William R. Collins (September 23, 1928 – April 8, 2006) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s and the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s.
| Bill Collins | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | William R. Collins |
| Born | September 23, 1928 Meyersdale, Pennsylvania |
| Died | April 8, 2006 (aged 77) Woodstock, Georgia |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 7 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 4 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T7: 1961 |
| PGA Championship | T12: 1960 |
| U.S. Open | 7th: 1964 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Life
editCollins was born in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania[1] and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.
Collins joined the PGA Tour in 1958[1] and won four events between 1959 and 1962.[2] His first victory came at the 1959 Greater New Orleans Open Invitational by three strokes (280) over Jack Burke Jr. and Tom Nieporte. In 1960, Collins finished in a three-way tie for first at the end of regulation at the Insurance City Open, which he and Jack Fleck lost in a playoff to Arnold Palmer. His best finishes in major championships were T-7 at The Masters in 1961 and a 7th-place finish at the 1964 U.S. Open.[3] He was a member of the victorious 1961 Ryder Cup team.
Collins was forced to quit the Tour after back surgery in 1963. In 1965, he took a club pro job at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York and remained there until December 1981.[1] He joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1982 and won the Greater Syracuse Senior's Pro Golf Classic in his first full season.[2]
Collins died in Woodstock, Georgia at the age of 77.
Professional wins (7)
editPGA Tour wins (4)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 9, 1959 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −8 (68-72-70-70=280) | 3 strokes |  Jack Burke Jr., Tom Nieporte
|
| 2 | May 2, 1960 | Houston Classic | −8 (66-71-68-75=280) | Playoff | Arnold Palmer
|
| 3 | May 22, 1960 | Hot Springs Open Invitational | −13 (68-70-68-69=275) | 3 strokes | Pete Cooper
|
| 4 | Jul 8, 1962 | Buick Open Invitational | −4 (70-71-71-72=284) | 1 stroke | Dave Ragan
|
PGA Tour playoff record (1–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1960 | Phoenix Open Invitational | Jack Fleck
|
Lost 18-hole playoff; Fleck: −3 (68), Collins: E (71) |
| 2 | 1960 | Houston Classic | Arnold Palmer
|
Won 18-hole playoff; Collins: −3 (69), Palmer: −1 (71) |
| 3 | 1960 | Insurance City Open Invitational | Jack Fleck, Arnold Palmer
|
Palmer won with birdie on third extra hole Collins eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 4 | 1962 | Hot Springs Open Invitational |  Al Johnston
|
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Other wins (2)
editSenior PGA Tour wins (1)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 22, 1982 | Greater Syracuse Senior's Pro Golf Classic | +1 (73-71-71-70=285) | 1 stroke |  Guy Wolstenholme
|
U.S. national team appearances
editProfessional
References
edit- ^ a b c "Collins, PGA Tour and Champions Tour Veteran, Dies" (PDF). PGA Tour.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Collins Seniors Victor". The New York Times. UPI. August 23, 1982.
- ^ "Bill Collins". Golf Major Championships. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
External links
edit- Bill Collins at the PGA Tour official site