Bruce Lietzke
Bruce Alan Lietzke was an American professional golfer who won 13 tournaments on the PGA Tour between 1977 and 1994, including two victories in the Canadian Open. His best finish in a major championship was at the 1991 PGA Championship where he finished second, three strokes behind John Daly. He had seven victories on the Champions Tour, including one senior major title, the 2003 U.S. Senior Open. He played in the 1981 Ryder Cup.
Early life
Lietzke was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He moved to Beaumont, Texas with his parents in 1960 and lived there until 1977, graduating from Forest Park High School in 1969.Acknowledgments
Lietzke credited his older brother, Duane, for introducing him to the game of golf at age five. He also credits Henry Homberg, a local Beaumont professional, along with Duane for having the greatest influences on his game when he first started playing. Lietzke attended the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He graduated in 1973 and turned pro in 1974.Successes
Lietzke's first PGA Tour victory was in the 1977 Tucson Open. Although he had to wait until the Champions Tour to win a major in the 2003 U.S. Senior Open, Lietzke had a relatively successful career, winning a combined total of 20 tournaments on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His career year on the PGA Tour was 1981, when he had three tournament victories. He played on the winning 1981 U.S. Ryder Cup team at Walton Heath Golf Club in England in what is considered by many to be the finest American team ever assembled.Lietzke's best finish in a major on the PGA Tour was a solo second place at the 1991 PGA Championship.
Lietzke was well known for not practicing a great deal, and not playing in a large number of tournaments compared to his fellow competitors, electing to spend more time with his family. He did not play more than 25 events in any PGA Tour season and never played more than 20 tournaments in a single season after 1988. Despite this he never finished below 74th on the money list. During his career, Lietzke played in 506 PGA Tour events.
Hobbies
Lietzke enjoyed collecting classic cars and built an 11-car garage at his home in which to store his large collection; the crown jewel was a 1967 yellow Corvette Stingray convertible. He listed Bruce Springsteen as his favorite entertainer and Don "Big Daddy" Garlits as his favorite athlete. He made his home in Dallas, Texas. In 1978, Lietzke was shown in print adverts for the Dodge Magnum coupe, as also being a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda owner.Lietzke was an avid supporter of the Sour Mash Open in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He played in the event numerous times. "The Bryce-Lietzke-Martin Scholarship Fund was the first fund established by the Sour Mash Open Golf Tournament Committee in 1990 in honor of the late Dr. John Coyle Bryce, PGA Golf Professional, Bruce Lietzke, and Larry Martin. The earnings of the fund are used to provide scholarships to worthy Wood County students who have shown an interest in golf."
Personal life
Lietzke and Jerry Pate were brothers-in-law. Lietzke's wife, Rose, and Pate's wife, Soozi, are sisters. Lietzke and Pate played together in the 1981 Ryder Cup.Medical problems and death
In April 2017, Lietzke was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. He died on July 28, 2018 from complications of the disease and attempts at treating it, which his body rejected.Professional wins (22)
PGA Tour wins (13)
PGA Tour playoff record| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1977 | Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open |  Gene Littler | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 2 | 1977 | MONY Tournament of Champions | Jack Nicklaus | Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
| 3 | 1978 | Tallahassee Open | Barry Jaeckel | Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1981 | Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open | Raymond Floyd, Tom Jenkins | Won with birdie on second extra hole Jenkins eliminated with par on first hole |
| 5 | 1981 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | Tom Watson | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 6 | 1984 | Honda Classic | Andy Bean | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 7 | 1988 | GTE Byron Nelson Classic | Clarence Rose | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 8 | 1992 | GTE Byron Nelson Classic | Billy Ray Brown, Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd | Brown won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 9 | 1992 | Southwestern Bell Colonial | Corey Pavin | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 10 | 1992 | Canadian Open |  Greg Norman | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 11 | 1995 | Mercedes Championships | Steve Elkington | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 12 | 1998 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | Fred Couples | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
Champions Tour wins (7)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | Aug 12, 2001 | 3M Championship | −9 | 2 strokes | Doug Tewell |
| 2 | Sep 23, 2001 | SAS Championship | −15 | 3 strokes | Allen Doyle, Gary McCord |
| 3 | Feb 24, 2002 | Audi Senior Classic | −8 | 1 stroke | Hale Irwin, Gary McCord |
| 4 | May 12, 2002 | TD Waterhouse Championship | −11 | 2 strokes | Larry Nelson |
| 5 | Sep 22, 2002 | SAS Championship | −14 | 4 strokes | Gil Morgan, Sammy Rachels, Tom Watson |
| 6 | Apr 27, 2003 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf | −10 | 1 stroke | David Eger, Dana Quigley |
| 7 | Jun 29, 2003 | U.S. Senior Open | −7 | 2 strokes | Tom Watson |
Other senior wins (1)
- 2002 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Raphael Division
Results in major championships
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 13
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2
Results in The Players Championship
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Senior major championships
Wins (1)
U.S. national team appearances
- Ryder Cup: 1981
- UBS Cup: 2003