Gary Koch

Gary D. Koch (born November 21, 1952) is an American professional golfer, sportscaster and golf course designer, who formerly played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.

Early life Koch was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1952 and raised in Florida. He won the Florida Open in 1969 as an amateur at the age of 16. He won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1970.Associated Press, " Koch Ousts Champ in Junior Amateur," St. Petersburg Times, p. 2C (August 1, 1970). Retrieved April 20, 2010. He attended C. Leon King High School in Tampa, Florida. The 1969 King High golf team, which consisted of Koch, Eddie Pearce, Brian Hawke, and Phil Reid, won the Florida high school title setting a scoring record that stood for thirty years.

Amateur career Koch accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. (Florida Upsilon chapter). While he was an undergraduate, Koch played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1971 to 1974. Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 34, 35, 37, 39, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 11, 2011. As a Gator golfer, he was a four-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, and a three-time All-American. 2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 36 (2008). Retrieved July 14, 2011. He was also a member of the Gators teams that won SEC championships in 1973 and 1974 and an NCAA Championship in 1973.Robbie Andreu, " Top 25 Gator teams: #8 1973 Men's golf," Gainesville Sun (June 18, 2009). Retrieved April 20, 2010.

Individually, he was a two-time medalist in the SEC tournament (1973, 1974), and the runner-up behind Ben Crenshaw at the 1973 NCAA championship tournament. His Gators teammates included fellow future PGA Tour professionals Woody Blackburn, Andy Bean, Phil Hancock and Andy North. Koch graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1976.F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.

Professional career Koch turned professional in 1975, and won six events as a professional on the PGA Tour during the 1970s and 1980s. His career year in professional golf came in 1984 when he finished seventeenth on the money list and captured two titles: the Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open and the Bay Hill Classic.

In preparation for play on the Champions Tour, Koch played some on the Nationwide Tour in his late 40s. After turning 50 in November 2002, he began play on the Champions Tour. His best finish in this venue was a tie for second at both the ACE Group Classic and Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in 2004.

Broadcasting career Koch's career as a sportscaster began in 1990 with ESPN working Champions Tour telecasts. Before the end of the decade, he joined NBC Sports. A long-time member of the NBC Sports announcing team (1996–present), he is best known for his "Better than Most" call in the third round of the 2001 Players Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass. Three down from leader Jerry Kelly, Tiger Woods was facing a long, triple-breaking, fringe putt for birdie on the 17th hole's famous Island Green. Koch's call of that putt has gone down as one of the most famous in golf history as it was during the height of Tiger's dominance, on an iconic hole of a well-known course, on the way to an inevitable, yet routine Woods comeback to win the tournament.

Koch also maintains an interest in golf course design and helped design the front nine of "The Forest" course at The Eagles Golf Course in Odessa, Florida.

Personal life Koch currently resides in Tampa, Florida.

Awards and honors

In 1978, Koch was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great.""Bean And Koch Inducted," The Ledger, p. 1D (March 30, 1978). Retrieved June 23, 2010. In 2012, Koch was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. In 2023, Koch won the Payne Stewart Award.

Amateur wins this list may be incomplete 1970 U.S. Junior Amateur 1973 Trans-Mississippi Amateur

Professional wins (10) PGA Tour wins (6) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Apr 18, 1976Tallahassee Open71-69-67-70=277−11 1 stroke John Mahaffey2Mar 7, 1977Florida Citrus Open70-69-65-70=274−142 strokes Dale Hayes, Joe Inman 3Feb 27, 1983Doral-Eastern Open69-67-65-70=271−175 strokes Ed Fiori4Jan 29, 1984Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open68-70-69-65=272−16 Playoff Gary Hallberg5Mar 18, 1984Bay Hill Classic (2)69-68-72-63=272−12Playoff George Burns6May 8, 1988Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational68-73-66-67=274−141 stroke Peter Jacobsen, Mark O'Meara

PGA Tour playoff record (2–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11984Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open Gary HallbergWon with birdie on second extra hole 21984Bay Hill Classic George BurnsWon with birdie on second extra hole

Other wins (1) 1969 Florida Open (as an amateur)

Senior wins (3) 2003 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Roger Maltbie) 2008 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Roger Maltbie) 2009 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Raphael Division (with Roger Maltbie)

Playoff record PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11984Casio World Open Sandy LyleLost to birdie on first extra hole

Champions Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12004ACE Group Classic Craig Stadler, Tom WatsonStadler won with birdie on first extra hole

Results in major championships Tournament1973197419751976197719781979Masters TournamentCUTCUTT42U.S. Open57CUTCUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipCUTPGA ChampionshipCUTCUTT64T10 Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989Masters TournamentCUTT35T16T16T22T25CUTU.S. OpenCUTCUTT6T24T34CUTT15CUTCUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipT14T60T11T6T4T30PGA ChampionshipT46CUTT54CUT66T31T61 Tournament199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTCUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipPGA Championship

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

Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 4 10 6U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 1 3 17 5The Open Championship 0 0 0 1 2 4 7 6PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 1 1 11 7Totals 0 0 0 1 4 12 45 24 Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice) Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)

U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1973 (winners), 1975 (winners) Eisenhower Trophy: 1974 (winners)

Gary Koch

Bron en licentie