Bob Toski
Encyclopedia
Robert John Toski, born Algustoski (born September 18, 1926), is an American
golf
er and teacher.
He was born in Haydenville, Massachusetts
of Polish descent. He learned to play at Northampton Country Club, where he caddied and two of his elder brothers were assistant professionals. He joined the PGA Tour
in 1949 and was the leading money winner in 1954, winning four times including $50,000 at World Championship of Golf. He left the tour aged 30 so he could spend more time with his young family (perhaps influenced by having lost his own mother at age six), and took a series of jobs as a club professional.
Later he found renewed fame as a leading golf coach, helping pros such as Tom Kite
, Bruce Crampton
and Judy Rankin
. He also wrote several books and made some of the earliest golf instruction videos. In the early 1980s he was a regular on NBC Sports
golf telecasts.
Toski began playing on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) upon its formation in 1980. He left the Tour in January 1986 after he became involved in a controversy over how he marked his ball in a tournament in Japan. He returned in April 1986 and played several more years on the Tour.
He was the first living instructor inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame and he is also a member of the National Polish-American Hall of Fame
.
Note: Toski never played in The Open Championship
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and teacher.
He was born in Haydenville, Massachusetts
Williamsburg, Massachusetts
Williamsburg is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,482 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.-The Mill River Flood:...
of Polish descent. He learned to play at Northampton Country Club, where he caddied and two of his elder brothers were assistant professionals. He joined the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in 1949 and was the leading money winner in 1954, winning four times including $50,000 at World Championship of Golf. He left the tour aged 30 so he could spend more time with his young family (perhaps influenced by having lost his own mother at age six), and took a series of jobs as a club professional.
Later he found renewed fame as a leading golf coach, helping pros such as Tom Kite
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994....
, Bruce Crampton
Bruce Crampton
Bruce Crampton is an Australian professional golfer.Crampton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and attended Kogarah High School from 1948-1950. He turned professional in 1953....
and Judy Rankin
Judy Rankin
Judy Torluemke Rankin is an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1962 and won 26 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Amateur career:...
. He also wrote several books and made some of the earliest golf instruction videos. In the early 1980s he was a regular on NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
golf telecasts.
Toski began playing on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) upon its formation in 1980. He left the Tour in January 1986 after he became involved in a controversy over how he marked his ball in a tournament in Japan. He returned in April 1986 and played several more years on the Tour.
He was the first living instructor inducted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame and he is also a member of the National Polish-American Hall of Fame
National Polish-American Hall of Fame
The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum was founded February 30, 1973 to honor and recognize outstanding American athletes, both amateur and professional, of Polish descent....
.
PGA Tour wins (5)
- 1953 (1) Insurance City Open
- 1954 (4) Baton Rouge Open, Azalea Open, Eastern Open, World Championship of GolfWorld Championship of GolfThe World Championship of Golf was a championship played on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s that, in its latter years, boasted a purse that dwarfed every other event on the tour, including even the U.S. Open. It was played in August of each year at the Tam O'Shanter Country Club, in Niles,...
Other wins (4)
this list is probably incomplete- 1958 Massachusetts OpenMassachusetts OpenThe Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Massachusetts Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 at a variety of courses around the state. It was considered a PGA Tour event from...
, Jamaica Open, Puerto Rico Open - 1959 Maine OpenMaine OpenThe Maine Open is the Maine state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Maine State Golf Association...
Other senior wins (2)
- 1990 Liberty Mutual Legends of GolfLiberty Mutual Legends of GolfThe Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament...
- Legendary Division (with Mike FetchickMike FetchickMichael Fetchick is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.Fetchick was born in Yonkers, New York. He turned pro in 1950 and joined the PGA Tour in 1952. He won the 1956 Western Open at The Presidio in San Francisco in an 18-hole playoff over Doug Ford,...
) - 1992 Liberty Mutual Legends of GolfLiberty Mutual Legends of GolfThe Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April currently in Savannah, Georgia at The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. Liberty Mutual is the main sponsor of the tournament...
- Legendary Division (with Mike FetchickMike FetchickMichael Fetchick is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.Fetchick was born in Yonkers, New York. He turned pro in 1950 and joined the PGA Tour in 1952. He won the 1956 Western Open at The Presidio in San Francisco in an 18-hole playoff over Doug Ford,...
)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | T18 | T40 | DNP | T22 | T41 | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T20 | CUT | DNP | DNP | T18 | DNP | T17 | DNP | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
R16 | R64 | R64 | R32 | R16 | DNP | DNP | R128 | T20 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T51 |
Note: Toski never played in The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
Yellow background for top-10.
External links
- GOLFONLINE bio and guide to Toski's coaching theory
- Toski Golf - golf equipment company
- Toski-Battersby Golf Learning Center - Toski's golf school in Florida