Billy Kratzert
Encyclopedia
William August Kratzert (born June 29, 1952) is an American
professional golfer
and sportscaster
, who has played on both the PGA Tour
and the Champions Tour
.
Kratzert was born in Quantico, Virginia
when his father was in the service but spent most of his youth in Indiana
. His father was head pro for over 20 years at the Fort Wayne
Country Club. He attended the University of Georgia
in Athens, Georgia
and was a distinguished member of the golf
team – an All-American in 1973 and 1974. Kratzert graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration
(B.B.A.) degree in 1974. He turned pro in that same year. Kratzert, after two failed attempts at earning his Tour card, quit golf and worked as a forklift operator. After eight months at that job, Kratzert returned to golf and succeeded on his third attempt in 1976 to get his PGA Tour card.
Kratzert won four PGA Tour events in his career. His most successful years in professional golf were 1977–1980 when he finished in the top-12 on the money list in three of those 4 years. Kratzert's best year for Majors
was 1978, when he finished with a T-5 in The Masters and a T-6 in the U.S. Open
. His career earnings exceed US$
1.4 million. He continued to play on the PGA Tour until 1997, when he went to work as a television
golf commentator.
Since turning 50 in June 2002, Kratzert has played some on the Champions Tour; his best finish in this venue is T10 at the 2003 Royal Caribbean Golf Classic
. The main focus of his work continues to be as a course reporter for various media outlets including CBS
, ESPN
, TNT
and the PGA Tour Radio network.
Kratzert was inducted into the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame in 1993. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
with his wife and three children. His sister, Cathy Gerring
, is also a professional golfer and has won three times on the LPGA Tour
.
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
and sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, who has played on both the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
.
Kratzert was born in Quantico, Virginia
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
when his father was in the service but spent most of his youth in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. His father was head pro for over 20 years at the Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
Country Club. He attended the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
and was a distinguished member of the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team – an All-American in 1973 and 1974. Kratzert graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
(B.B.A.) degree in 1974. He turned pro in that same year. Kratzert, after two failed attempts at earning his Tour card, quit golf and worked as a forklift operator. After eight months at that job, Kratzert returned to golf and succeeded on his third attempt in 1976 to get his PGA Tour card.
Kratzert won four PGA Tour events in his career. His most successful years in professional golf were 1977–1980 when he finished in the top-12 on the money list in three of those 4 years. Kratzert's best year for Majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was 1978, when he finished with a T-5 in The Masters and a T-6 in the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
. His career earnings exceed US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.4 million. He continued to play on the PGA Tour until 1997, when he went to work as a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
golf commentator.
Since turning 50 in June 2002, Kratzert has played some on the Champions Tour; his best finish in this venue is T10 at the 2003 Royal Caribbean Golf Classic
Royal Caribbean Golf Classic
The Royal Caribbean Golf Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1987 to 2004. It was played in late January/early February in Key Biscayne, Florida at the Crandon Park Golf Club and at The Links at Key Biscayne...
. The main focus of his work continues to be as a course reporter for various media outlets including CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
and the PGA Tour Radio network.
Kratzert was inducted into the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame in 1993. He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
with his wife and three children. His sister, Cathy Gerring
Cathy Gerring
Cathy Kratzert Gerring is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Born Cathy Kratzert, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, she played college golf at Ohio State University....
, is also a professional golfer and has won three times on the LPGA Tour
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
.
PGA Tour wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 7, 1976 1976 PGA Tour The 1976 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 7. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Ben Crenshaw and Hubert Green won the most tournaments, three, and there were eight first-time winners. Hubert Green's wins were in three consecutive weeks in March. Johnny Miller won... |
Walt Disney World National Team Championship (with Woody Blackburn Woody Blackburn Woody T. Blackburn is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s.Blackburn was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team from... ) |
Playoff |  Gay BrewerGay Brewer Gay Robert Brewer, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and won the 1967 Masters Tournament.... & Bobby NicholsBobby Nichols Robert Herman Nichols is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship.Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville and later played golf at Texas A&M University were his team won the Southwest Conference Championship... |
|
| 2 | Aug 7, 1977 1977 PGA Tour The 1977 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 6. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, five, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | 3 strokes | Grier Jones, Larry Nelson Larry Nelson Larry Gene Nelson is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta... |
|
| 3 | Jul 13, 1980 1980 PGA Tour The 1980 PGA Tour season was played from January 10 to October 19. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, seven, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Greater Milwaukee Open | 4 strokes | Howard Twitty Howard Twitty Howard Allen Twitty is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s; and who currently plays on the Champions Tour.... |
|
| 4 | Oct 28, 1984 1984 PGA Tour The 1984 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Denis Watson and Tom Watson won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
Pensacola Open Pensacola Open This article is about the former PGA Tour event, for information on the former Nationwide Tour event, see Pensacola Classic.The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour... |
2 strokes | Ken Brown Ken Brown (golfer) Ken Brown is a Scottish former European Tour golfer who now works as a golf broadcaster and writer, primarily for the BBC. He also works as part of the commentary team for the international coverage of the European Tour on selected events which are not covered by the BBC... , John MahaffeyJohn Mahaffey John Drayton Mahaffey, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour events.... |
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1976 | Walt Disney World National Team Championship (with Woody Blackburn Woody Blackburn Woody T. Blackburn is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s.Blackburn was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team from... ) |
Gay Brewer Gay Brewer Gay Robert Brewer, Jr. was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and won the 1967 Masters Tournament.... & Bobby NicholsBobby Nichols Robert Herman Nichols is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1964 PGA Championship.Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville and later played golf at Texas A&M University were his team won the Southwest Conference Championship... |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 2 | 1978 | Hawaiian Open | Hubert Green Hubert Green Hubert Myatt Green is an American professional golfer who has won numerous professional golf tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.... |
Lost to par on second extra hole |