Jimmy Wright (golfer)
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Jimmy Wright (born December 1, 1939) is 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 ...
.


Early life

Wright was born on a farm in
Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adjacent to the east. The city proper had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Unite ...
. At the age of 10, he moved to
Enid, Oklahoma Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County, Oklahoma, Garfield County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the openin ...
where he spent most of his youth. He started caddying at a local golf course when he was 12 and began playing golf the following year. He shot a 72 on the first 9 holes he ever played. Five years later, on the same par-36 nine holes, he shot an 8-under-par 28. In 1957, he won the State High School Championship.


Amateur career

After high school, Wright attended
Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
in
Stillwater, Oklahoma Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, Payne County. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177#Oklahoma, U.S. Route 177 and Oklahoma S ...
where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration in January 1962. Wright was an
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
for three years at Oklahoma State (at the time freshmen were not allowed to compete). He was the only sophomore to make the All-American team. In 1960, Wright won the Oklahoma Amateur.


Professional career

In September 1961, he turned professional and won the first professional tournament he entered. After graduating from college, he played the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
part-time in 1962 and 1963. Wright joined the
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
in 1963 and headed off to basic
military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...
. Upon fulfilling his active duty obligation to the National Guard, he returned home to marry Joyce McGugin in March 1964. Shortly thereafter, Wright resumed his golf career and was selected for the number one assistant position at
Winged Foot Golf Club Winged Foot Golf Club is a private golf club in the Northeastern United States, located in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. The club was founded in 1921, by a group largely made up of members of The New York Athleti ...
in
Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ), is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2 ...
, where he worked under the tutelage of respected and noted golf instructor
Claude Harmon Eugene Claude Harmon Sr. (July 14, 1916 – July 23, 1989) was an American professional golfer and golf instructor. Early life and amateur career Harmon was born in Savannah, Georgia. He spent much of his boyhood in Florida, in the Orlando ar ...
. Wright was at Winged Foot from 1964 until the fall of 1965 when he was selected as the Head Professional of the
Inwood Country Club Inwood Country Club is a private Golf, Tennis & Beach Club in Inwood, New York, located adjacent to Jamaica Bay and just southeast of John F. Kennedy International Airport. Originally established as nine-hole course in 1901, it is one of the olde ...
in
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, New York. While at Inwood, Wright played part-time on the PGA Tour, making 48 starts between 1968 and 1972. After a decade at Inwood, Wright replaced
Herman Barron Herman Barron (December 23, 1909 – June 11, 1978) was an American professional golfer best known for being the first Jewish golfer to win a PGA Tour event. Early life Barron was born in Port Chester, New York. Professional career Barro ...
as the head golf professional of the Fenway Golf Club in
Scarsdale, New York Scarsdale is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Scarsdale is coterminous municipality, coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate ...
. He held this position from 1976 to 1988, when he accepted the position as head golf professional at The Falls Country Club in
Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Wort ...
. Five years later, Wright became the Director of Golf at The Oaks Club in
Osprey, Florida Osprey is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,690 at the 2020 census, up from 6,100 at the 2010 census. The town is located in Southwest Florida and is part of the North Port–Br ...
. Wright worked at The Oaks until 2002 before embarking on an enterprise of opening a golf retail store in
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
called The Wright Approach. In 2005, Wright closed his store and accepted a position as the Director of Golf at a new premier private club in
Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
called The Concession Golf Club - a
Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus (; born January 21, 1940), nicknamed "the Golden Bear", is an American retired professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greate ...
Signature Golf Course designed in association with
Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE (born 7 July 1944) is an English golfer. He was the most successful British player of his generation, winning two major championships, the 1969 Open Championship and the 1970 U.S. Open. He was also Ryder Cup captain from ...
. The Concession, which was honored as the "Best New Private Course" of 2006 by ''
Golf Digest ''Golf Digest'' is a monthly golf magazine published by Warner Bros. Discovery through its TNT Sports unit. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. The magazine started by John F. ...
'', commemorates one of the greatest acts of sportsmanship in the history of golf, when Nicklaus conceded a two-foot putt to Jacklin in the
1969 Ryder Cup The 18th Ryder Cup Matches were held 18–20 September 1969 at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. The competition ended in a tie at 16 points each when America's Jack Nicklaus conceded a three-foot (0.9 m) putt to Britain's ...
matches. Wright's love for and commitment to The Concession Golf Club and the traditions of the game and competitive play continues today in the role of Tournament Director.


