Bob Friend (golfer)
Bob Friend (born December 5, 1963) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.
| Bob Friend | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 5, 1963 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 13 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Louisiana State University |
| Turned professional | 1987 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Nationwide Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 2 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | CUT: 1999 |
| U.S. Open | CUT: 1984, 1988, 1994, 1999 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Golfing career
Friend joined the Ben Hogan Tour (now Nationwide Tour) in 1990 and recorded five top-10 finished including a second-place finish at the Ben Hogan El Paso Open during his rookie year on Tour. The following year he won the Ben Hogan Fort Wayne Open and earned his PGA Tour card for 1992 through qualifying school. In his rookie year on Tour he didn't play well enough to retain full-time status on Tour but his 137th-place finish gave him partial status. He split time between Tours in 1993 with the highlights of his year coming on the Nationwide Tour where he recorded a second-place finish and a tied for third finish. He played full-time on the Nationwide Tour in 1994 where he recorded five top-10 finishes and two third-place finishes. He struggled in 1995 but recorded two top-10 finishes. He didn't play on Tour in 1996 and returned to the Nationwide Tour in 1997 where he recorded three top-10 finishes. He returned to the PGA Tour in 1998, earning his card through qualifying school. He played very well during his second stint on Tour, finishing 57th on the money list. He lost in a playoff to Billy Andrade at the Bell Canadian Open and recorded three top-10 finishes. He didn't play as well the following year and had to go through qualifying school to retain his card. In 2000, his final year on the PGA Tour, he struggled and returned to the Nationwide Tour the following year where he would play until 2003.
Friend is the son of the late MLB pitcher Bob Friend (1930–2019), who was a four-time All-Star and 1960 World Series Champion with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is father to Charles, Libby, and Andrew Friend. He currently works as a real estate agent for Howard Hanna Real Estate in the Fox Chapel area.[1]
Amateur wins
- 1984 Western Pennsylvania Amateur[2]
- 1985 Western Pennsylvania Amateur,[2] Pennsylvania Amateur[2]
- 1986 SEC Championship, Monroe Invitational, Northeast Amateur, Mid-Atlantic Amateur[3]
Professional wins (2)
Nike Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 23, 1991 | Ben Hogan Fort Wayne Open | −12 (71-66-64=201) | Playoff | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Jerry Anderson, Dennis Trixler |
Nike Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991 | Ben Hogan Fort Wayne Open | Jerry Anderson, Dennis Trixler |
Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 2 | 1993 | Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic | Jim Furyk |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
- 1998 Panama Open
Playoff record
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998 | Bell Canadian Open | Billy Andrade |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
See also
References
- "Bob Friend Pittsburgh, PA Realtor". Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- Love of golf good reason for Friend to play on
- "Bob Friend – Profile". PGA Tour.
External links
- Bob Friend at the PGA Tour official site
- Bob Friend at the Official World Golf Ranking official site