Pete Cooper (golfer)
Richard Bernice "Pete" Cooper (December 31, 1914 – October 8, 1993) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s; he was best known for winning the 1976 PGA Seniors' Championship.
| Pete Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Richard Bernice Cooper |
| Born | December 31, 1914 |
| Died | October 8, 1993 (aged 78) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1938 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 23 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| Other | 17 (regular) 1 (senior) |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T12: 1956 |
| PGA Championship | T9: 1953 |
| U.S. Open | T4: 1953 |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1976 |
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 T4 at the 1953 U.S. Open.[1] He helped a young Chi-Chi Rodríguez 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.
Professional wins (23)
PGA Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 6, 1949 | St. Petersburg Open | −9 (68-67-69-71=275) | 1 stroke | Cary Middlecoff |
| 2 | Dec 10, 1950 | Miami International Four-Ball (with Claude Harmon) |
1 up | Dave Douglas and Jim Turnesa | |
| 3 | Jun 13, 1954 | Virginia Beach Open | −13 (67-64-64-68=263) | 1 stroke | Tommy Bolt |
| 4 | Mar 17, 1957 | St. Petersburg Open | −15 (68-68-68-65=269) | 4 strokes | Jack Burke Jr. |
| 5 | Nov 23, 1958 | West Palm Beach Open Invitational | −19 (68-63-68-70=269) | Playoff | Wes Ellis |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1958 | West Palm Beach Open Invitational | Wes Ellis |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1959 | West Palm Beach Open Invitational | Gay Brewer, Arnold Palmer |
Palmer won with par on fourth extra hole |
Other wins (17)
this list is probably incomplete
- 1944 Florida Open
- 1946 Florida Open
- 1948 Florida Open
- 1949 Florida Open
- 1950 Florida Open
- 1953 Metropolitan Open
- 1954 Orlando Two-ball (with Patty Berg)
- 1956 Michigan Open
- 1957 Florida Open
- 1958 Florida Open
- 1959 Panama Open, Puerto Rico Open, Colombian Open
- 1960 Jamaica Open, Maracaibo Open
- 1961 Panama Open
- 1966 Florida Open
Senior wins (1)
Team appearances
- Canada Cup (representing Puerto Rico): 1961[7]
References
- "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved January 15, 2008.
- MacFeely, F. T. (March 7, 1949). "Pete Cooper Wins With Eagle Three". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 6.
- "Dream Comes True For Cooper". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. December 11, 1950. p. 8.
- "Pete Cooper Wins At Virginia Beach, Heads for Open". The Day. Associated Press. June 14, 1954. p. 17.
- Bailey, Mercer (March 18, 1957). "Cooper Captures St. Pete Open". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 8.
- "Cooper Wins At WPB In Playoff". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. November 24, 1958. p. 10.
- "Canada Cup Golf Event Starts Today". Schenectady Gazette. Associated Press. June 1, 1961. p. 35.