Frederick L. Wampler (October 17, 1923 – April 27, 1985) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.
| Fred Wampler | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Frederick L. Wampler |
| Born | October 17, 1923 Bedford, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | April 27, 1985 (aged 61) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Purdue University |
| Turned professional | 1950 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 10 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | T38: 1967 |
| U.S. Open | T28: 1959 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Wampler was born in Bedford, Indiana. He played on the Purdue University golf team from 1948 to 1950. In 1950, he won the NCAA individual championship, was selected as Purdue's first All-American and won the Big Ten individual title for the third consecutive year. Wampler still shares the Big Ten tournament record for lowest individual round with a 64 in the fourth round of the 1950 Big Ten Championships.[1]
A veteran of World War II, Wampler served in the United States Navy in the Pacific prior to enrolling at Purdue University.
Wampler's only PGA Tour win came at the 1954 Los Angeles Open.[2] He finished runner-up to Sam Snead in the 1956 Greater Greensboro Open on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. Like most golfers of his generation, he earned his living primarily as a club professional. Starting in 1965, he served 17 years as the head pro at Denver Country Club.[3]
On the Senior PGA Tour, Wampler finished runner-up twice in the Senior PGA Championship. In 1975, he lost on the first playoff hole to Charlie Sifford and in 1976, he finished five strokes behind Pete Cooper.
Wampler was inducted into the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame in 1972, the Purdue University Sports Hall of Fame and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 1997.
Wampler died at the age of 61 after an 18-year battle with chronic leukemia.[3]
Amateur wins
edit- 1947 Indiana Amateur
- 1948 Big-10 Championship
- 1949 Indiana Amateur, Big-10 Championship
- 1950 Big-10 Championship, NCAA Championship
Professional wins (10)
editPGA Tour wins (1)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 11, 1954 | Los Angeles Open | −3 (70-70-66-75=281) | 1 stroke |  Jerry Barber, Chick Harbert
|
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1956 | Greater Greensboro Open | Sam Snead
|
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Other wins (9)
editThis list may be incomplete
- 1950 Indiana Open (as an amateur)
- 1952 Long Island Open
- 1953 Manchester Open
- 1962 St. Clair Open
- 1966 Colorado PGA Championship
- 1968 Colorado PGA Championship
- 1973 Colorado PGA Championship
- 1974 Colorado PGA Championship
- 1983 Indiana Senior Open
References
edit- ^ "Biographical information from Purdue University Official Athletic Site".
- ^ "L.A. Golf Won by Wampler". The Spokesman-Review. January 12, 1955. p. 15.
- ^ a b "Fred Wampler 1997 Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Inductee". Retrieved April 28, 2020.
External links
edit- Fred Wampler at the PGA Tour official site