Bruce Crampton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Crampton
Crampton with wife Joan and two-years-old son Jay after winning the 1970 Westchester Classic
Personal information
Born	(1935-09-28) 28 September 1935 (age 89) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	180 lb
Nationality	Australia
Career
Turned professional	1953
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	45
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	14
Champions Tour	20 (Tied-10th all-time)
Other	9 (regular) 2 (senior)
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament	T2: 1972
U.S. Open	2nd: 1972
The Open Championship	T13: 1956
PGA Championship	2nd: 1973, 1975
Achievements and awards
Vardon Trophy	1973, 1975
Senior PGA Tour money list winner	1986

Bruce Crampton (born 28 September 1935) is a famous Australian professional golfer. He had a very successful career, winning many tournaments. He is known for his 14 wins on the PGA Tour and 20 wins on the Champions Tour.

Early Life and Amateur Golf

Bruce Crampton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He went to Kogarah High School from 1948 to 1950. Even as a young golfer, he showed great talent.

In August 1953, when he was still an amateur, Bruce reached the final of the New South Wales Amateur Championship. He also led the Lakes Open tournament after two rounds in October of that year. This was a big deal because it was rare for an amateur to lead such a major event. Many people, including famous golfer Norman Von Nida, believed he would become one of Australia's best players.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Bruce Crampton decided to become a professional golfer in 1953. He started working as an assistant to another golfer, Billy McWilliam, in Sydney. His decision came after he wasn't chosen for the Australian amateur team that was going to tour Britain.

Amazing Professional Career

Bruce Crampton had a fantastic career as a professional golfer. He won the Vardon Trophy twice, in 1973 and 1975. This award is given to the player with the lowest average score on the PGA Tour.

He won 14 tournaments on the PGA Tour between 1961 and 1975. He also came in second place in four major championships. These included one Masters Tournament, one U.S. Open, and two PGA Championships. What's interesting is that he was always runner-up to the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus in these major events.

Bruce was considered one of the top five golfers in the world in 1972 and 1973. Besides his PGA Tour wins, he also won other important tournaments. These included the Australian Open, the New Zealand PGA Championship, and the Philippine Open.

Success as a Senior Golfer

After turning 50, Bruce Crampton continued to play golf professionally on the Champions Tour. He was incredibly successful there, winning 20 tournaments! In 1986, he earned the most money on the Senior PGA Tour. This shows he was a top player for many years.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2001, Bruce Crampton was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. This is a special place for athletes who have made a big impact on Australian sports.

Bruce Crampton's Wins

Bruce Crampton won a total of 45 professional golf tournaments during his career.

PGA Tour Wins (14)

Bruce won 14 tournaments on the main PGA Tour. Some of his wins include:

• 1961 Milwaukee Open Invitational
• 1962 Motor City Open
• 1964 Texas Open Invitational
• 1965 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Colonial National Invitation, 500 Festival Open Invitation
• 1969 Hawaiian Open
• 1970 Westchester Classic
• 1971 Western Open
• 1973 Phoenix Open, Dean Martin Tucson Open, Houston Open, American Golf Classic
• 1975 Houston Open (his second win at this tournament)

Other Early Wins (9)

Before and during his PGA Tour career, Bruce also won other tournaments around the world:

• 1954 New Zealand PGA Championship
• 1956 Australian Open, Speedo Tournament
• 1957 Pelaco Tournament
• 1958 North Coast Open
• 1959 Far East Open, Philippine Open
• 1968 West End Classic
• 1971 Wills Masters

Champions Tour Wins (20)

Bruce Crampton had amazing success on the Champions Tour (for golfers over 50), winning 20 times. Some of these wins include:

• 1986 Benson & Hedges Invitational, MONY Syracuse Senior's Pro Golf Classic, GTE Northwest Classic, PaineWebber World Seniors Invitational, Pepsi Senior Challenge, Las Vegas Senior Classic, Shearson-Lehman Brothers Senior Classic
• 1987 Denver Champions of Golf, The Greenbrier American Express Championship, MONY Syracuse Senior Classic, Bank One Senior Golf Classic
• 1988 United Hospitals Classic, GTE Northwest Classic
• 1989 MONY Arizona Classic, Ameritech Senior Open
• 1990 PaineWebber Invitational, Gatlin Brothers Southwest Senior Classic
• 1991 Infiniti Senior Tournament of Champions
• 1992 GTE West Classic
• 1997 Cadillac NFL Golf Classic

Other Senior Wins (2)

• 1987 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Orville Moody)
• 1988 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Orville Moody)

Playing in Major Championships

Bruce Crampton played in all four of golf's major championships: the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship (British Open), and PGA Championship. He came in second place four times in these big tournaments.

Here's a quick look at his best results:

• Masters Tournament: Tied for 2nd place in 1972.
• U.S. Open: 2nd place in 1972.
• The Open Championship: Tied for 13th place in 1956.
• PGA Championship: 2nd place in 1973 and 1975.

He was very consistent, making the cut (meaning he played well enough to continue in the tournament) in 49 out of 56 major championships he entered.

Team Golf Appearances

Bruce Crampton also represented Australia and other teams in golf competitions:

As an Amateur

• Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches: He played for New South Wales in 1953.

As a Professional

• World Cup: He represented Australia five times (1957, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1972).
• Slazenger Trophy: He played for the British Commonwealth and Empire team in 1956.
• Vicars Shield: He was part of the New South Wales team that won in 1956.