Bob Rosburg

Bob Rosburg
Bob Rosburg
	Rosburg at the 1956 U.S. Open
Personal information
Full name	Robert Reginald Rosburg
Nickname	Rossie
Born	October 21, 1926; San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	May 14, 2009 (aged 82); Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Spouse	Eleanor
Children	3
Career
College	Stanford University
Turned professional	1953
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	10
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	6
Other	4
Best results in major championships; (wins: 1)
Masters Tournament	T4: 1955
PGA Championship	Won: 1959
U.S. Open	2nd/T2: 1959, 1969
The Open Championship	DNP
Achievements and awards
Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy	1958

Robert Reginald "Rossie" Rosburg (October 21, 1926 – May 14, 2009) was an American professional golfer who later became a sports color analyst for ABC television.^[1]

Early years, college

Rosburg was born in San Francisco, California. He played golf as a junior at the Olympic Club, and at the age of 12, he faced the then-retired baseball Hall of Famer, Ty Cobb, in the first flight of the club championship, and beat Cobb 7 and 6. Rosburg says Cobb was gracious in defeat and shook the young Rosburg's hand, but Cobb took so much kidding from the other Olympic Club members that for many years, Rosburg hardly ever saw Cobb back at the club. Rosburg was an outstanding baseball player at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California during the 1940s, and almost chose baseball as a career over golf. He graduated from Stanford in 1949, and turned pro in 1953. He is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.^[2]

PGA Tour career

During his career, Rosburg was one of the most consistent top-10 finishers on the PGA Tour. Rosburg won the Vardon Trophy in 1958 for the lowest average score (70.11) on tour that year. Rosburg's career year was 1959, when he finished seventh on the money list and was named to the Ryder Cup team, after winning the PGA Championship and finishing second in the U.S. Open. In 1969, he won the PGA Club Professional Championship. He won six tour events during the course of his career, before moving into semi-retirement after the 1972 season, his most successful financially. That year, he won the Bob Hope Desert Classic by one stroke over Lanny Wadkins.^[3]

The 1959 PGA Championship was played at the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Rosburg won with a 72-hole score of 277 by one stroke over Jerry Barber and Doug Sanders. Rosburg claimed that he won the 1959 PGA Championship without ever hitting a practice shot during that week, except for a few chips and puts. He came close to winning a second major that year, finishing 2nd at the U.S. Open to Billy Casper. He also finished in a three-way tie for 2nd at the 1969 U.S. Open, one stroke behind Orville Moody.

Broadcasting career

Rosburg's family watch him win the 1959 PGA Championship

After his playing days on the PGA Tour finished in the mid-1970s, Rosburg became a commentator for ABC sports television. He pioneered the now-common practice of roving on the golf course and reporting from the fairways.^[1] At the time of his death, he was the longest serving active golf announcer on television, with more than 30 years behind the microphone. He is remembered for his catch phrase, "He's got no chance, Jim", which Rosburg would utter whenever he encountered a golfer who had hit his ball into a seemingly impossible position (usually behind a tree or in deep grass), upon which the player would then produce a miraculous recovery. The "Jim" is in reference to ABC commentator Jim McKay. Rosburg is also credited with helping ABC hire Judy Rankin, who was the first full-time female golf commentator to cover men's events, including the major championships. Rosburg worked nearly three decades as a commentator with Dave Marr, who like Rosburg won a single PGA Championship.

Rosburg died in Palm Springs, California after sustaining a head injury in a fall at an Indio, California restaurant.^[4] He was survived by his wife and their three children.

Professional wins (10)

PGA Tour wins (6)

Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Dec 12, 1954	Miami Open	−7 (71-68-69-65=273)	1 stroke	Bo Wininger
2	Sep 2, 1956	Motor City Open	−4 (70-70-72-72=284)	Playoff	Ed Furgol
3	Oct 7, 1956	Convair-San Diego Open	−18 (70-68-67-65=270)	2 strokes	Dick Mayer
4	Aug 2, 1959	PGA Championship	−3 (71-72-68-66=277)	1 stroke	Jerry Barber, Doug Sanders
5	Jan 22, 1961	Bing Crosby National Pro-Am	−6 (69-67-74-72=282)	1 stroke	Roberto De Vicenzo, Dave Ragan
6	Feb 13, 1972	Bob Hope Desert Classic	−16 (66-69-72-70-67=344)	1 stroke	Lanny Wadkins

PGA Tour playoff record (1–5)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1956	Motor City Open	Ed Furgol	Won with par on first extra hole
2	1957	Venezuela Open	Al Besselink	Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3	1958	Eastern Open Invitational	Jack Burke Jr., Art Wall Jr.	Wall won with birdie on first extra hole
4	1961	Greater Seattle Open Invitational	Jacky Cupit, Dave Marr	Marr won with birdie on first extra hole
5	1961	Bakersfield Open	Jack Fleck	Lost to birdie on first extra hole
6	1962	Orange County Open Invitational	Tony Lema	Lost to birdie on third extra hole

Other wins (3)

Other senior wins (1)

1981 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gene Littler)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runners-up
1959	PGA Championship	6 shot deficit	−3 (71-72-68-66=277)	1 stroke	Jerry Barber, Doug Sanders

Results timeline

Tournament	1948	1949
Masters Tournament	52
U.S. Open	CUT
PGA Championship

Tournament	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament		T6	T4	16	CUT		T30
U.S. Open	T21	T29	T5	T45		T5	2
PGA Championship						T11	1

Tournament	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Masters Tournament	T20	T15	DQ	CUT	CUT	CUT	T10	T21	T30
U.S. Open	T23	21	13	CUT	T9	T38	T44			T2
PGA Championship	CUT	T19		T40	T56	CUT	T43	CUT	CUT	CUT

Tournament	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974
Masters Tournament	44		T45
U.S. Open	T64	T3	CUT
PGA Championship	63	T9	T53	T66	76

Note: Rosburg never played in The Open Championship.

