Robert Hansen Betley (February 1, 1940 – April 28, 2020) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

who is best known for having played on the

Senior PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many year ...

. Betley was born in

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to th ...

. He attended

Weber State University Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was found ...

, where he majored in

police science Police science is the study and research which deals with police work. Studies and research in criminology, forensic science, psychiatry, psychology, jurisprudence, community policing, criminal justice, correctional administration and penology all ...

and administration. He started playing golf at age 28. Betley spent most of his regular career years as a club pro. He was known for driving the ball long distances. He was runner-up at the 1986

PGA Club Professional Championship The PGA Professional Championship is a golf tournament for golf club professionals and teachers who are members of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been held by the PGA of America since 1968, when touring professionals spl ...

. Through Monday qualifying and sponsor exemptions, he played in a few PGA Tour events during his regular career years. His best showing in a major was a T-47 at the 1987

PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major championships ...

. Upon reaching the age of 50 in February 1990, Betley joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the

PGA Tour Champions PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many yea ...

). He has more than a dozen top-10 finishes in this venue including a win at the 1993 Bank of Boston Senior Classic. Betley died at the age of 80 on April 28, 2020.

Professional wins (6)

Other wins (5)

*1976

Arizona Open The Arizona Open Championship is the annual open state championship of golf in Arizona. The competition is 54-holes of stroke play (3 rounds on an 18-hole course), with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. Following ...

*1978

*1979

Utah Open The Utah Open is the Utah state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Utah section of the PGA of America. It was first played in 1926 and has been played at a variety of courses around the state ...

*1986

Utah PGA Championship The Utah PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the championship of the Utah section of the PGA of America. The Utah section was formed in 1986, and the tournament has been played annually since that time. Kim Thompson, a Utah club pro, holds ...

*1990 Colorado Open

Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Betley, Bob American male golfers PGA Tour Champions golfers Golfers from Montana Weber State University alumni Sportspeople from Butte, Montana 1940 births 2020 deaths