R.I.P. Bob Goalby
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The 1968 Masters champion, 11-time PGA Tour winner and longtime NBC golf announcer passed away at age 92.
The team at KSDK in St Louis was first to report the sad news.
Dan O’Neill’s lengthy and detailed remembrance for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is a fitting salute to the only native of that city to win a major. He opened with this:
Shortly after he won the 1968 Masters, Bob Goalby received a letter from Bobby Jones, the legendary patriarch of the championship. In his correspondence, Jones wrote:
“I ask you to always remember that you won the tournament under the rules of golf and by superlative play.”
Adam Schupak at Golfweek noted this in his story:
Goalby was drafted into the Army in 1950 and he served until 1952. Afterwards, Goalby began playing professionally and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1958. He also played in the 1963 Ryder Cup Matches.
But it was the 1968 Masters that was his signature triumph. Goalby’s heroics down the stretch often have been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the tournament. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Goalby birdied Nos. 13 and 14, then made eagle at No. 15, drilling a 3-iron from 200 yards to 6 feet. He shot 66 and posted 11-under 277 at Augusta National.
In a PGATour.com salute by Jim McCabe, he writes:
Born into the Great Depression, he persevered and made a beautiful life. He contributed a voice in building the PGA TOUR into the mega-enterprise it is. The PGA TOUR Champions didn’t exist until he and a few friends relentlessly campaigned for it.
On so many occasions he should have heard “thank you” for being a man of strength and vision. Instead, often he was expected to say “sorry” for playing a brilliant round of golf on April 14, 1968.
Go figure.
One of the better interviews Goalby gave was this 2018 My Shot for Golf Digest.
Here is the final round broadcast starting at the 14th hole, where Goalby made birdie followed by eagle at the 15th:
Some tributes:
