Taylor Smith (golfer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taylor Smith
Personal information
Full nameRichard Taylor Smith
Born(1967-06-28)June 28, 1967
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
DiedJuly 21, 2007(2007-07-21) (aged 40)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
CollegeAugusta College
StatusProfessional
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Ben Hogan Tour
U.S. Golf Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
Korn Ferry Tour1
Other6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipT53: 1997
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Richard Taylor Smith (June 28, 1967 – July 21, 2007)[1][2] was an American professional golfer.

Smith was born in Pensacola, Florida but spent most of his life in Waycross, Georgia.[1] He played college golf at Augusta College (now Augusta State University).[3]

Smith played on the Nike Tour and the PGA Tour from 1992 to 1998. His best finish on the Nike Tour (1992–1995, 1998) was a win at the 1992 Ben Hogan Permian Basin Open. His best finish on the PGA Tour (1996–1997) was T-2 at the 1996 Greater Vancouver Open.

At the 1996 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic on the PGA Tour, Smith had tied Tiger Woods at the end of regulation play and appeared to be heading for a playoff. It was then revealed that Smith's putter had an illegal grip and he was disqualified, giving Woods his second career win. Smith had been informed about his putter on the 9th hole but was allowed to continue playing while he appealed the ruling. The appeal was denied.[4]

Professional wins (7)[edit]

Ben Hogan Tour wins (1)[edit]

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runners-up
1 Aug 30, 1992 Ben Hogan Permian Basin Open −12 (70-66-68=204) 1 stroke United States Pete Jordan, United States Andy Morse

U.S. Golf Tour wins (1)[edit]

  • 1990 Turtle Classic[5]

Other mini-tour wins (5)[edit]

  • 1988 Walden Lake CC (Space Coast Tour)[6]
  • 1989 Deltona Hills CC (Space Coast Tour)[7]
  • 1990 Timacuan CC (Space Coast Tour)[8]
  • 1991 West Orange CC (Space Coast Tour)[9]
  • 1993 Palisades CC (Space Coast Tour)[10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Fields, Bill (August 3, 2007). "Taylor Smith, 1967–2007: Most remembered for a disqualification at the 1996 Walt Disney World Classic, Smith dies unexpectedly at the age of 40". Golf Digest. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  2. ^ Maginnes, John (July 24, 2007). "Maginnes: The timeless lessons of Taylor". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  3. ^ "Augusta State Jaguars – Men's Golf – Letterman" (PDF). Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Woods Captures Second Pro Title Taylor Smith Was Disqualified For An Illegal Grip On His Putter". philly.com. October 21, 1996. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  5. ^ Rosaforte, Tim (August 26, 1900). "It has a certain ring-Great White Zork...". The Palm Beach Post. p. 13C. Retrieved November 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Scoreboard | Golf | Space Coast Tour". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. April 27, 1988. p. 2-C. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Scoreboard | Golf | Space Coast Tour". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. November 29, 1989. p. 2-C. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Scoreboard | Golf | Space Coast Tour". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. October 3, 1990. p. 2-C. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Scoreboard | Golf | Space Coast Tour". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. October 16, 1991. p. 2-Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Scoreboard | Golf | Space Coast Tour". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. October 28, 1993. p. D-12. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]