Frank Conner (golfer)
Frank Conner (born January 11, 1946) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour. He was also an accomplished amateur tennis player. He, Ellsworth Vines and G. H. "Pete" Bostwick Jr. are the only men to play in the U.S. Open in both tennis and golf.[1][2]
| Frank Conner | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 11, 1946 Vienna, Austria |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st) |
| Sporting nationality | United States |
| Residence | San Antonio, Texas |
| Career | |
| College | Trinity University |
| Turned professional | 1971 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 7 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 2 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | CUT: 1982 |
| PGA Championship | T23: 1979 |
| U.S. Open | T6: 1981 |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1971 |
Life and career
Conner was born in Vienna, Austria,[1] where his father was stationed with the U.S. Army.[3] He competed in the U.S. Open in tennis in 1965, 1966, and 1967.[2] He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, graduating in 1970 with a degree in Business Administration.[1] While at Trinity he was an All-American in tennis in 1968.[1] He was elected to Trinity's Hall of Fame in 2001.[1][4]
Conner gave up playing tennis and turned to golf, turning professional in 1971.[2] He failed four times at qualifying school before finally getting his tour card and joining the PGA Tour in 1975.[2] He played on the PGA Tour from 1975 to 1989 and again in 1992. He finished second four times: in 1979 to Hubert Green at the First NBC New Orleans Open, in 1981 to Dave Barr in a five-man playoff at the Quad Cities Open, in 1982 to Tom Watson in a playoff at the Sea Pines Heritage, and in 1984 to George Archer at the Bank of Boston Classic. He won the 1988 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic which was played opposite the Masters Tournament - it was an official money event but not an official win on the PGA Tour. His best finish in a major championship was a T-6 at the 1981 U.S. Open.
Conner played on the Ben Hogan Tour (now Nationwide Tour) from 1990–91 and 1993-95. He won twice in 1991 at the Ben Hogan Knoxville Open and the Ben Hogan Tulsa Open and finished fifth on the money list to regain his PGA Tour card.
After turning 50 in 1996, Conner played on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) from 1996 to 2002. His best finishes on this tour were a pair of second places: at the 1997 The Transamerica and the 1998 Kroger Senior Classic in a five-man playoff.
Professional wins (7)
Ben Hogan Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 19, 1991 | Ben Hogan Knoxville Open | −15 (63-68-67=198) | 1 stroke | Perry Arthur, Paul Goydos |
| 2 | Aug 11, 1991 | Ben Hogan Tulsa Open | −6 (75-68-67=210) | Playoff | Tom Lehman |
Ben Hogan Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991 | Ben Hogan Tulsa Open | Tom Lehman | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Other wins (5)
- 1978 Southern Texas PGA Championship
- 1982 King Hassan Open, Southern Texas PGA Championship
- 1983 Texas State Open
- 1988 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic (unofficial PGA Tour win)
Playoff record
PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | Quad Cities Open | Dave Barr, Woody Blackburn, Dan Halldorson, Victor Regalado | Barr won with par on eighth extra hole Conner, Halldorson and Regalado eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 2 | 1982 | Sea Pines Heritage Classic | Tom Watson | Lost to par on third extra hole |
Champions Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998 | Kroger Senior Classic | Hugh Baiocchi, Bob Charles, Larry Nelson, Bruce Summerhays | Baiocchi won with birdie on second extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T58 | T48 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T23 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T6 | CUT | T50 | T46 | T59 | CUT | |
| The Open Championship | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | WD | CUT | T40 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Trinity University Hall of Fame profile
- ^ a b c d 2004 U.S. Senior Open profile
- ^ "Conner has Philadelphia golf lead". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. Associated Press. August 3, 1980. p. 4B. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ Trinity University's Hall of Fame
External links
- Frank Conner at the PGA Tour official site