Calvin Peete

Calvin Peete
Calvin Peete
Personal information
Full name	Calvin Peete
Born	July 18, 1943; Detroit, Michigan
Died	April 29, 2015 (aged 71); Atlanta, Georgia
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
Turned professional	1975
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour; Champions Tour
Professional wins	14
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	12
Japan Golf Tour	2
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	T11: 1986
PGA Championship	T3: 1982
U.S. Open	T4: 1983
The Open Championship	DNP
Achievements and awards
Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy	1984
Byron Nelson Award	1984

Calvin Peete (July 18, 1943 – April 29, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was the most successful African-American to have played on the PGA Tour, with 12 wins, prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods. Peete won the 1985 Tournament Players Championship and finished the season top-5 on the PGA Tour money list three times; 1982, 1983 and 1985. He was ranked in the top 10 players on the McCormack's World Golf Rankings in 1984.

Early life

Peete was born in Detroit. He did not begin playing golf until he was in his 20s, but immediately excelled at a game most pros learn as young children. He learned the game while peddling goods to migrant workers in Rochester, New York, playing on the public course at Genesee Valley Park. Growing up poor, Peete suffered a badly broken arm that was never properly set.[1]

Professional career

Peete successfully graduated onto the PGA Tour at Spring 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He was the leader in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour for 10 straight years, 1981–90. He was inducted into the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.[2]

Peete played on the 1983 and 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup teams. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1984. He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for several weeks when they debuted in 1986.[3]

Personal life

Peete died of lung cancer, in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2015.[4] He was 71.

Professional wins (14)

PGA Tour wins (12)

Legend
Players Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (11)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jul 15, 1979	Greater Milwaukee Open	69-67-68-65=269	−19	5 strokes	Victor Regalado, Jim Simons, Lee Trevino
2	Jul 11, 1982	Greater Milwaukee Open (2)	70-66-69-69=274	−14	2 strokes	Victor Regalado
3	Jul 25, 1982	Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic	66-68-69=203*	−10	2 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
4	Sep 5, 1982	B.C. Open	69-63-64-69=265	−19	7 strokes	Jerry Pate
5	Oct 24, 1982	Pensacola Open	65-66-72-65=268	−16	7 strokes	Dan Halldorson, Hal Sutton
6	May 22, 1983	Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic	68-75-63=206*	−10	2 strokes	Chip Beck, Jim Colbert, Don Pooley
7	Jul 24, 1983	Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic (2)	66-75-66-69=276	−8	1 stroke	Tim Norris
8	Oct 7, 1984	Texas Open	67-67-66-66=266	−14	3 strokes	Bruce Lietzke
9	Jan 20, 1985	Phoenix Open	65-65-72-68=270	−14	2 strokes	Morris Hatalsky, Doug Tewell
10	Mar 31, 1985	Tournament Players Championship	70-69-69-66=274	−14	3 strokes	D. A. Weibring
11	Jan 11, 1986	MONY Tournament of Champions	68-67-64-68=267	−21	6 strokes	Mark O'Meara
12	Mar 23, 1986	USF&G Classic	68-67-66-68=269	−19	5 strokes	Pat McGowan

*Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1986	Houston Open	Curtis Strange	Lost to birdie on third extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	Nov 7, 1982	Goldwin Cup Japan vs USA	66-68=134	−10	Shared title with Bob Gilder
2	Nov 21, 1982	Dunlop Phoenix Tournament	73-69-67-72=281	−7	3 strokes	Seve Ballesteros, Larry Nelson

Results in major championships

Tournament	1976	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988
Masters Tournament			T19	T21	T30	49	T15	T31	T11	T33
U.S. Open	T23	T11	T28	T14	T10	T4	WD		T24	CUT
PGA Championship		T42		T43	T3	T36	4	T18	T30	WD	T38

Note: Peete never played in The Open Championship.

Top 10

Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Summary

Tournament	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	4	8	8
U.S. Open	0	1	2	6	9	7
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0
PGA Championship	1	2	2	3	9	8
Totals	1	3	4	13	26	23

Most consecutive cuts made – 22 (1976 U.S. Open – 1987 Masters)
Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1982 U.S. Open – 1982 PGA)

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1985	Tournament Players Championship	Tied for lead	−14 (70-69-69-66=274)	3 strokes	D. A. Weibring

Results timeline

Tournament	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
The Players Championship	CUT	CUT	CUT	T70	T29	T41	T35		1	CUT	CUT	T16	CUT	T46	76	WD	CUT	WD	WD

Win