Charles Owens (February 22, 1932 – September 7, 2017) was an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.
| Charles "Charlie" Owens | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 22, 1932 Winter Haven, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 7, 2017 (aged 85) Winter Haven, Florida, U.S. |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | Florida A&M University |
| Turned professional | 1967 |
| Former tours | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour Champions | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
Early life and amateur career
editIn 1932, Owens was born in Winter Haven, Florida. He played football at Florida A&M University and served in the U.S. Army. He suffered injuries to both knees and his left ankle during a parachute jump at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1952 which left him handicapped.[1]
Professional career
editIn 1967, Owens turned professional. He joined the PGA Tour in 1970. During his seven years on the Tour, he won the 1971 Kemper Asheville Open, a "satellite" PGA Tour event. Owens played with a limp and played all golf shots cross-handed. The biggest year of his professional career came on the Senior PGA Tour in 1986, when he won twice in a three tournament span, and finished eighth on the money list with $207,813.
Owens was allowed to use a cart while competing in most instances due to his disability, and once staged a protest at the 1987 U.S. Senior Open against the USGA for its ban on carts at that event.[1]
Owens also is credited with inventing and popularizing the "long (52") style putter"[2] which he used to overcome the yips.
Personal life
editOwens formerly lived in Tampa, Florida and resided in Winter Haven until his death on September 7, 2017.[3]
Awards and honors
edit- In 1987, Owens was honored with the Ben Hogan Award.
- In 1987, he was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 2007, Owens was inducted into the and the African American Golfers Hall of Fame.
Professional wins (4)
editRegular career wins (2)
edit- 1971 Kemper Asheville Open (a PGA Tour "satellite" event)
- 1974 Florida Open
Senior PGA Tour wins (2)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 9, 1986 | Treasure Coast Classic | –14 (65-69-68=202) | 3 strokes |  Lee Elder, Don January |
| 2 | Mar 16, 1986 | Del E. Webb Senior PGA Tour Roundup | −14 (71-64-67=202) | Playoff | Dale Douglass |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1986 | Del E. Webb Senior PGA Tour Roundup | Dale Douglass |
Won with par on second extra hole |
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 White Jr., Gordon S. (July 8, 1987). "Handicapped Senior Golfer to Protest Ban on Carts". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ↑ Fields, Bill (September 14, 2007). "Charles Owens, An Overlooked Pioneer". Golf Digest. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ↑ Fuoco, Roy (September 8, 2017). "Winter Haven native, golfing pioneer Charlie Owens dies at 85". The Ledger.
External links
edit- Charles Owens at the PGA Tour official site