Results in major championships

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" = tied
Source:


Accomplishments

* Finished 4th in 1969 PGA Championship at NCR Country Club in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
(highest finish of a club professional in any PGA Championship since it went to
stroke play Stroke play is a scoring system in the sport of golf. In the regular form of stroke play, also known as medal play, the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. In a regular stroke play competition, the winner is the ...
) * Participated in 21 major championships * Participated in 13
PGA Championships 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. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...
PGA Championship Media Guide entry
/ref> * Participated in six U.S. Opens * Participated in
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...
(1970) - finished T-29th * 14 National Club Pro Championships (finished 2nd in 1969; 4th in 1968; 5th in 1978 and 1981) * 1990 won the first senior tournament he entered (Sandpiper Golf Club, Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) Holder of 15 course records: *Most notable: a 59, 60 and 62. The 59 was shot in 1981 at MeadowLake Golf Club in
Enid, Oklahoma Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County, Oklahoma, Garfield County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the openin ...
. The 60 was shot in 1963 at Oakwood Country Club in Enid. The 62 was shot during the second round of the 1976
Westchester Classic The FedEx St. Jude Championship, founded as the Westchester Classic in 1967, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The Championship has a partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with the hospital serving as the tour ...
at
Westchester Country Club Westchester Country Club is a private country club located in Harrison, New York. Founded in 1922 as a destination for sportsmen, it was known to professional golfers and spectators for more than four decades as the home of the Westchester Cla ...
in
Rye, New York Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. It received its charter as a city in 1942, making it the most recent such charter in the state. Its area of ...
. *Another record, 66, occurred during the 1971 International Pro-Am at
Carnoustie Golf Links Carnoustie Golf Links is in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Carnoustie has four courses – the historic Championship Course, the Burnside Course, the Buddon Links Course and a free-to-play short, five-hole course called The Nestie. Carnoustie G ...
in Scotland. *Lastly, Wright shot a 65 at the Coral Creek Club in
Placida, Florida Placida is an unincorporated community in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. It is located near where County Road 771 becomes County Road 775, and the Coral Creek meets Gasparilla Sound. Placida is part of the Sarasota-Bradenton-Punta ...
at the age of 60. PGA Club Professional records: * Only club professional to compete in the
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...
in the past 50 years * Highest finish of a club professional in the
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. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...
since it went to the stroke play format, 1969 * Played in 21 major championships * Won 118 professional golf tournaments


Awards and honors

* Wright was a three-time NCAA All-American at
Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
(1959–1961) * Wright earned the Metropolitan PGA Player of the Year award seven times: in 1969, 1972–1976, and 1980 * In 1982, Wright was inducted into th
Metropolitan Hall of Fame
ref>


Professional wins (12)

*1969
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
,
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island ...
*1970 Long Island Open, Long Island PGA Championship *1972
Metropolitan PGA Championship The Metropolitan PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the section championship of the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1926 at a variety of courses around the New York City metropolitan area. I ...
, Long Island Open *1973 Long Island PGA Championship *1974 Metropolitan PGA Championship, Long Island Open, Long Island PGA Championship *1976 Metropolitan PGA Championship *1980 Metropolitan PGA Championship


U.S. national team appearances

*
PGA Cup The PGA Cup is a men's golf competition for club professionals played between a Great Britain and Ireland team and a United States team. The winning team is presented with the Llandudno Trophy. The competition is run by the British PGA and the P ...
: 1975 (winners), 1979, 1982 (winners)


References


External links

*
PGA Tour career profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Jimmy American male golfers Oklahoma State Cowboys golfers PGA Tour golfers Golfers from Arkansas People from Bentonville, Arkansas Sportspeople from Enid, Oklahoma 1939 births Living people 20th-century American sportsmen