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Bruce Fleisher
American professional golfer (1948–2021) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bruce Lee Fleisher (October 16, 1948 – September 23, 2021) was an American professional golfer.
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Early life
Fleisher was born in Union City, Tennessee, and was Jewish.[1][2][3]
In 1950, the Fleisher family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, where Bruce began playing golf with his brothers, Leslie and Jerry. Fleisher became involved in golf at age seven by working as a caddie with his two brothers.[1][4]
When Bruce was 14, the Fleishers moved to Miami, Florida.[5]
Amateur career
Fleisher attended Miami-Dade Junior College and Furman University.[1] In 1968 at age 19, he became the third-youngest player to win the U.S. Amateur.[1][4] He also was the low amateur at the 1969 Masters Tournament. He turned professional in 1969.[1]
Professional career
Fleisher won both individual and team gold medals in golf at the 1969 Maccabiah Games in Israel.[6][7]
Fleisher spent much of his regular career as a club professional; he won the PGA Club Professional Championship in 1989. His regular tournament career was modest, with one win on the PGA Tour, the 1991 New England Classic, and a few wins in minor tournaments.
He was much more successful on the Champions Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) with 18 wins, including one senior major, the 2001 U.S. Senior Open.[1] Fleisher became the first player ever to earn back-to-back victories in his first two Champions Tour events, which helped him win Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in 1999.[4] He also has one win on the European Seniors Tour, which came in 2000 at the Irish Seniors Open.[1]
He served as head coach for the USA Open Golf Team at the 1989 Maccabiah Games and the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.[6]
Personal life
Fleisher and his wife Wendy lived in the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, area.[8] In 2017, he was inducted into the Greater Wilmington (North Carolina) Sports Hall of Fame.[5]
Fleisher died of cancer at age 72 on September 23, 2021.[9]
Amateur wins
- 1968 U.S. Amateur
Professional wins (35)
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PGA Tour wins (1)
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
Latin American and Caribbean wins (6)
- 1971 Brazil Open
- 1980 Panama Open
- 1986 Jamaica Open
- 1990 Jamaica Open, Bahamas Open, Chevrolet Classic
Other wins (9)
- 1977 Little Crosby Pro-Am
- 1980 Florida Open
- 1981 South Florida PGA Championship
- 1987 Florida Open, South Florida PGA Championship
- 1989 PGA Club Professional Championship
- 1993 Pebble Beach Invitational
- 2015 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf (Legends division, with Larry Nelson)
- 2016 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf (Legends division, with Larry Nelson)
Champions Tour wins (18)
Champions Tour playoff record (1–2)
European Seniors Tour wins (1)
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Playoff record
Ben Hogan Tour playoff record (0–1)
Results in major championships
Did not play
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1969 Open Championship)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
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Champions Tour major championships
Wins (1)
Maccabiah Games
Fleisher won a gold medal at the 1969 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and he coached the U.S. golf team at the 1989 Games.
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy: 1968 (winners)
- Walker Cup: 1969 (winners)
Professional
- PGA Cup: 1990 (winners)
See also
References
External links
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