Lawrence Allen Gilbert, Sr. (November 19, 1942 – January 21, 1998) 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 ...
best known for winning the 1997
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship, stylised by the PGA Tour as The SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, is one of the five major championships on golf's PGA Tour Champions. The inaugural event was played in 1983 and the age minimum is 50, the standard f ...
, one of the major championships 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 ...
.
Gilbert was born in
Fort Knox, Kentucky
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold re ...
. He attended
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as well as a college of Postgr ...
in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropo ...
and was a distinguished member of the
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
team. Gilbert led Middle Tennessee State to victory in the 1965
NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships, played in late May, is an annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. From its inception through 2010, it was a 72-hole stroke play team competition, with an additional award for the lowest sco ...
for which Gilbert won the individual medal.
Gilbert spent most of his regular career years as a club pro in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
and
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...
. He won the
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 ...
in 1981, 1982 and 1991. He also won ten Kentucky PGA Championships, three
Kentucky Open
The Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1920 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winners ...
s, one
Tennessee Open
The Tennessee Open is the Tennessee state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Tennessee Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1949 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winn ...
and one Tennessee PGA Championship. Gilbert was inducted into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 1992; he is also a member of the Middle Tennessee State University Athletics Hall of Fame. He joined 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 ...
(later known as the
Champions 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 ...
) upon turning 50 in 1992.
Gilbert died in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...
of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
at the age of 55. He had started smoking cigarettes at an early age, and was often seen smoking a cigar while playing. He won the
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship, stylised by the PGA Tour as The SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, is one of the five major championships on golf's PGA Tour Champions. The inaugural event was played in 1983 and the age minimum is 50, the standard f ...
only 192 days before he died.
Professional wins (21)
Other wins (18)
*1968
Kentucky Open
The Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1920 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winners ...
*1970
Tennessee Open
The Tennessee Open is the Tennessee state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Tennessee Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1949 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winn ...
*1971
Tennessee PGA Championship The Tennessee PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the championship of the Tennessee section of the PGA of America. Gibby Gilbert (three-time PGA Tour winner) and Joe Campbell (three-time PGA tour winner) share the record for most wins wit ...
*1974 Kentucky PGA Championship
*1975
Kentucky Open
The Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1920 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winners ...
*1976
Kentucky Open
The Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1920 at a variety of courses around the state.
Winners ...
*1979 Kentucky PGA Championship
*1980 Kentucky PGA Championship
*1981
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 ...
, Kentucky PGA Championship
*1982
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 ...
, Kentucky PGA Championship
*1984 Kentucky PGA Championship, Kentucky PGA Match Play Championship
*1985 Kentucky PGA Championship
*1986 Kentucky PGA Match Play Championship
*1990 Kentucky PGA Championship
*1991
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 ...
Senior PGA Tour wins (3)
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (1)
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 ...
: 1976 (winners), 1977 (tie), 1981 (tie), 1982 (winners), 1983, 1992 (winners)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Larry
American male golfers
PGA Tour Champions golfers
Winners of senior major golf championships
Golfers from Kentucky
Middle Tennessee State University alumni
Deaths from lung cancer in Kentucky
1942 births
1998 deaths