Homero Blancas
Encyclopedia
Homero Blancas, Jr. is an American
professional golfer
who has played on both the PGA Tour
and the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour
).
Blancas, who is of Mexican American descent, was born in Houston, Texas
. He attended the University of Houston
from 1958–1962, and was a member of the golf team
. Blancas shot a record-setting round of 55 (27-28) in a college tournament, which stands as the lowest round in the history of competitive golf. His 13 birdies and an eagle on a par
-70 course in Longview, Texas
on August 19, 1962 earned him the nickname "Mr. 55". He was inducted into the University of Houston Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978.
Blancas' 55 shot round (played on a course of just over 5,000 yards) was included in the Guinness Book of Records for a time, but shortly after officials removed his name after instituting a requirement that a course must be of at least 6,500 yards to achieve inclusion. The 55 shot round is still the lowest official golf score on record for course of regular par.
Blancas won four PGA Tour
events. He turned pro in 1965 and was the PGA Rookie of the Year that year. He was a member of the 1973 Ryder Cup
team. During his career on the PGA Tour, he had more than 4 dozen top-10 finishes. His best finishes in a major championship
were a T-4 at the 1972 U.S. Open
, and a T-5 at the 1972 Masters. Blancas spent the last 16 years of his regular career as club pro at Randolph Park in Tucson
.
After turning 50 in March 1988, Blancas joined the Senior Tour. He has one victory in this venue – at the 1989 Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic. He has 18 holes-in-one during his career, is a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and lives in Houston.
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;...
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 Senior PGA Tour (now known as 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...
).
Blancas, who is of Mexican American descent, was born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He attended the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
from 1958–1962, and was a member of the golf team
Houston Cougars men's golf
The Houston Cougars golf program is an NCAA Division I golf program at the University of Houston. The program competes in Conference USA as a men's-only sport, and its head coach is Jonathan Dismuke....
. Blancas shot a record-setting round of 55 (27-28) in a college tournament, which stands as the lowest round in the history of competitive golf. His 13 birdies and an eagle on a par
Par (score)
The word "par" is a term in the game of golf used to denote the pre-determined number of strokes that a scratch golfer should require to complete a hole, a round , or a tournament...
-70 course in Longview, Texas
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
on August 19, 1962 earned him the nickname "Mr. 55". He was inducted into the University of Houston Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978.
Blancas' 55 shot round (played on a course of just over 5,000 yards) was included in the Guinness Book of Records for a time, but shortly after officials removed his name after instituting a requirement that a course must be of at least 6,500 yards to achieve inclusion. The 55 shot round is still the lowest official golf score on record for course of regular par.
Blancas won four 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...
events. He turned pro in 1965 and was the PGA Rookie of the Year that year. He was a member of the 1973 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...
team. During his career on the PGA Tour, he had more than 4 dozen top-10 finishes. His best finishes in a major championship
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...
were a T-4 at the 1972 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...
, and a T-5 at the 1972 Masters. Blancas spent the last 16 years of his regular career as club pro at Randolph Park in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
After turning 50 in March 1988, Blancas joined the Senior Tour. He has one victory in this venue – at the 1989 Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic. He has 18 holes-in-one during his career, is a member of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and lives in Houston.
Amateur wins
- 1962 W.E. Cole Cotton States Invitational
- 1963 W.E. Cole Cotton States Invitational
- 1964 W.E. Cole Cotton States Invitational
PGA Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 25, 1966 | Greater Seattle-Everett Classic | 1 stroke |  Jacky CupitJacky Cupit Jacky D. Cupit is an American professional golfer who has played on both the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour .... |
|
| 2 | May 17, 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.... |
Colonial National Invitation | 1 stroke | Gene Littler Gene Littler Gene Alec Littler is an American professional golfer. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth rhythmical swing, he once said that, "Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the best misses. The people who win make the smallest mistakes."-Early years... , Lee TrevinoLee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:... |
|
| 3 | Feb 20, 1972 1972 PGA Tour The 1972 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to December 3. The season consisted of 46 official money events. Jack Nicklaus won the most tournaments, seven, and there were five first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Phoenix Open | Playoff | Lanny Wadkins Lanny Wadkins Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 86 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1988.... |
|
| 4 | Apr 15, 1973 1973 PGA Tour The 1973 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to December 1. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Jack Nicklaus won the most tournaments, seven, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Monsanto Open | 1 stroke | Frank Beard |
Senior PGA Tour wins (1)
- 19891989 Senior PGA TourThe 1989 Senior PGA Tour was the 10th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 35 official money events with purses totalling $13,345,000 , including four majors. Bob Charles won the most tournaments, five...
Doug Sanders Kingwood Celebrity Classic
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...
: 19731973 Ryder CupThe 20th Ryder Cup Matches were held at Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland.The United States team won the competition by a score of 19 to 13 points...
(winners)