Bob Shearer

For the Australian footballer, see Bob Shearer (footballer).

Robert Alan Shearer OAM (25 May 1948 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.

Bob Shearer OAM
Personal information
Full name	Robert Alan Shearer
Born	(1948-05-25)25 May 1948 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	9 January 2022(2022-01-09) (aged 73)
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	84 kg (185 lb; 13.2 st)
Sporting nationality	Australia
Spouse	Kathie Shearer
Children	2
Career
Turned professional	1971
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour of Australasia European Tour PGA Tour European Senior Tour
Professional wins	27
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	1
European Tour	2
PGA Tour of Australasia	16
European Senior Tour	4
Other	4
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	T35: 1977
PGA Championship	T26: 1978
U.S. Open	T16: 1978
The Open Championship	T7: 1978
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour of Australia Order of Merit winner 1974, 1977, 1981, 1982

Early life and amateur career

Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur, having been a joint medalist the previous year.^[1][2]

Professional career

Shearer turned professional in early 1971.^[3] He won the PGA Tour of Australia Order of Merit four times: 1974, 1977, 1981, 1982.^[4] He spent five years on the European Tour and then nine on the PGA Tour.^[5] His career year was 1982 when he won the Australian Open and his sole PGA Tour event, the Tallahassee Open. He had 18 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events. His best finish in a major championship was a T-7 at the 1978 Open Championship.^[6]

Later he split his time between his golf course design work and the European Senior Tour.^[5]

Death

Shearer died from a heart attack on 9 January 2022, at the age of 73.^[7]

Amateur wins

• 1969 Australian Amateur

Professional wins (27)

PGA Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	18 Apr 1982	Tallahassee Open	−16 (69-69-68-66=272)	1 stroke	Hal Sutton, Denis Watson

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1982	Michelob-Houston Open	Ed Sneed	Lost to birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	26 Apr 1975	Madrid Open	−9 (68-67=135)	3 strokes	Dale Hayes, Norman Wood
2	10 May 1975	Piccadilly Medal	−3 (70)	19 holes	Andries Oosthuizen

European Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1974	Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf	Philippe Toussaint	Lost to par on first extra hole

PGA Tour of Australia wins (16)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	20 Jan 1974	Coca-Cola Lakes Open	[phone]=297)	Playoff	Ted Ball, Paul Murray
2	3 Feb 1974	Tasmanian Open	−7 (67-70-73-71=281)	Playoff	Ted Ball
3	10 Nov 1974	Chrysler Classic	−1 (65-74-70-74=283)	9 strokes	Bruce Devlin
4	10 Nov 1975	West Lakes Classic	−2 (73-70-69-70=282)	Playoff	Mike Cahill
5	7 Nov 1976	Chrysler Classic (2)	−3 (72-69-72-68=281)	Playoff	Stewart Ginn
6	30 Oct 1977	CBA West Lakes Classic (2)	−13 (67-69-68-67=271)	6 strokes	David Good
7	27 Nov 1977	Colgate Champion of Champions	−7 (66-71-72-72=281)	1 stroke	Maurice Bembridge, John Benda, Curtis Strange, Jack Newton
8	19 Oct 1980	Tooth Gold Coast Classic	−9 (70-70-70-69=279)	1 stroke	Don January, Art Russell, Bob Shaw, Chris Tickner
9	6 Dec 1981	Air New Zealand Shell Open	−15 (63-66-67-69=265)	8 strokes	Graham Marsh
10	13 Dec 1981	New Zealand BP Open	−3 (74-67-72-72=285)	3 strokes	Terry Gale
11	24 Oct 1982	New South Wales Open	−12 (71-66-66-69=272)	1 stroke	Graham Marsh
12	21 Nov 1982	Australian Open	−1 (75-70-72-70=287)	4 strokes	Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart
13	13 Feb 1983	Victorian Open	−6 (73-71-68-70=282)	1 stroke	Greg Norman
14	6 Nov 1983	Yakka Australian PGA Championship	E (72-76-69-71=288)	2 strokes	Ossie Moore
15	7 Oct 1984	Ford Dealers South Australian Open	−2 (73-70-75-68=286)	1 stroke	Terry Gale
16	2 Mar 1986	Rich River Classic	−17 (64-68-66-69=267)	8 strokes	Ian Stanley

PGA Tour of Australia playoff record (4–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1974	Coca-Cola Lakes Open	Ted Ball, Paul Murray	Won with birdie on first extra hole
2	1974	Tasmanian Open	Ted Ball
3	1975	West Lakes Classic	Mike Cahill	Won with par on third extra hole
4	1976	Chrysler Classic	Stewart Ginn	Won with birdie on first extra hole

New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	21 Nov 1976	New Zealand Airlines Classic	−21 (72-64-68-67=271)	9 strokes	Bill Brask, John Lister
2	10 Dec 1978	New Zealand Open	−3 (71-67-72-67=277)	1 stroke	Brian Barnes

Other Australasian wins (2)

• 1983 ABE Holdings–Jack Newton Classic (incorporating the New South Wales PGA Championship)
• 1985 South West Open

European Seniors Tour wins (4)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	7 Jun 1998	Jersey Seniors Open	−5 (71-73-67=211)	2 strokes	Tony Jacklin
2	31 May 1999	Philips PFA Golf Classic	−12 (70-67-67=204)	1 stroke	Jim Delich, Terry Gale
3	8 Aug 1999	Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open	−12 (67-63-68=198)	3 strokes	David Oakley
4	9 Sep 2001	STC Bovis Lend Lease European Invitational	−8 (70-71-67=208)	1 stroke	Noel Ratcliffe

European Senior Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2000	Beko Classic	Brian Huggett	Lost to par on first extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Masters Tournament					T39	T35		WD
U.S. Open							T16	CUT
The Open Championship	T31		T59	T32	T21	T15	T7	CUT
PGA Championship							T26

Tournament	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
Masters Tournament				48
U.S. Open			T49	T50
The Open Championship	T51		T42	CUT		T35
PGA Championship			WD	T36

  Top 10

  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

Amateur

• Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing Victoria): 1970

Professional

• World Cup (representing Australia): 1975, 1976

See also

• Spring 1976 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates