George Bayer

George Bayer (September 15, 1925 – March 16, 2003) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.

For the founder of Hermann, Missouri, see George Bayer (pioneer).
George Bayer
Personal information
Full nameGeorge Bayer
Born(1925-09-15)September 15, 1925
Bremerton, Washington
DiedMarch 16, 2003(2003-03-16) (aged 77)
Palm Springs, California
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight230 lb (100 kg; 16 st)
Nationality United States
Career
CollegeWashington
Turned professional1954
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins6
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour4
Other1 (regular)
1 (senior)
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT15: 1965
PGA ChampionshipT3: 1962
U.S. OpenT11: 1964
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Bayer was born in Bremerton, Washington.[1] He attended the University of Washington and was a member of the football team from 1946–1949; he played in the 1949 East-West Shrine Game.[2][3] After college, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 20th round (253rd overall). He was released by the Redskins and played for the Brooklyn Brooks and Richmond Arrows of the minor league American Football League in 1950.[4] Bayer did not begin playing golf professionally until he was 29 years old; he started in golf as a caddie at Kitsap Golf and Country Club, which is located between Silverdale, Washington and his hometown of Bremerton.[2]

At 6-foot-5-inches tall and 230 pounds, the power that Bayer could generate was astonishing. He was known for booming 300-yard drives.[4] Bayer won four times on the PGA Tour in a four-year period made remarkable by the fact that he played in an era of inconsistently wound balls; and laminated maple or persimmon clubs that were made for players of average height (5'9" tall) and build (160 pounds). His achievements came in an era when golf equipment was simply not available for extremely tall or extremely short people.[5] He also won the par-3 contest at the Masters Tournament in 1963.

Bayer also played on the Senior PGA Tour. His best year on that circuit was 1984, when he finished 21st on the money list with $64,491 in earnings. His last appearance in competitive golf was at the 2002 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Bayer suffered a fatal heart attack at home in Palm Springs, California while dining with his wife, golfer Bob Goalby and Goalby's wife.[2]

Professional wins (6)

PGA Tour wins (4)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Jul 13, 1957 Canadian Open −13 (70-68-64-69=271) 2 strokes Bo Wininger
2 Nov 16, 1958 Havana International Invitational +6 (75-64-74-73=286) Playoff Sam Snead
3 Dec 14, 1958 Mayfair Inn Open −12 (68-67-69-68=272) 1 stroke Chick Harbert
4 Mar 21, 1960 St. Petersburg Open Invitational −6 (66-69-75-72=282) Playoff Jack Fleck

PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1957 Western Open Doug Ford, Gene Littler,
Billy Maxwell		 Ford won with par on third extra hole
Littler and Maxwell eliminated with par on first hole
2 1958 Havana International Invitational Sam Snead Won with par on first extra hole
3 1960 St. Petersburg Open Invitational Jack Fleck Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 1961 Ontario Open Eric Monti, Bobby Nichols Monti won with birdie on second extra hole

Other wins (1)

Senior wins (1)
  • 1997 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Jim Ferree)
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References
  1. "George Bayer, 77; Noted for Long Drives in Golf". Los Angeles Times. March 20, 2003.
  2. "Bayer, also ex-Redskins lineman, dies of heart attack". ESPN. March 19, 2003. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
  3. "George Bayer, 77, Long-Driving Golfer". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 20, 2003.
  4. "George Bayer passes away". 4malamute.com. March 22, 2003. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  5. Penner, Andrew. "The tall and short of it: It's your swing – not body type – that counts in golf". Golf Instruction. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
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