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Rod Funseth

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Rod Funseth
Personal information
Full nameJames Rodney Funseth
Born(1933-04-03)April 3, 1933
Spokane, Washington
DiedSeptember 9, 1985(1985-09-09) (aged 52)
Napa, California
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Sporting nationality United States
SpouseSandi (Hawkins) Funseth[1]
(m. 1965–1985, his death)
Children1 son, 1 daughter
Career
CollegeUniversity of Idaho
(briefly attended)[2][3]
Turned professional1956
Former tour(s)PGA Tour (1962–79)
Senior PGA Tour (1983–84)
Professional wins9
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour3
PGA Tour Champions1
Other5
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT2: 1978
PGA ChampionshipT8: 1965
U.S. OpenT10: 1977
The Open ChampionshipDNP

James Rodney Funseth (April 3, 1933 – September 9, 1985) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions).[4][5]

Amiable and low-key but less than confident,[6] Funseth was one of longest hitters and fastest players of his era,[2][5] but better known for a pessimistic attitude toward his game,[7][8] He claimed that his "I'll never be able to make that shot" mental attitude of lowered expectations helped motivate him to play better. He was especially self-deprecating on his lack of putting prowess.[9][10]

Early years

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Born and raised in Spokane, Washington,[11] Funseth's father was a men's clothing store operator and salesman, born in Sweden.[2][12] Rod competed with his older brother Carl for city junior titles[13] and graduated from North Central High School in 1951.[14] Funseth briefly attended the University of Idaho in Moscow[3][15] to study civil engineering, but did not graduate.[16] He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[17]

Funseth returned to Spokane after a semester and worked in various jobs in Washington while competing as an amateur.[18] One of these brief jobs was as a civilian draftsman at the Bremerton Navy Yard, west of Seattle.[2] He won the British Columbia Amateur in 1956 and turned pro that fall, first in Palm Springs, California.[19] In 1959, Funseth became an assistant pro under Masters champion Claude Harmon back east at Winged Foot,[20] north of New York City and later at Thunderbird in Palm Springs.[21] Funseth entered a handful of tour events in 1962, and received sponsorship of $800 per month from Spokane's Athletic Round Table (ART) in 1963 to allow him to play full-time. He played out of Esmeralda, a municipal course in east Spokane built in the mid-1950s. It was initially funded by ART (land and clubhouse) and was named for the group's mascot, a grinning cartoon mare.[21][22] Funseth had the smiling horse insignia on his tour bag for several years, which invited frequent inquisitions.[23] Keeping meticulous records of all his earnings, he reimbursed the ART to the last dollar.[24][25]

PGA Tour

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Funseth played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1963 through 1979 and won three tour events. The first was the Phoenix Open Invitational in 1965 at the Arizona Country Club, which came a week after losing a final round lead at the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs.[26] Funseth's second win came eight years later at the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, the season-opener in 1973 at Riviera.[27] His final PGA Tour win came at age 45 in 1978 at the Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open,[11] which paid for his horse barn.[28][29]

His best finish in a major championship was just months earlier, a tie for second at the Masters, one stroke behind Gary Player.[30] Funseth was in the last pairing on Sunday and had a three-under 69, but Player carded a record-tying 64 (−8) for his third green jacket.[31][32] Funseth birdied the par-5 15th hole, but parred the last three, with a putt left on the lip at the 16th and another narrowly missing on the final hole to force a playoff.[33]

Funseth was known on tour as an avid fisherman,[3][15] a passion shared by Johnny Miller,[34] his next-door neighbor in Napa,[1] and Jack Nicklaus.[23] The three played in an exhibition golf match in Spokane in 1975,[35] a rarity for Nicklaus at the time.[36]

Senior Tour

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Funseth became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour after reaching age 50 in April 1983. He had a great deal of immediate success, winning the unofficial Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (team event with Roberto De Vicenzo) in early May,[37] and a nine-stroke victory at his tour debut at the Hall of Fame Tournament three weeks later in North Carolina at Pinehurst No. 2.[6][38] Funseth also finished second to Billy Casper in a sudden-death playoff at the U.S. Senior Open in July.[39]

Cancer

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His career on the over-50 tour was cut short by terminal cancer, attributed to exposure to asbestos at the navy yard in Bremerton in his late teens.[11][40] Told by physicians in January 1984 that he had four months to live, Funseth continued to play well on tour,[41] and returned to defend his team title at the Liberty Mutual Legends in late April.[42] He competed in 17 events in 1984, with three runner-up finishes and nine in the top-10, despite losing weight and strength. Funseth won a match play event in October in Maine, besting Bob Toski 2-up in the final for a winner's share of $30,000. Although a non-tour event, it included most of the top senior players of the day.[43][44]

Death

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Funseth's condition declined in 1985 as his body weight was reduced to 100 lb (45 kg) by September and his breathing assisted with oxygen.[25] He died at age 52 at his home in Napa, California, beside the 12th hole of the Silverado Country Club,[4] next door to friend Johnny Miller.[1] In 1999, he was inducted posthumously into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.[45]

Personal

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Funseth was survived by his wife Sandi (née Hawkins), a former competitive water skier from Redwood City,[1] and their two children, Lisa and Mark, in their late teens.[7][11] He met Sandi during the rainy Crosby event at Pebble Beach in January 1965, when she was a spectator in a long leg cast (from a snow skiing accident) and had been offered shelter in a tournament tent;[2] they were married later that year.

