Who's who: Tommy Bolt

  • 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: Tommy Bolt

  • Name:

    Thomas Henry "Tommy" Bolt
  • Country:

    USA
  • Lived:

    [1916-2008]. Born on March 31, 1916 in Haworth, Oklahoma. Died on Aug 30, 2008 in Cherokee Village, Arkansas aged 92.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Oklahoma
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1946

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (1): US Open (1958). Ryder Cup player (1955, '57). Total professional wins (18), including PGA Tour wins (15). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 2002).

Did you know?

Nicknamed 'Thunder' and 'Terrible Tommy', Bolt was well known for his fiery temper, and was not unknown to break and/or throw clubs in fits of 'golf rage'. He is credited with having said, 'there's no better game in the world when you are in good company, and no worse game when you are in bad company'.

Top tournaments won by Tommy Bolt

1980
America
Onion Creek
187 (-23)
$35,000
Liberty Mutual

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

Onion Creek

Score

187 (-23)

Prize money

$35,000

Title sponsor

Liberty Mutual

Played as the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (unofficial two-man better-ball team event). Second-placed Sam Snead (USA) & Don January (USA) finished 2 shots behind Tommy Bolt (USA) and Art Wall (USA). [Onion Creek Club, Austin, Texas].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

39th hole

Prize money

Title sponsor

x

Played as the World Professional Senior's Golf Championship (Sept 7; 36-hole match between the US and British PGA Senior Champions). Bolt (USA) beat John Panton (Scot) at the 39th hole. [Bide-a-Wee GC, Portsmouth, Virginia].

1969
America
BallenIsles CC
278 (-10)
PGA of America

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

BallenIsles CC

Score

278 (-10)

Prize money

Title sponsor

PGA of America

Played as the PGA Seniors' Championship. Second-placed Pete Fleming (USA) finished 1 shot behind Bolt (USA). [East Course, BallenIsles CC, Palm Beach Gdns, FL. at the time known as Champions course, PGA National GC].

1961
America
Pensacola CC
275 (-13)
$2,800
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

Pensacola CC

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

$2,800

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Pensacola Open (March 9-12). Second-placed Gary Player (RSA) finished 2 shots behind Bolt (USA), who recorded the last of his 15 PGA Tour wins. [Pensacola CC, Pensacola, FL].

1960
America
Colonial CC, Tenn
273 (-9)
$4,300
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

Colonial CC, Tenn

Score

273 (-9)

Prize money

$4,300

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Memphis Open Invitational (June 2-5). Bolt (USA) beat Ben Hogan (USA) and Gene Littler (USA) in an 18-hole playoff (Bolt 68, Hogan 69, Littler 71). [Colonial CC, White Station, Memphis, TN. Club relocated to Cordova, nr Memphis in 1972].

1958
Majors
283 (+3)
$8,000
USGA

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

283 (+3)

Prize money

$8,000

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Open (58th) (Jun 12-14). Second-placed Gary Player (RSA) finished 4 shots behind 42-year-old native Oklahoman Tommy Bolt (USA), who recorded his first and only major championship win. 22-year-old Player was making his debut in the U.S. Open, a tournament he would win seven years later in 1965. [Southern Hills CC, Tulsa, Oklahoma].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

282 (+2)

Prize money

$5,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Colonial National Invitation (May 1-4). Second-placed Ken Venturi (USA) finished 1 shot behind Tommy Bolt (USA). [Colonial CC, Ft Worth, TX].

1957
America
Mt Pleasant GC
276 (-12)
$2,800
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

Mt Pleasant GC

Score

276 (-12)

Prize money

$2,800

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Eastern Open (July 25-28). Second-placed Billy Casper (USA) and Fred Hawkins (USA) finished 4 shots behind 38-year-old Tommy Bolt (USA). [Mt Pleasant Municipal GC, Baltimore, MD].

1955
America
274 (-14)
$2,400
Convair

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

274 (-14)

Prize money

$2,400

Title sponsor

Convair

Played as the Convair San Diego Open (Jan 20-23). Second-placed Johnny Palmer (USA) finished 2 shots behind Bolt (USA), who won this event for the second time in three years. [Riverwalk GC, San Diego, CA; at the time known as Mission Valley CC].

1955
America
266 (-14)
$2,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

266 (-14)

Prize money

$2,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Tucson Open (Feb 10-13). Second-placed Bud Holscher (USA) and Art Wall Jr (USA) finished 3 shots behind defending champion Tommy Bolt (USA), who holed a 30-foot eagle putt on the final hole to seal the win. [El Rio G&CC, Tucson, AZ. Now known as El Rio GC].

1954
America
265 (-23)
$2,400
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

265 (-23)

Prize money

$2,400

Title sponsor

x

Played as the inaugural Rubber City Open (Sept 2-5). Second-placed Fred Hawkins (USA) finished 5 shots behind Tommy Bolt (USA). [South course, Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio].

1954
America
Wethersfield CC
271 (-13)
$2,400
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

Wethersfield CC

Score

271 (-13)

Prize money

$2,400

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Insurance City Open (June 24-28). Tommy Bolt (USA) beat Earl Stewart (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff. Bolt, on 63 after 17 holes, came to the par-4 18th with a one shot lead, and watched Stewart drive his tee shot out of bounds. Bolt was on the 18th green in two, within easy range of a par four, while Stewart was putting for six. Stewart picked-up and conceded the playoff in the middle of a heavy rain shower. [Wethersfield CC, nr Hartford, CT].

1953
America
265 (-15)
$2,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

265 (-15)

Prize money

$2,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Tucson Open (Jan 29-Feb 1). Second-placed Chandler Harper (USA) finished 1 shot behind Tommy Bolt (USA). [El Rio G&CC, Tucson, AZ. Now known as El Rio GC].

1953
America
San Diego CC
274 (-14)
$2,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Venue

San Diego CC

Score

274 (-14)

Prize money

$2,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the San Diego Open (15-18). Second-placed Doug Ford (USA) finished 3 shots behind Bolt (USA). [San Diego CC, Chula Vista, CA].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

289 (+5)

Prize money

$4,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as the Los Angeles Open (Jan 4-8). Tommy Bolt (USA) beat Jack Burke Jr (USA) and E.J. "Dutch" Harrison (USA) in an 18-hole playoff (Bolt 69, Burke 71, Harrison 74). This was Bolt's second PGA Tour win. [Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA].

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Bolt, Tommy

Score

283 (-5)

Prize money

$1,500

Title sponsor

x

Played as the (50th and last) North & South Open (Nov 7-11). Second-placed John Barnum (USA) finished 3 shots behind 33-year-old Tommy Bolt (USA), who recorded the first of his 15 PGA Tour wins. [No.2 Course, Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina].

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

Popular videos

You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

WINSTONgolf - Links course

Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)