseth's best finish in a major championship was T2 at the 1978 Masters, one stroke behind Gary Player.[14] Funseth shot a final round 69, but Player carded a 64.
Senior Tour
Funseth became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour after reaching his 50th birthday in April 1983. He had a great deal of success his first year on the Senior Tour winning the Hall of Fame Tournament, the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Roberto De Vicenzo), and finishing second to Billy Casper in a playoff at the U.S. Senior Open; however, this phase of his career would be cut short by terminal cancer, attributed to exposure to asbestos in his late teens.[7][15]
Funseth died at the age of 52 at his home beside the 12th hole of the Silverado Country Club in Napa, California. He was survived by his wife Sandi and their two children, Lisa and Mark.[3][7] In 1999, he was inducted posthumously into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.[16]
Professional wins (8)
PGA Tour wins (3)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Feb 14, 1965 | Phoenix Open Invitational | 71-68-68-67=274 | −14 | 3 strokes | Bert Yancey |
2 | Jan 7, 1973 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | 73-69-65-69=276 | −8 | 2 strokes | Don Bies, David Graham, Tom Weiskopf |
3 | Jul 30, 1978 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | 65-67-68-64=264 | −20 | 6 strokes | Dale Douglass, Lee Elder, Billy Kratzert |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1971 | Greater Greensboro Open | Buddy Allin, Dave Eichelberger | Allin won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (3)
- 1964 Northwest Open
- 1973 Confidence Open
- 1977 Spalding Invitational
Senior PGA Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 22, 1983 | Hall of Fame Tournament | 66-67-65=198 | −18 | 9 strokes | Charlie Sifford |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1983 | U.S. Senior Open | Billy Casper | Lost to birdie on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff (Casper:75, Funseth:75) |
Other senior wins (1)
- 1983 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Roberto DeVicenzo)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Bingham, Walter (June 12, 1978). "Look For The Man Early, Not Late". Sports Illustrated: 51. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Barrows, Bob (August 22, 1975). "Funseth recalls steelhead fishing". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1B. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Funseth loses battle with cancer". Spokesman-Review. September 10, 1985. p. B1. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "It's Rod Funseth in a breeze". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. January 8, 1973. p. 8.
- ↑ McKenzie, Mike (April 10, 1977). "Rod's clods". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 2B.
- ↑ "Johnny Miller Talks Golf". Golf Digest. October 2005. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Rod Funseth, 52, Pro Golfer Earned More Than $600,000". The New York Times. September 11, 1985. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Carl Funseth trims brother Rodney, 5 and 4, for city junior title". Spokesman-Review. August 16, 1948. p. 9. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Rod Funseth, 1951". North Central High School Alumni Association. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Sports celebrities tackle LCC". Lewiston Morning Tribune. August 23, 1975. p. 1B. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ Ashlock, Herb (July 16, 1954). "From the Bench". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 13. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Sigma Alpha Epsilon". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1952. p. 284.
- ↑ "Win by Funseth pays for barn". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. July 31, 1978. p. 17. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ Blanchette, John (September 11, 1985). "Rod breathed life into golf". Spokane Chronicle. p. C4. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ↑ "State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame: Golf". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
External links
- Rod Funseth at the PGA Tour official site