| 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 | |||||
| |||||
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.
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]
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]
Peete died of lung cancer, in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2015.[4] He was 71.
| 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 |
| 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
|
| Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 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.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 26 | 23 |
| 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
|
| 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 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
