Tom Weiskopf: 1973 Open Champion and Golf Course Designer Dies at 79

Tom Weiskopf was an American professional golfer, broadcaster and course designer, nicknamed "The Towering Inferno." Born on November 9, 1942, in Massillon, Ohio, he played golf at Ohio State University and won the 1963 Western Amateur.

Weiskopf turned professional in 1964 and won 16 PGA Tour events, including the 1973 Open Championship at Royal Troon, his only major. He finished runner-up at the Masters four times and played in the Ryder Cup in 1973 and 1975. After joining the senior tour in 1993 he won four times, including the 1995 U.S. Senior Open.

Weiskopf designed more than 40 courses, including Troon North in Arizona and Loch Lomond in Scotland, and worked as a golf broadcaster for CBS and ABC. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2023. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020 and died at his home in Big Sky, Montana, on August 20, 2022, at age 79.

Achievements: Won the Open Championship (1973), 16 PGA Tour wins, won the U.S. Senior Open (1995), designed more than 40 courses, World Golf Hall of Fame (2023).

Birth: November 9, 1942 - Massillon, Ohio.

Profession: Professional golfer, broadcaster and course designer.

Interesting Facts: He beat Jack Nicklaus in a playoff at the 1975 Canadian Open. He skipped the 1977 Ryder Cup to go big-game hunting.