Tom Nieporte
Encyclopedia
Thomas Nieporte is an American
professional golfer
who played on the PGA Tour
in the 1950s and 1960s.
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
.
He 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.
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 played on 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...
in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nieporte grew up in the Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
suburb of North College Hill, Ohio
North College Hill, Ohio
North College Hill is a city in Hamilton County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio approximately ten miles north of downtown Cincinnati. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,397...
. He attended the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
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, winning the NCAA Championship
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
in 1951. He was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame
The Ohio State Varsity "O" Hall of Fame is the athletic hall of fame for The Ohio State University. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have contributed to the honor and fame of the University in the field of athletics....
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
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
. His best finish in a major
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 T5 at the 1964 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...
.
He co-authored the book "Mind over Golf" with Donald Sauers.
Nieporte was the head pro at Piping Rock Club
Piping Rock Club
Piping Rock Club is a country club in Locust Valley, New York.-History:The Piping Rock clubhouse was designed by American designer Guy Lowell, and built in 1911. Lowell based his designs on American colonial architecture a desire to link the house with the landscape...
on Long Island from 1963 to 1978. From 1978 until his retirement in 2006, he was the head pro at Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club
Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...
in Mamaroneck, New York
Mamaroneck (town), New York
Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...
, the site of five 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...
and one PGA Championship.
PGA Tour wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 23, 1959 | Rubber City Open Invitational Rubber City Open Invitational The Rubber City Open Invitational, first played as the Rubber City Open in 1954, was the first PGA Tour event to be held at the storied Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio... |
3 strokes |  Bob GoalbyBob Goalby Robert George Goalby is a former American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, who won the 1968 Masters Tournament, his lone major championship among 11 Tour wins achieved between 1958 and 1971.... |
|
| 2 | Apr 3, 1960 | Azalea Open | 2 strokes | 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.... |
|
| 3 | Feb 5, 1967 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | 1 stroke | Doug Sanders Doug Sanders George Douglas Sanders is a former American professional golfer who won twenty PGA Tour events during his career.-Early years:Sanders was born in Cedartown, Georgia. He grew up in a poor family, and picked cotton as a teenager... |
Other wins
- 1962 Long Island OpenLong Island OpenThe Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. Al Brosch won a record ten titles between 1939 and 1959, a record that stands...
- 1964 Long Island OpenLong Island OpenThe Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. Al Brosch won a record ten titles between 1939 and 1959, a record that stands...
- 1965 Long Island OpenLong Island OpenThe Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. Al Brosch won a record ten titles between 1939 and 1959, a record that stands...
- 1966 Metropolitan OpenMetropolitan OpenThe Metropolitan Open is golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1905 and is the third oldest "Open" golf tournament in the United States after the U.S. Open and the Western Open. It is held at member clubs in New York, New Jersey, and...
- 1971 Metropolitan PGA ChampionshipMetropolitan PGA ChampionshipThe Metropolitan PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1924 at a variety of courses around the New York City metropolitan area. It was considered a PGA Tour event in the 1920s and...
- 1973 Long Island OpenLong Island OpenThe Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. Al Brosch won a record ten titles between 1939 and 1959, a record that stands...
- 1975 Long Island OpenLong Island OpenThe Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. Al Brosch won a record ten titles between 1939 and 1959, a record that stands...