Forrest Fezler

Forrest Fezler
Forrest Fezler
Personal information
Full name	Forrest Oliver Fezler
Born	September 23, 1949; Hayward, California
Died	December 21, 2018 (aged 69); Tallahassee, Florida
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Career
College	San Jose City College
Turned professional	1969
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	2
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	1
Other	1
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	T30: 1975
PGA Championship	T32: 1974
U.S. Open	2nd: 1974
The Open Championship	WD: 1974

Forrest Oliver Fezler (September 23, 1949 – December 21, 2018) was an American professional golfer. His career year was in 1974, when he won the Southern Open and finished in second place to Hale Irwin at the U.S. Open.

Early life

Fezler was born in Hayward, California. He first showed an interest in the game of golf as a 7-year-old boy growing up in San Jose, California, by drawing golf holes. As a youth, he would sneak onto the course at the San Jose Country Club to practice. He attended James Lick High School and was a member of the golf team; and a teammate of future fellow PGA Tour player Roger Maltbie.

Amateur career

Fezler attended San Jose City College from 1968 to 1969. Fezler won the California State Amateur, Santa Clara County Championship and the California State Community College Championship in 1969.

Professional career

Fezler played on the PGA Tour from 1972 to 1983, and won one event. He had 30 top-10 finishes including eight runner-up finishes. He won the PGA Rookie of the Year award in 1973. His career year was 1974 when he won the Southern Open and finished in 2nd place to Hale Irwin at the U.S. Open. This was his best finish in a major championship.

In 1976, Fezler tore the tendons in his left wrist and was forced to make major adjustments in his game – both in the number of tournaments he played and in his swing.

Fezler was unhappy with the PGA Tour's dress code that required players to wear slacks. At the 1983 U.S. Open, which is run by the USGA, Fezler was goaded by a reporter to wear shorts in protest the next day during the tournament. Before playing the last hole of the last round, he stepped into a portable toilet and changed into shorts, then left the course to avoid possible admonishment by the USGA.^[1]

He would limit his full-time professional play in 1983, and in 1984 took the head club pro job at Blackhawk Country Club in the East Bay region of California. He earned $527,000 in career winnings.^[1]

Golf course architect

In 1994, Fezler changed careers and got into the golf course design and construction business as a partner with South Carolina-based Mike Strantz, an award-winning former associate of Tom Fazio. He developed his own golf course, which he called Golden Eagle, in Tallahassee, Florida.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Fezler died on December 21, 2018, at age 69. According to his son, Jordan, he had been battling brain cancer.^[2]

Amateur wins

1969 Santa Clara County Championship, California State Amateur, California Community College Championship

Professional wins (2)

PGA Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runners-up
1	Sep 8, 1974	Southern Open	−9 (70-68-68-65=271)	1 stroke	Bruce Crampton, J. C. Snead

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	1974	American Golf Classic	Gay Brewer, Jim Colbert, Raymond Floyd	Colbert won with par on second extra hole Brewer and Fezler eliminated by par on first hole

Other wins (1)

1975 Confidence Open

Results in major championships

Tournament	1970	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1981	1983
Masters Tournament					T30
U.S. Open	CUT	CUT	T45	2	T24		CUT		T47	T37	T50
The Open Championship				WD
PGA Championship			CUT	T32	T50	T65		CUT

Top 10

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied

References

^ ^a ^b "People in the Game: Fezler". Golf Today. October 2002.
^ Strege, John (December 21, 2018). "Forrest Fezler, remembered for protesting USGA by playing 18th hole of 1983 U.S. Open wearing shorts, has died". Golf Digest. Retrieved December 21, 2018.

External links

Forrest Fezler at the PGA Tour official site

[GT-1] "People in the Game: Fezler". Golf Today. October 2002.

[2] Strege, John (December 21, 2018). "Forrest Fezler, remembered for protesting USGA by playing 18th hole of 1983 U.S. Open wearing shorts, has died". Golf Digest. Retrieved December 21, 2018.

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