Win

Top 10

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1960 PGA Championship)
DQ = disqualified
"T" = tied

Summary

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	1	3	7	17	12
U.S. Open	0	2	1	5	6	10	18	15
The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
PGA Championship	1	0	0	1	2	4	16	11
Totals	1	2	1	7	11	21	51	38

Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (twice)
Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (three times)

U.S. national team appearances

Ryder Cup: 1959 (winners)

References

^ ^a ^b Goldstein, Richard (May 15, 2009). "Bob Rosburg, Golfer and TV Analyst, Dies at 82". The New York Times.
^ Kroichick, Ron (May 16, 2009). "Bob Rosburg dies - S.F. native won '59 PGA". San Francisco Chronicle.
^ "Bob Rosburg". ABC Medianet. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008.
^ Johnson, Sal (May 15, 2009). "A special tribute to Bob Rosburg". Golf Observer. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009.

External links

Bob Rosburg at the PGA Tour official site

[nytimes-1] Goldstein, Richard (May 15, 2009). "Bob Rosburg, Golfer and TV Analyst, Dies at 82". The New York Times.

[sfchron-2] Kroichick, Ron (May 16, 2009). "Bob Rosburg dies - S.F. native won '59 PGA". San Francisco Chronicle.

[3] "Bob Rosburg". ABC Medianet. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008.

[4] Johnson, Sal (May 15, 2009). "A special tribute to Bob Rosburg". Golf Observer. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009.

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[4]

v t e PGA Championship champions
Match play era	1916 Jim Barnes 1919 Jim Barnes 1920 Jock Hutchison 1921 Walter Hagen 1922 Gene Sarazen 1923 Gene Sarazen 1924 Walter Hagen 1925 Walter Hagen 1926 Walter Hagen 1927 Walter Hagen 1928 Leo Diegel 1929 Leo Diegel 1930 Tommy Armour 1931 Tom Creavy 1932 Olin Dutra 1933 Gene Sarazen 1934 Paul Runyan 1935 Johnny Revolta 1936 Denny Shute 1937 Denny Shute 1938 Paul Runyan 1939 Henry Picard 1940 Byron Nelson 1941 Vic Ghezzi 1942 Sam Snead 1944 Bob Hamilton 1945 Byron Nelson 1946 Ben Hogan 1947 Jim Ferrier 1948 Ben Hogan 1949 Sam Snead 1950 Chandler Harper 1951 Sam Snead 1952 Jim Turnesa 1953 Walter Burkemo 1954 Chick Harbert 1955 Doug Ford 1956 Jack Burke Jr. 1957 Lionel Hebert
Stroke play era	1958 Dow Finsterwald 1959 Bob Rosburg 1960 Jay Hebert 1961 Jerry Barber† 1962 Gary Player 1963 Jack Nicklaus 1964‡ Bobby Nichols 1965 Dave Marr 1966 Al Geiberger 1967 Don January† 1968 Julius Boros 1969‡ Raymond Floyd 1970 Dave Stockton 1971 Jack Nicklaus 1972 Gary Player 1973 Jack Nicklaus 1974 Lee Trevino 1975 Jack Nicklaus 1976 Dave Stockton 1977 Lanny Wadkins† 1978 John Mahaffey† 1979 David Graham† 1980 Jack Nicklaus 1981 Larry Nelson 1982‡ Raymond Floyd 1983‡ Hal Sutton 1984 Lee Trevino 1985 Hubert Green 1986 Bob Tway 1987 Larry Nelson† 1988 Jeff Sluman 1989 Payne Stewart 1990 Wayne Grady 1991 John Daly 1992 Nick Price 1993 Paul Azinger† 1994 Nick Price 1995 Steve Elkington† 1996 Mark Brooks† 1997 Davis Love III 1998 Vijay Singh 1999 Tiger Woods 2000‡ Tiger Woods† 2001 David Toms 2002 Rich Beem 2003 Shaun Micheel 2004 Vijay Singh† 2005 Phil Mickelson 2006 Tiger Woods 2007 Tiger Woods 2008 Pádraig Harrington 2009 Y. E. Yang 2010 Martin Kaymer† 2011 Keegan Bradley† 2012 Rory McIlroy 2013 Jason Dufner 2014 Rory McIlroy 2015 Jason Day 2016 Jimmy Walker 2017 Justin Thomas 2018 Brooks Koepka 2019 Brooks Koepka 2020 Collin Morikawa 2021 Phil Mickelson 2022 Justin Thomas† 2023 Brooks Koepka 2024‡ Xander Schauffele
† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943 cancelled due to World War II

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