Who's who: Bruce Lietzke

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Bruce Lietzke

  • Name:

    Bruce Alan Lietzke
  • Country:

    USA
  • Lived:

    [1951-2018]. Born on July 18, 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri. Died on July 28, 2018 in Athens, Texas (aged 67).
  • Original/Home Club:

    Forest Park H.S., Beaumont, TX.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1974

Roll of Honour

Senior MAJORS (1): US Senior Open (2003). Multiple winner on the US PGA and Champions Tours. PGA Tour wins (13).

Did you know?

Lietzke was aged five when his older brother Duane introduced him to the game of golf. After the family moved to Beaumont, Texas honing his game was ably done by local golf professional Henry Homberg.

Top tournaments won by Bruce Lietzke

2003
Majors
277 (-7)
$470,000
USGA

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

277 (-7)

Prize money

$470,000

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Senior Open (June 26-29). Second-placed Tom Watson (USA) finished 2 shots behind Lietzke (USA). [Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio].

2003
America
206 (-10)
$350,000
Liberty Mutual

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

206 (-10)

Prize money

$350,000

Title sponsor

Liberty Mutual

Played as the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (April 25-27). Second-placed David Eger (USA) and Dana Quigley (USA) finished 1 shot behind Lietzke (USA). [Savannah Harbor Resort, Savannah, GA].

2002
America
TPC Piper Glen
133 (-11)
$240,000
TD Waterhouse

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Venue

TPC Piper Glen

Score

133 (-11)

Prize money

$240,000

Title sponsor

TD Waterhouse

Played as the TD Waterhouse Championship (May 10-12). Second-placed Larry Nelson (USA) finished 1 shot behind Lietzke (USA). [TPC Piper Glen, Charlotte, North Carolina].

2002
America
202 (-14)
$255,000
SAS Institute

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

202 (-14)

Prize money

$255,000

Title sponsor

SAS Institute

Played as the SAS Championship (Sept 20-22). Second-placed Gil Morgan (USA), Sammy Rachels (USA) and Tom Watson (USA) finished 4 shots behind defending champion Bruce Lietzke (USA), who recorded his fifth Champions Tour win. [Highlands & Meadows hybrid course, Prestonwood CC, Cary, NC].

2002
America
208 (-8)
$255,000
Audi

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

208 (-8)

Prize money

$255,000

Title sponsor

Audi

Played as the Audi Senior Classic (Feb 22-24). Second-placed Hale Irwin (USA) and Gary McCord (USA) finished 1 shot behind Lietzke (USA). [GC Chapultepec, Naucalpan, Mexico City].

2001
America
207 (-9)
$262,500
3M

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

207 (-9)

Prize money

$262,500

Title sponsor

3M

Played as the 3M Championship (Aug 10-12; formerly Burnet Classic). Second-placed Doug Tewell (USA) finished 2 shots behind first-time Senior PGA Tour winner Lietzke (USA). [TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, nr Minneapolis, Minn.].

2001
America
201 (-15)
$240,000
SAS Institute

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

201 (-15)

Prize money

$240,000

Title sponsor

SAS Institute

Played as the inaugural SAS Championship (Sept 21-23). Second-placed Allen Doyle (USA) and Gary McCord (USA) finished 3 shots behind Bruce Lietzke (USA), who recorded his second Champions Tour win. [Highlands & Meadows hybrid course, Prestonwood CC, Cary, NC].

1997
America
186 (-30)
$150,000
Franklin Templeton

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

186 (-30)

Prize money

$150,000

Title sponsor

Franklin Templeton

Played as the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (Nov 14-16; played over three rounds: 1-alternate shot; 2-better ball; 3-scramble). Second-placed team of David Duval (USA) & Scott Hoch (USA) finished 2 shots behind the winning team of Scott McCarron (USA) & Bruce Lietzke (USA), who shared the $300,000 first prize. [Sherwood CC, Thousand Oaks, nr LA, Calif.].

1994
America
332 (-28)
$270,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

332 (-28)

Prize money

$270,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Las Vegas Invitational (Oct 19-23). Second-placed Robert Gamez (USA) finished 1 shot behind Lietzke (USA), who recorded the last of his 13 PGA Tour wins. [TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV. Earlier rounds also at: Las Vegas CC and Las Vegas Hilton CC (now Las Vegas National GC)].

