Pete Cooper (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Bernice "Pete" Cooper (December 31, 1914 – October 8, 1993) was an American professional golf
er on the PGA Tour
in the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.
Cooper turned professional in 1938. In the ten-year span between 1949 and 1958, he won five official PGA Tour events and had runner-up finishes in the 1950 Houston Open and the 1955 Tournament of Champions. His best finish in a major
was T-4 at the 1953 U.S. Open
. He helped a young Chi Chi Rodriguez improve enough to secure a spot on the PGA Tour.
Cooper won the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship at the age of 61 with a four-day total of 283 over runner-up Fred Wampler
. The tournament was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
.
Cooper lived in Lakeland, Florida
, where he owned the Par 3 and Lone Palm Golf Club. He was also active in golf course design.
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 on 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 the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.
Cooper turned professional in 1938. In the ten-year span between 1949 and 1958, he won five official PGA Tour events and had runner-up finishes in the 1950 Houston Open and the 1955 Tournament of Champions. His best finish in a major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was T-4 at the 1953 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...
. He helped a young Chi Chi Rodriguez improve enough to secure a spot on the PGA Tour.
Cooper won the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship at the age of 61 with a four-day total of 283 over runner-up Fred Wampler
Fred Wampler (golfer)
Frederick Wampler was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.Wampler was born in Bedford, Indiana. He played on the Purdue University golf team from 1948 to 1950...
. The tournament was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Cooper lived in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
, where he owned the Par 3 and Lone Palm Golf Club. He was also active in golf course design.
PGA Tour wins (5)
- 1949 St. Petersburg OpenSt. Petersburg Open InvitationalThe St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. The clubs that hosted the event were: St...
- 1950 Miami International Four-BallMiami International Four-BallThe Miami International Four-Ball was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1924 to 1954. It was played primarily at what is now the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club in Miami, Florida...
(with Claude HarmonClaude HarmonEugene Claude Harmon, Sr. was an American golfer.Harmon was born in Savannah, Georgia, and spent much of his boyhood in the Orlando area. A youthful prodigy, Harmon qualified for the U.S. Amateur at age 15 in 1931...
) - 1954 Virginia Beach Open
- 1957 St. Petersburg OpenSt. Petersburg Open InvitationalThe St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. The clubs that hosted the event were: St...
- 1958 West Palm Beach Open InvitationalWest Palm Beach Open InvitationalThe West Palm Beach Open Invitational, first played as The West Palm Beach Open, was a PGA Tour event in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was held at the West Palm Beach Country Club, now known as the West Palm Beach Golf Course, an 18-hole, par-72 championship course established in 1921 and in...
Other wins (17)
this list is probably incomplete- 1944 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1946 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1948 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1949 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1950 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1953 Metropolitan OpenMetropolitan OpenThe Metropolitan Open is golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 and is the third oldest "Open" golf tournament in the United States after the U.S. Open and the Western Open. It is held at member clubs in New York, New Jersey, and...
- 1954 Orlando Two-ball (with Patty BergPatty BergPatricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...
) - 1956 Michigan OpenMichigan OpenThe Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America...
- 1957 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1958 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1959 Panama OpenPanama OpenThe Panama Open was a golf tournament played from 1938 to 1982. The name was revived in 1996, when it was an unofficial event on the Canadian Tour...
, Puerto Rico OpenPuerto Rico OpenThe Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com is a professional golf tournament played for the first time on the PGA Tour from March 20 to March 23, 2008. The prize fund was US$3.5 million with $630,000 going to the winner. The tournament was played at the Trump International Golf Club Puerto...
, Colombian OpenColombian OpenThe Colombian Open, or Abierto de Colombia, is a golf tournament on the Colombian Tour that was first played in 1945. It has also on occasion been an event on the Tour de las Americas.... - 1960 Jamaica Open, Maracaibo Open
- 1961 Panama OpenPanama OpenThe Panama Open was a golf tournament played from 1938 to 1982. The name was revived in 1996, when it was an unofficial event on the Canadian Tour...
- 1966 Florida OpenFlorida OpenThe Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association . It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the state...