Tom Weiskopf, American golfer and sportscaster
Thomas Daniel Weiskopf (born November 9, 1942) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course architect.
Weiskopf was born in Massillon, Ohio. He attended Benedictine High School in Cleveland, and Ohio State University, where he played on the golf team. He turned professional in 1964.
Weiskopf's first win on the PGA Tour came at the Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational in 1968, and fifteen more followed by 1982. His career season was 1973, when he won seven tournaments around the world, including The Open Championship at Royal Troon, and he would finish that year ranked second in the world according to Mark McCormack's world golf rankings. This was to remain his only major championship victory, but he was a four-time runner-up at The Masters and also had a T2 finish at the 1976 U.S. Open.Weiskopf won the Canadian Open in 1973 and 1975; the latter win was achieved in dramatic fashion, with a one-hole playoff win over archrival Jack Nicklaus, when Weiskopf nearly holed his approach on the 15th hole at the Royal Montreal Golf Club's Blue Course. Weiskopf was a member of the United States team in the 1973 and 1975 Ryder Cups. He qualified as well for the 1977 team, but decided to skip the competition in order to go big-game hunting.Weiskopf's swing was much admired in the golf world. He hit the ball high, generated enormous power and had very good control as well, a rare combination. Weiskopf's displays of temper on the golf course earned him the nickname of "The Towering Inferno".
Weiskopf joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1993 and won several senior tournaments, including one senior major, the 1995 U.S. Senior Open.He has also worked as a golf analyst for CBS Sports, covering the 1981 and 1985 to 1995 Masters. Since 2008, he has contributed to ABC Sports and ESPN's coverage of The Open Championship.
1942Nov, 9
Tom Weiskopf
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Events on 1942
- 25Jan
Thailand
World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom. - 8Mar
Myanmar
World War II: Imperial Japanese Army forces captured Rangoon, Burma from British. - 10Jul
Soviet Union
Diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and the Soviet Union are established. - 13Aug
Manhattan Project
Major General Eugene Reybold of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizes the construction of facilities that would house the "Development of Substitute Materials" project, better known as the Manhattan Project. - 25Sep
Holocaust
World War II: Swiss Police instruction dictates that "Under current practice ... refugees on the grounds of race alone are not political refugees", effectively denying entry to Jews trying to flee occupied Europe during the Holocaust.