1992
America
267 (-13)
$234,000
Southwestern Bell

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

267 (-13)

Prize money

$234,000

Title sponsor

Southwestern Bell

Played as the Southwestern Bell Colonial (May 21-24). Bruce Lietzke (USA) beat Corey Pavin (USA) with a birdie at the first playoff hole. [Colonial CC, Ft Worth, TX].

1988
America
271 (-9)
$135,000
GTE

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

271 (-9)

Prize money

$135,000

Title sponsor

GTE

Played as the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic (May 12-15). Lietzke (USA) beat Clarence Rose (USA) with a birdie at the first playoff hole. [TPC course, Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, Irving, nr Dallas, TX].

1984
America
Eagle Trace, FL
280 (-8)
$90,000
Honda

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Venue

Eagle Trace, FL

Score

280 (-8)

Prize money

$90,000

Title sponsor

Honda

Played as the Honda Classic (Mar 1-4). Bruce Lietzke (USA) beat Andy Bean (USA) with a par at the first playoff hole, to record his tenth PGA Tour win. [Eagle Trace GC, Coral Springs, FL; at the time called TPC Eagle Trace].

1982
America
277 (-11)
$76,500
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

277 (-11)

Prize money

$76,500

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Canadian Open (Jul 29-Aug 1). Second-placed Hal Sutton (USA) finished 2 shots behind Bruce Lietzke (USA), who recorded his second win in this event. [Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, nr Toronto, Ont.].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

278 (-10)

Prize money

$45,000

Title sponsor

Wickes

Played as the Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open (Feb 5-8). Lietzke (USA) beat Raymond Floyd (USA) with a birdie at the second playoff hole. Tom Jenkins (USA) was eliminated at the first playoff hole. [South course, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA].

1981
America
Preston Trail
281 (+1)
$54,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Venue

Preston Trail

Score

281 (+1)

Prize money

$54,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Byron Nelson Golf Classic (May 7-10). Lietzke (USA) beat defending champion Tom Watson (USA) with a par at the first playoff hole, to deny Watson his fourth straight win this event. [Preston Trail GC, Dallas, TX].

1981
America
Bermuda Dunes CC
335 (-25)
$50,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Venue

Bermuda Dunes CC

Score

335 (-25)

Prize money

$50,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Bob Hope Desert Classic (Jan 15-18). Second-placed Jerry Pate (USA) finished 2 shots behind Lietzke (USA). [Bermuda Dunes CC, Coachella Valley, CA. Earlier rounds also at: Indian Wells CC; Tamarisk CC; La Quinta CC].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

271 (-9)

Prize money

$54,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Colonial National Invitation (May 15-18). Second-placed Ben Crenshaw (USA) finished 1 shot behind Bruce Lietzke (USA), who recorded his fifth PGA Tour win. [Colonial CC, Ft Worth, TX].

1979
America
265 (-17)
$45,000
Joe Garagiola

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

265 (-17)

Prize money

$45,000

Title sponsor

Joe Garagiola

Played as the Joe Garagiola Tucson Open (Feb 15-18). Second-placed Tom Watson (USA), Buddy Gardner (USA) and Jim Thorpe (USA) finished 2 shots behind Bruce Lietzke (USA), who won this event for the second time in three years. [North course, Randolph GC, Tucson, AZ].

1978
America
283 (-1)
$50,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

283 (-1)

Prize money

$50,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Canadian Open (June 22-25). Second-placed Pat McGowan (USA) finished 1 shot behind Bruce Lietzke (USA). [Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, nr Toronto, Ont.].

1977
America
275 (-13)
$40,000
Joe Garagiola

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

$40,000

Title sponsor

Joe Garagiola

Played as the Joe Garagiola Tucson Open (Jan 13-16). 25-year-old Bruce Lietzke (USA) beat Gene Littler (USA) with an 82-foot birdie putt at the fourth playoff hole, to record his first PGA Tour win. [Catalina course, Tucson National Resort, Tucson, AZ].

1977
America
273 (-15)
$48,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Lietzke, Bruce

Score

273 (-15)

Prize money

$48,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Hawaiian Open (Feb 3-6). Second-placed Don January (USA) and Takashi Murakami (Jpn) finished 3 shots behind Bruce Lietzke (USA), who recorded his second PGA Tour win. [Waialae CC, Honolulu, Hawaii].

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