Professional wins (8)

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PGA Tour wins (3)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 Feb 14, 1965 Phoenix Open Invitational 71-68-68-67=274 −14 3 strokes United States Bert Yancey
2 Jan 7, 1973 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open 73-69-65-69=276 −8 2 strokes United States Don Bies, Australia David Graham,
United States Tom Weiskopf
3 Jul 30, 1978 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open 65-67-68-64=264 −20 6 strokes United States Dale Douglass, United States Lee Elder,
United States Billy Kratzert

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 1971 Greater Greensboro Open United States Buddy Allin, United States Dave Eichelberger Allin won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (3)

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Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 May 22, 1983 Hall of Fame Tournament 66-67-65=198 −18 9 strokes United States Charlie Sifford

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1983 U.S. Senior Open United States Billy Casper Lost to birdie on first extra hole after 18-hole playoff;
Casper: +4 (75),
Funseth: +4 (75)

Other senior wins (2)

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d McKenzie, Mike (April 10, 1977). "Rod's clods". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. p. 2B.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bingham, Walter (June 12, 1978). "Look for the man early, not late". Sports Illustrated. p. 51.
  3. ^ a b c Barrows, Bob (August 22, 1975). "Funseth recalls steelhead fishing". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1B.
  4. ^ a b "Professional golfer Rod Funseth dies of cancer at his home in Napa at age 52". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. September 11, 1985. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Boling, Dave (August 25, 1994). "Funseth gone, but Spokane golfer's spirit lives on". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  6. ^ a b Brown, Bruce (June 8, 1983). "Rod Funseth: A nice guy once again finishing first". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. D2.
  7. ^ a b "Funseth loses battle with cancer". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. September 10, 1985. p. B1.
  8. ^ "It's Rod Funseth in a breeze". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. January 8, 1973. p. 8.
  9. ^ McKenzie, Mike (April 10, 1977). "Rod's clods". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. p. 2B.
  10. ^ "Johnny Miller Talks Golf". Golf Digest. October 2005. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006.
  11. ^ a b c d "Rod Funseth, 52, Pro Golfer Earned More Than $600,000". New York Times. September 11, 1985. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  12. ^ "Carl L. Funseth taken by death". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. November 9, 1968. p. 5.
  13. ^ "Carl Funseth trims brother Rodney, 5 and 4, for city junior title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. August 16, 1948. p. 9.
  14. ^ "Rod Funseth, 1951". North Central High School Alumni Association. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Sports celebrities tackle LCC". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. August 23, 1975. p. 1B.
  16. ^ Ashlock, Herb (July 16, 1954). "From the Bench". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. p. 13.
  17. ^ "Sigma Alpha Epsilon". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1952. p. 284.
  18. ^ Ashlock, Herb (July 16, 1954). "Young Rod Funseth wants to turn pro this fall". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. p. 13.
  19. ^ "Funseth joins pro golf ranks". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. September 30, 1956. p. 3, sports.
  20. ^ "Funseth leads Open test in huge Metropolitan field". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 19, 1959. p. 14.
  21. ^ a b Missildine, Harry (January 8, 1963). "ART backs Rod Funseth". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 10.
  22. ^ "Round Table donates $75,000 for Esmeralda golf house". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. March 20, 1954. p. 1.
  23. ^ a b Missildine, Harry (October 13, 1965). "Pair of charmers meet luncheoneers". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 16.
  24. ^ "Rod Funseth set for tour". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. December 16, 1963. p. 19.
  25. ^ a b Boling, Dave (August 25, 1994). "Funseth gone, but Spokane golfer's spirit lives on". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C1.
  26. ^ "Funseth winner". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. February 15, 1965. p. 15.
  27. ^ "Sandi confident Rod would win". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. January 8, 1973. p. 13.
  28. ^ "Win by Funseth pays for barn". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. July 31, 1978. p. 17.
  29. ^ Missildine, Harry (August 2, 1978). "While you were out". Spokesman Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 13.
  30. ^ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  31. ^ Jenkins, Dan (April 17, 1978). "And then there was one". Sports Illustrated. p. 16.
  32. ^ Parascenzo, Marino (April 10, 1978). "3rd win to Player in Masters". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 17.
  33. ^ "Player comes through". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. April 10, 1978. p. 21.
  34. ^ Missildine, Harry (November 11, 1976). "Miller needs friendly neighbor". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 12.
  35. ^ Brown, Bruce (April 30, 1975). "Golf superstars thrill throng at SCC". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. p. 31.
  36. ^ Brown, Bruce (April 29, 1975). "Nicklaus limits exhibition golf". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. p. 1.
  37. ^ "De Vicenzo, Funseth take Legends title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 2, 1983. p. 13.
  38. ^ "Funseth breezes to title". Spokesman Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 23, 1983. p. 13.
  39. ^ "Funseth loses on 19th". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. July 26, 1983. p. 17.
  40. ^ Blanchette, John (September 11, 1985). "Rod breathed life into golf". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. p. C4.
  41. ^ "Funseth battles deadly lung cancer". Wilmington Morning Star. North Carolina. April 24, 1984. p. 2D.
  42. ^ "Funseth still playing despite lung cancer". Gadsden Times. Alabama. Associated Press. April 29, 1984. p. 3C.
  43. ^ "Funseth holds on to win". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. October 8, 1984. p. 16.
  44. ^ Barber, Dave (October 8, 1984). "Rod Funseth beats Toski for Unionmutual crown". Bangor Daily News. Maine. p. 19.
  45. ^ "State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame: Golf". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
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