Calvin Peete
Calvin Peete (July 18, 1943 – April 29, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was the most successful African-American to have played on the PGA Tour, with 12 wins, prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods. Peete won the 1985 Tournament Players Championship and finished the season top-5 on the PGA Tour money list three times; 1982, 1983 and 1985. He was ranked in the top 10 players on the McCormack's World Golf Rankings in 1984.
Calvin Peete | |||||
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Personal information | |||||
Full name | Calvin Peete | ||||
Born | Detroit, Michigan | July 18, 1943||||
Died | April 29, 2015 71) Atlanta, Georgia | (aged||||
Nationality | ![]() | ||||
Career | |||||
Turned professional | 1975 | ||||
Retired | 2001 | ||||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour | ||||
Professional wins | 14 | ||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||
PGA Tour | 12 | ||||
Japan Golf Tour | 2 | ||||
Best results in major championships | |||||
Masters Tournament | T11: 1986 | ||||
PGA Championship | T3: 1982 | ||||
U.S. Open | T4: 1983 | ||||
The Open Championship | DNP | ||||
Achievements and awards | |||||
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Biography
Peete was born in Detroit. He played on the 1983 and 1985 U.S. Ryder Cup teams. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1984. He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for several weeks when they debuted in 1986.[1]
Peete did not begin playing golf until he was in his 20s, but immediately excelled at a game most pros learn as young children. He learned the game while peddling goods to migrant workers in Rochester, New York, playing on the public course at Genesee Valley Park. Growing up poor, Peete suffered a badly broken arm that was never properly set.[2] He was the leader in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour for 10 straight years, 1981–90. Peete was inducted into the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.[3]
Peete died of lung cancer, in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2015.[4] He was 71.
Family
Peete and his first wife, Christine, who divorced in 1987, are the parents of Charlotte, Calvin, Rickie, Dennise, Nicole and Kalvanetta Peete. He was married to Pepper Peete and had two daughters, Aisha and Aleya. He was a cousin of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and NFL coach Skip Peete.[5]
Professional wins (14)
PGA Tour wins (12)
Legend |
Players Championships (1) |
Other PGA Tour (11) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jul 15, 1979 | Greater Milwaukee Open | 69-67-68-65=269 | −19 | 5 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 | Jul 11, 1982 | Greater Milwaukee Open (2) | 70-66-69-69=274 | −14 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
3 | Jul 25, 1982 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | 66-68-69=203 | −10 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
4 | Sep 5, 1982 | B.C. Open | 69-63-64-69=265 | −19 | 7 strokes | ![]() |
5 | Oct 24, 1982 | Pensacola Open | 65-66-72-65=268 | −16 | 7 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
6 | May 22, 1983 | Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic | 68-75-63=206 | −10 | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
7 | Jul 24, 1983 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic (2) | 66-75-66-69=276 | −8 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
8 | Oct 7, 1984 | Texas Open | 67-67-66-66=266 | −14 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
9 | Jan 20, 1985 | Phoenix Open | 65-65-72-68=270 | −14 | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
10 | Mar 31, 1985 | Tournament Players Championship | 70-69-69-66=274 | −14 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
11 | Jan 11, 1986 | MONY Tournament of Champions | 68-67-64-68=267 | −21 | 6 strokes | ![]() |
12 | Mar 23, 1986 | USF&G Classic | 68-67-66-68=269 | −19 | 5 strokes | ![]() |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1986 | Houston Open | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nov 7, 1982 | Gold Win Cup Japan vs USA | 66-68=134 | −10 | Shared title with ![]() | |
2 | Nov 21, 1982 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | 73-69-67-72=281 | −7 | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
Results in major championships
Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T19 | T21 | T30 | 49 | T15 | T31 | T11 | T33 | |||||
U.S. Open | T23 | T11 | T28 | T14 | T10 | T4 | T24 | CUT | |||||
PGA Championship | T42 | T43 | T3 | T36 | 4 | T18 | T30 | WD | T38 |
Note: Peete never played in The Open Championship.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 |
Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 25 | 23 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 22 (1976 U.S. Open – 1987 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1982 U.S. Open – 1982 PGA)
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Tournament Players Championship | Tied for lead | −14 (70-69-69-66=274) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
Results timeline
Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | T70 | T29 | T41 | T35 | 1 | CUT | CUT | T16 | CUT | T46 | 76 | WD | CUT | WD | WD |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
U.S. national team appearances
References
- "69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking" (PDF). Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- White Jr., Gordon S. (March 27, 1988). "Peete Returns to the Ranks of Leaders". The New York Times.
- 2002 United States Inductees Archived February 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Livsey, Laury (April 29, 2015). "Players champion Peete passes away at age 71". PGA Tour.
- "Rodney Peete Profile: Personal Life". The Wealth Record. January 23, 2019.
External links
- Calvin Peete Award
- Calvin Peete at the PGA Tour official site
- Calvin Peete at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- Calvin Peete at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Calvin Peete Golf Companies