Oklahoma Golf Legends: Bob Tway and his 1986 PGA Win
Professional golfers often hear how great a life they have but most people don’t realize just how hard it is to be successful at the highest level.
Oklahoma’s Bob Tway, one of the best pros to come out of the Sooner State, is perhaps most well-known for his PGA win but has a far more decorated career than many realize.
Tway’s Amateur Career in Oklahoma
Tway, raised in Oklahoma City, OK, went from Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, GA, to Oklahoma State University. Tway was dominant during his time with the Cowboys, earning three first-team All-American honors over his last three seasons there.
As a freshman, the Cowboys won the NCAA Championship. Two years later, with Tway as the star player for the Cowboys, Oklahoma State won the NCAA Championship yet again. Tway would also win the Haskins Award for the most outstanding golfer in the United States as a senior.
Turning Pro
Tway went pro in 1981, playing on the PGA Tour beginning in the 1985 season. He began as a solid player, eventually turning into a very underrated pro over his career. In addition to his biggest win (more on that below), he would go on to be the PGA Player of the Year in 1986, finishing T8 at the Masters that year.
Tway wound up winning eight PGA Tour events, though he is also known for recording the worst score ever on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, btu that came near the end of his career. Tway doesn’t get the love he deserves for his success, but he was one of the best golfers on Tour to begin his career.
The Epic 1986 PGA Championship Win
The 1986 PGA Championship, the 68th iteration of the event, was held in August 1986 in Toledo, OH, at the Inverness Club. Rains dominated the course for much of the tournament but lifted just long enough to set the stage for an epic final between Tway and Greg Norman.
Norman led the event after 54 holes and rains limited the two to play just a single hole of the final round on Sunday, eventually picking up play again on Monday. Norman had a four-shot lead going into the round, holding it through the front nine.
Things shifted when he shot a double bogey on 11. After doing it again on 14, he and Tway were tied for the lead. Their race continued in tandem, seeing them tied on the 72nd hole. Tway landed in a greenside bunker while Norman sat just outside the fringe. Tway hit what may have been the shot of the tournament, getting out of the bunker for a birdie.
Norman missed the tying put and the one after that, giving the victory to Tway. It wound up being the only major championship of his career and his shot out of the bunker is one of the most legendary shots in the long history of the event.
Bob Tway Career Earnings and Other Notable Moments
Tway was a big earner during his time on Tour. During the 1986 season, he finished just behind Norman on the money list, easily the best season of his career. His PGA Tour earnings came in just over $15.7 million for his career, one that saw him play well into the 2000s.
Tway also earned the 1995 PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year, solidifying him as a strong player throughout his career. With a top ranking of fifth in the world, Tway may not get his flowers but can rest easily knowing he was a force on Tour for a long time.
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