Calvin Peete facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calvin Peete |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Calvin Peete |
| Born | July 18, 1943 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | April 29, 2015 (aged 71) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1975 |
| 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 |
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| The Masters Tournament | T11: 1986 |
| U.S. Open | T4: 1983 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
| PGA Championship | T3: 1982 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Vardon Trophy | 1984 |
| Byron Nelson Award | 1984 |
Calvin Peete (born July 18, 1943 – died April 29, 2015) was an amazing American professional golfer. Before the famous Tiger Woods came along, Calvin Peete was the most successful African-American golfer on the PGA Tour. He won 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour! He was a top player, finishing in the top 5 on the PGA Tour money list three times in the 1980s. In 1984, he was even ranked among the top 10 golfers in the world.
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About Calvin Peete
Calvin Peete was born in Detroit, Michigan. What makes his story even more incredible is that he didn't start playing golf until he was in his 20s. Most professional golfers begin learning the game when they are very young children! Calvin learned golf while selling things to workers in Rochester, New York. He often practiced at a public golf course there.
Growing up, Calvin suffered a badly broken arm that was never properly fixed. This meant his arm didn't straighten all the way. Despite this, he became incredibly accurate with his golf shots. He was known for being the leader in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour for 10 years in a row, from 1981 to 1990! This means his golf ball almost always landed exactly where he wanted it to.
Calvin Peete was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1983 and 1985. The Ryder Cup is a big golf competition between teams from the United States and Europe. In 1984, he won the Vardon Trophy. This award goes to the golfer with the lowest average score for the season. In 2002, he was honored by being added to the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame.
Calvin Peete passed away from lung cancer in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 29, 2015. He was 71 years old.
Calvin Peete's Wins
Calvin Peete had a very successful career, winning a total of 14 professional golf tournaments.
PGA Tour Victories
He won 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour, which is one of the biggest golf tours in the world. His wins included the 1985 Tournament Players Championship, which is a very important event in golf. He also won the Greater Milwaukee Open twice, and the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic twice. His other wins showed how consistently good he was throughout the early to mid-1980s.
Japan Golf Tour Victories
Calvin Peete also won two tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour in 1982. These included the Goldwin Cup Japan vs USA and the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament.
Major Championship Results
Calvin Peete played in some of golf's biggest tournaments, known as "major championships." These include the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship. He never played in The Open Championship.
He had some great finishes in these tough competitions:
- In the U.S. Open, his best finish was tied for 4th place in 1983. He also finished tied for 10th in 1982.
- In the PGA Championship, he finished tied for 3rd place in 1982 and 4th place in 1984.
- In the Masters Tournament, his best finish was tied for 11th place in 1986.
Even though he didn't win a major, consistently finishing high in these tournaments shows how skilled he was.
The Players Championship
Calvin Peete won The Players Championship in 1985. This tournament is often called golf's "fifth major" because it is so important and difficult to win. He won by three strokes, showing his strong performance against other top golfers.
U.S. National Team Appearances
Calvin Peete proudly represented the United States in several team competitions:
- Ryder Cup: He was part of the U.S. team that won the Ryder Cup in 1983. He also played in the 1985 Ryder Cup.
- Nissan Cup: He played in the Nissan Cup in 1985 (which the U.S. team won) and 1986.
See also
- Spring 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
