Bo Wininger

Francis G. "Bo" Wininger (November 16, 1922 – December 7, 1967) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.

Bo Wininger
Personal information
Full nameFrancis G. Wininger
NicknameBo
Born(1922-11-16)November 16, 1922
Chico, California
DiedDecember 7, 1967(1967-12-07) (aged 45)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nationality United States
Career
CollegeOklahoma A&M
Turned professional1952
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour6
Other1
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament8th: 1963
PGA Championship4th: 1965
U.S. OpenT17: 1962
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Wininger played on the same high school football and baseball teams in Commerce, Oklahoma as future Yankee great Mickey Mantle, albeit a few years before Mantle came along.[1] He attended Oklahoma State University.

Wininger served in the United States Naval Air Corps during World War II. He turned pro in 1952 and joined the PGA Tour in 1953. After winning three times in the mid-1950s, he quit playing the tour full-time in 1959 to take a job in public relations. He returned to his winning ways in the early 1960s, winning the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational in 1962 and 1963 and the Carling Open Invitational in 1962.

Wininger had several runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour in addition to his six wins; these include a 2nd or T-2 finish at the 1957 and 1959 Canadian Open, the 1959 and 1960 Dallas Open Invitational, and the 1959 San Diego Open Invitational. He was the first back-to-back winner in the modern history of the New Orleans tournament. His best finish in a major was 4th place at the 1965 PGA Championship.[2]

He died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the age of 45 after suffering a stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side.

Professional wins (7)

PGA Tour wins (6)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Mar 7, 1955Baton Rouge Open−10 (70-70-67-71=278)Playoff Jimmy Clark, Billy Maxwell
2May 15, 1955Hot Springs Open−18 (67-67-68-68=270)5 strokes Doug Ford, Cary Middlecoff
3May 20, 1956Kansas City Open−15 (64-69-70-70=273)1 stroke Fred Hawkins, Bob Rosburg
4Feb 25, 1962Greater New Orleans Open Invitational−7 (69-71-73-68=281)2 strokes Bob Rosburg
5Nov 25, 1962Carling Open Invitational−10 (71-71-65-67=274)1 stroke Bert Weaver
6Mar 4, 1963Greater New Orleans Open Invitational (2)–9 (68-70-72-69=279)3 strokes Tony Lema, Bob Rosburg

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
1 1955 Baton Rouge Open Jimmy Clark, Billy Maxwell Won 18-hole playoff;
Wininger: −6 (66),
Clark: −2 (70),
Maxwell: −1 (71)
2 1960 Dallas Open Invitational Ted Kroll, Johnny Pott Pott won with birdie on third extra hole
Wininger eliminated with par on first hole

Other wins (1)

See also

Esoterica

Wininger appeared as himself in an episode of I Love Lucy titled "Lucy Takes Up Golf." Fellow golf pro Jimmy Demaret also appeared in the same episode. It first aired on January 27, 1954.

References

  1. Povich, Shirley (June 19, 1995). "Mantle's Critics Swing, Miss". The Washington Post. p. C01.
  2. "Golf Major Championships".
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