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Bob Murphy
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EXEMPT STATUS: Top 31
on All-Time Money List
FULL NAME: Robert J. Murphy, Jr.
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 200
BIRTHDATE: February 14, 1943
BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn, NY
RESIDENCE: Delray Beach, FL
FAMILY: Wife, Gail; Kimberly (1/11/69); one granddaughter
EDUCATION: University of Florida (1966, Physical
Education)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Fishing, stock market
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1967
JOINED TOUR: 1993
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| PGA TOUR Victories |
| (5) 1968 Philadelphia Golf Classic, Thunderbird Classic.
1970 Greater Hartford Open Invitational. 1975 Jackie Gleason
Inverrary Classic. 1986 Canadian Open. |
| SENIOR TOUR Victories |
| (11) 1993 Bruno's Memorial Classic, GTE North Classic.
1994 Raley's Senior Gold Rush, Hyatt Regency Maui Kaanapali
Classic. 1995 The IntelliNet Challenge, PaineWebber Invitational,
Nationwide Championship, VFW Senior Championship. 1996
Royal Caribbean Classic, Cadillac NFL Golf Classic. 1997
Toshiba Senior Classic. |
| International Victories |
| 1995 and 1996 Diners Club Matches (with Jim Colbert) |
| Other Victories |
| 1965 U.S. Amateur. 1966 NCAA Championship. 1967 Florida
Open. 1970 Australian Masters. 1979 Jerry Ford Invitational. |
| Current Year SENIOR PGA TOUR Money
and Positions |
| $35,638 (96) |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Finishes |
| T17--Verizon Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Round |
| 68 at Round 1, Verizon Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Highlights |
| Aced the 202-yard, 12th hole at TwinEagles during the
second round of The ACE Group Classic, his third hole-in-one
on the SENIOR TOUR and 17th overall of his career. |
| Best 2001 SENIOR TOUR Finishes |
| T8--SBC Championship |
| 2001 Season SENIOR TOUR |
| Tournaments Entered--25; in money--25; Top-10 finishes--1 |
| 2001 Season Highlights |
| Had problems on the greens for most of the season, ranking
49th in putting (1.799) after being the fourth-best putter
on the senior circuit in 2000 (1.740)...Saved his best
performance of the year for last, T8 at the SBC Championship.
Put together back-to-back rounds in the 60s for the only
time all year in San Antonio and found himself tied for
the 36-hole lead at The Dominion with Gary McCord. Dropped
back after a final round 73...Finished out of the top
50 on a single-season money list for the first time since
turning 50...Registered a pair of top-20 efforts in the
first half of the season. Was T19 at the Bruno's Memorial
Classic in late April and then T13 at the Senior PGA Championship,
his best effort in a senior major since the 1998 FORD
SENIOR PLAYERS Championship. Was in 10th place after 36
holes at Ridgewood CC, but fell out of contention with
a 73 on Saturday...Was also among the first-round leaders
at the rain-shortened Kroger Senior Classic thanks to
a 4-under 66. Dropped back into a T22 after posting a
72 on Sunday at Kings Island...Continued to provide color
commentary on NBC golf telecasts. |
| Career Highlights |
| 2000: Had his best season since 1997, returning to the
top 31 on the final money list after a one-year hiatus
(30th) with $636,757...T2 at The Instinet Classic after
Gil Morgan overtook him with a final-round 66. Shared
the second-round lead with Tom Jenkins after rounds of
68-65...Again was in the top spot by two strokes after
36 holes of the Bank One Senior Championship in Dallas.
Struggled on Sunday in the cool, windy conditions, and
closed with a 76 for a T7 at Bent Tree Country Club. 1999:
Did not finish in the top 31 for the first time in his
SENIOR TOUR career, ending a streak of six campaigns in
that select group...Best performance was a runner-up at
the Nationwide Championship. Appeared headed for a playoff
with Hale Irwin before Irwin holed out from 74 yards for
a dramatic eagle on No.18 to defeat him by two strokes
at the Golf Club of Georgia. Second-place finish outside
of Atlanta was his best showing since winning the 1997
Toshiba Senior Classic. 1998: Had his streak of years
winning at least one SENIOR TOUR event snapped at five
consecutive seasons...Was bothered by assorted aches and
pains for the majority of the year and played at less
than 100 percent. 1997: Scored a dramatic victory over
Jay Sigel at the Toshiba Senior Classic. Went nine extra
holes with Sigel before rolling in an 80-foot birdie putt
to win the event, the second longest playoff in SENIOR
TOUR history. 1996: Won multiple events for the fourth
year in a row and was over the million-dollar mark for
a second straight season...Fired a final-round 67 in windy,
cold weather to hold off Hale Irwin by four strokes at
the Royal Caribbean Classic...Opened with a course-record
62 on his way to a two-stroke triumph over Jay Sigel at
the Cadillac NFL Golf Classic. The victory at Upper Montclair
made him the ninth of 10 players to win both a PGA TOUR
(1968 Thunderbird Classic) and SENIOR TOUR event at the
same site...Registered his 16th career hole-in-one during
the first round of the Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship
(12th hole). 1995: Had perhaps his finest year in golf
with four titles, tying good friend Jim Colbert for the
most victories by any SENIOR TOUR player that season...Was
one of five millionaires and finished among the top three
in more a third of his starts...Started the season with
a victory in the rain-curtailed IntelliNet Challenge,
the second time in his career he claimed an event shortened
to 36 holes...Outlasted Raymond Floyd and Larry Ziegler
at the PaineWebber Invitational...Avenged a runner-up
finish the year before by claiming the Nationwide Championship
by two strokes over Hale Irwin and Bruce Summerhays...Blistered
Loch Lloyd with a SENIOR TOUR record-tying 126 total over
the final 36 holes for the VFW Senior Championship, defeating
friend Jim Colbert by a stroke. 1994: Won twice with both
titles coming near the end of the season. Defeated Dave
Eichelberger with a bogey on the fifth hole of a playoff
to claim the Raley's Senior Gold Rush. Went wire-to-wire
two weeks later in Hawaii to capture the Hyatt Regency
Maui Kaanapali Classic. Opened with a 62 on Maui and never
looked back, equaling the tournament record of 195. 1993:
Debuted on the SENIOR TOUR at the GTE Suncoast Classic
near Tampa and finished T39 at the TPC of Tampa Bay...Voted
the SENIOR TOUR's Rookie of the Year on the strength of
two tournament victories and 15 top-10 finishes...Initial
win came in Birmingham, AL, where he held off Lee Trevino
and Bob Charles to claim the Bruno's Memorial Classic.
Was also victorious later that same season at the rain-shortened
GTE North Classic in Indianapolis. |
| Personal |
| Initially coaxed out of the ESPN broadcast booth by
Lee Trevino, who advised him to play the SENIOR TOUR on
a full-time basis...Has a history of severe arthritis,
which he overcame to continue his golf career...Recipient
of the 1996 Ben Hogan Award from the Golf Writers Association
of America for his comeback from arthritis...Serves as
national spokesman for the Hook-A-Kid On Golf program...Was
Vice Chairman of the SENIOR TOUR Player Advisory Council
in 1998...Elected to the SENIOR PGA TOUR Division Board
for 1999-2000...Returned to the broadcast booth in 2000
on a part-time basis, joining NBC for a number of events.
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| PGA TOUR Playoff Record |
| 1-5 |
| SENIOR TOUR Playoff Record |
| 2-0 |
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