Frank Beard
Encyclopedia
Frank J. Beard is a former American professional golfer
who was a member of the PGA Tour
and Champions Tour
. Beard won eleven PGA Tour events.
. He attended Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky
, and won the Kentucky state high school golf championship as a senior in 1957.
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Conrad Rehling's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1958 to 1961. He was recognized as an All-American in 1960 and 1961. He graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree
in accounting in 1961, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
money list in 1969 with earnings of $175,223. He has eleven wins on the tour including victories in the Tournament of Champions in 1967 and 1970. He was a member of the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup
in 1969 and 1971 and had a 2–3–3 win-loss-half record. His best finishes in a major tournament were a third-place finish and a tie for third in the 1965 and 1975 U.S. Opens
. After turning 50 years old, he played on the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour
), where he won the 1990 Murata Reunion Pro-Am.
Beard is probably best known as the author of Pro, the story of his year on the tour in 1969. The book revealed many of the more mundane parts of life on the pro tour for the middle tier of golfers with families. Commentators called the book "humorous and insightful," showing the human side of the PGA Tour.
Beard has also worked as a golf commentator on ESPN
. He was inducted as a member of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.
PGA Tour playoff record (0-3)
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
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;...
who was a member of 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 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...
. Beard won eleven PGA Tour events.
Early years
Beard was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. He attended Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and won the Kentucky state high school golf championship as a senior in 1957.
College career
He attended the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Conrad Rehling's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1958 to 1961. He was recognized as an All-American in 1960 and 1961. He graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in accounting in 1961, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional career
Beard turned professional in 1962. He topped the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
money list in 1969 with earnings of $175,223. He has eleven wins on the tour including victories in the Tournament of Champions in 1967 and 1970. He was a member of the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
in 1969 and 1971 and had a 2–3–3 win-loss-half record. His best finishes in a major tournament were a third-place finish and a tie for third in the 1965 and 1975 U.S. Opens
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...
. After turning 50 years old, he played on the Senior PGA Tour (now 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...
), where he won the 1990 Murata Reunion Pro-Am.
Beard is probably best known as the author of Pro, the story of his year on the tour in 1969. The book revealed many of the more mundane parts of life on the pro tour for the middle tier of golfers with families. Commentators called the book "humorous and insightful," showing the human side of the PGA Tour.
Beard has also worked as a golf commentator on 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....
. He was inducted as a member of the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.
PGA Tour wins (11)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 10, 1963 | Frank Sinatra Open Invitational Frank Sinatra Open Invitational The Frank Sinatra Open Invitational was a PGA Tour event that was played at the Canyon Club in Palm Springs, California. It was played for only a single year—1963—although it was intended to be an annual affair. The five-day event was designed to allow the heavyweights in golf and show business to... |
1 stroke |  Jerry Steelsmith |
|
| 2 | Apr 18, 1965 | Texas Open Invitational | 3 strokes | Gardner Dickinson |
|
| 3 | May 16, 1966 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | 2 strokes | Gardner Dickinson |
|
| 4 | Apr 16, 1967 | Tournament of Champions | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955... |
|
| 5 | May 7, 1967 | Houston Champions International | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955... |
|
| 6 | Jul 9, 1967 | 500 Festival Open Invitation 500 Festival Open Invitation The 500 Festival Open Invitation was a PGA Tour event in Indianapolis, Indiana played in the 1960s. It was sponsored by The 500 Festival, a not-for-profit volunteer organization that was created in 1957 to organize civic events to promote the Indianapolis 500... |
3 strokes | Rod Funseth Rod Funseth James Rodney Funseth was an American professional golfer who played on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour .... , Rives McBeeRives McBee Rives McBee is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.McBee was born in Denton, Texas, and has called nearby Irving home for most of his life. He played on the PGA Tour from 1965 to 1971, before accepting a job as the head golf professional at Las... |
|
| 7 | Jul 13, 1969 | Minnesota Golf Classic | 7 strokes | Tommy Aaron Tommy Aaron Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :... ,  Hugh Inggs |
|
| 8 | Aug 3, 1969 | Westchester Classic | 1 stroke | Bert Greene |
|
| 9 | Apr 26, 1970 1970 PGA Tour The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Tournament of Champions | 7 strokes | Billy Casper Billy Casper William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:... ,  Tony JacklinTony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:... , Gary PlayerGary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
|
| 10 | Aug 9, 1970 1970 PGA Tour The 1970 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to December 13. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
American Golf Classic American Golf Classic The American Golf Classic was a tournament on the PGA Tour from 1961 to 1976. It was the third event to be played at the storied Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio after the Rubber City Open Invitational and the 1960 PGA Championship.-Winners:... |
2 strokes | Tommy Aaron Tommy Aaron Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :... ,  Bruce CramptonBruce Crampton Bruce Crampton is an Australian professional golfer.Crampton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and attended Kogarah High School from 1948-1950. He turned professional in 1953.... , Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
|
| 11 | May 2, 1971 1971 PGA Tour The 1971 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to December 12. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Trevino won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | 1 stroke | 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.... |
PGA Tour playoff record (0-3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1968 | American Golf Classic American Golf Classic The American Golf Classic was a tournament on the PGA Tour from 1961 to 1976. It was the third event to be played at the storied Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio after the Rubber City Open Invitational and the 1960 PGA Championship.-Winners:... |
Lee Elder Lee Elder Robert Lee Elder is an American golfer. He is best remembered for becoming the first African-American to play in the Masters Tournament in 1975.-Background and family:... , Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
Nicklaus won with birdie on fifth extra hole Beard eliminated with birdie on first hole |
| 2 | 1969 | Greater New Orleans Open | Larry Hinson Larry Hinson Larry Hinson is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour from 1968–1976.Hinson was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, but has lived almost his entire life in Douglas, Georgia. Despite having a left arm slightly withered from boyhood polio, he was able to compete in amateur and... |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1974 | World Open Golf Championship | Johnny Miller Johnny Miller John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf... , Bob MurphyBob Murphy (golfer) Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was formerly a member of the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Murphy has won 21 tournaments as a professional.-Early years:... Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
Miller won with birdie on second extra hole Murphy eliminated with par on first hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | T8 | T22 | T26 | T5 | T19 | 9 | T9 | T41 | T24 | T22 | CUT | T43 |
| 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... |
CUT | 3 | T17 | T54 | T52 | T50 | T22 | CUT | CUT | T25 | T12 | T3 | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | T19 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T33 | T45 | 11 | T7 | T6 | 10 | T55 | T13 | T53 | T46 | T11 | CUT | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
U.S. national team appearances
Professional- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
: 19691969 Ryder CupThe 18th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.The competition ended in a draw at 16 to 16 points, when America's Jack Nicklaus conceded a missable putt to Britain's Tony Jacklin at the 18th hole in one of the most famous gestures of sportsmanship in all...
(winners), 19711971 Ryder CupThe 19th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.The United States team won the competition by a score of 18½ to 13½ points.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point...
(winners)
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Golfers with most PGA Tour winsGolfers with most PGA Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won five or more official money events on the PGA Tour.Players under 50 years of age are shown in bold. On his 50th birthday a golfer becomes eligible to compete on the Champions Tour, and he is unlikely to add to his tally of PGA Tour wins after that date This is...
- List of Florida Gators golfers
- List of University of Florida alumni