Thomas Nieporte (October 21, 1928 – December 21, 2014) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.
| Tom Nieporte | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Thomas Nieporte |
| Born | October 21, 1928 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 21, 2014 (aged 86) Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Ohio State University |
| Turned professional | 1953 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 3 |
| Other | 8 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T26: 1965 |
| PGA Championship | T5: 1964 |
| U.S. Open | T17: 1958 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Nieporte grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of North College Hill, Ohio. He attended the Ohio State University and was a distinguished member of the golf team, winning the NCAA Championship in 1951. He was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1983.
Nieporte turned pro in 1953. He played full-time on the PGA Tour for five years, but like most professional golfers of his generation, he spent most of his career earning his living as a club pro. He won three PGA Tour events. The biggest win of his career came in 1967 at the Bob Hope Desert Classic; the Champions Trophy was presented to Nieporte by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bob Hope. His best finish in a major was T5 at the 1964 PGA Championship.[1]
Nieporte co-authored the book "Mind over Golf" with Donald Sauers.
Nieporte was the head pro at Piping Rock Club on Long Island from 1963 to 1978. From 1978 until his retirement in 2006, he was the head pro at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, the site of five U.S. Opens and one PGA Championship. On December 21, 2014, Nieporte died at the age of 86 in Boca Raton, Florida.[2][3] He was survived by his wife Joan and their nine children.[4]
Amateur wins
edit- 1951 NCAA Championship
Professional wins (11)
editPGA Tour wins (3)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 23, 1959 | Rubber City Open Invitational | −13 (67-69-65-66=267) | 3 strokes |  Bob Goalby
|
| 2 | Apr 3, 1960 | Azalea Open | −11 (64-68-72-73=277) | 2 strokes | Gay Brewer
|
| 3 | Feb 5, 1967 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | −11 (76-68-68-68-69=349) | 1 stroke | Doug Sanders
|
Other wins (8)
edit- 1962 Long Island Open, Long Island PGA Championship
- 1964 Long Island Open
- 1965 Long Island Open
- 1966 Metropolitan Open
- 1971 Metropolitan PGA Championship
- 1973 Long Island Open
- 1975 Long Island Open
References
edit- ^ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ "Longtime Winged Foot head pro Nieporte dies". Golf Channel. December 22, 2014.
- ^ Weinman, Sam (December 23, 2014). "Golf loses a class act with the death of longtime Winged Foot head pro Tom Nieporte". Golf Digest.
- ^ Livsey, Laury (December 27, 2014). "Three-time Tour winner Nieporte passes away". PGA Tour.
External links
edit- Tom Nieporte at the PGA Tour official site