Cobie Legrange

Last updated

Cobie Legrange
Personal information
Full nameCobie Legrange
Born1942 (age 81–82)
Boksburg, South Africa
Sporting nationalityFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Career
Former tour(s) European Tour
Southern African Tour
Professional wins20
Number of wins by tour
Sunshine Tour1
Other19
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament CUT: 1965, 1966
PGA Championship DNP
U.S. Open CUT: 1967
The Open Championship T11: 1969

Cobie Legrange (born 1942) is a South African professional golfer. He was one of the best South African golfers of the 1960s and reached a peak ranking of #15 in the world. [1]

Contents

Early life

Legrange was born in Boksburg, South Africa.

Professional career

In 1962, Legrange played on the British circuit but performed poorly. In April 1963, he returned to South Africa to improve his play. He maintained a very diligent practice schedule, practicing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for the remainder of the year. [2]

The results immediately paid off. In the summer of 1964 he finished second in the French Open to Argentine legend Roberto De Vicenzo, taking him to a playoff. On 28 June 1964 he won the Dunlop Masters at Royal Birkdale Golf Club by one stroke. He built a 4-shot lead on the front nine but nearly lost it all. However two strong pars on the last two holes assured a one shot win. He was the only player to match par (288) on the esteemed course. [3] One week later, on 4 July, he won the qualifier for the 1964 Open Championship earning him entry to his first major championship. [4] He also won a number of events on the Australian circuit that fall. On 21 September 1964, he won the Lake Karrinyup Bowl by one stroke over Australian veteran Kel Nagle. [4] On 26 October 1964, he won the Wills Masters in dramatic fashion over American star Jack Nicklaus and Australian Bruce Devlin. Legrange built an eight shot lead on the front nine but after a three-putt on the 16th he had nearly lost it all to playing partner Nicklaus. He dramatically birdied the last two holes, however, to shoot an even par 73 win by three. He earned 4,000 pounds in the victory. [4] Finally, on 8 December 1964, at the Wattie's Tournament in New Zealand, he tied Bill Dunk for a third and final victory down under. He was two behind on the 71st hole but eagled it and then went up and down for par at the last. [5] This extraordinary play earned him a special foreign invitation to the 1965 Masters Tournament.

His 1965 season did not meet the same heights but was still quite good. At the Pringle of Scotland Tournament in June, after an opening round 66 (-6), he led wire-to-wire to defeat two players by three shots. [6] He also finished runner-up at the French Open again, losing to Spanish professional Ramón Sota by a stroke. Once again he earned a special foreign invitation to the Masters.

The following year he finally won in his homeland at the 1966 Western Province Open. He was also runner-up at the South African Open that year. [1] He would become a mainstay on the South African circuit, ultimately winning several times over the next decade.

1969 was one of his final great years on the international circuit. Early in the calendar year he won the Western Province Open for the second and final time. In July, at the 1969 Open Championship, he recovered from a disastrous 79 in the opening round to finish T-11, actually outscoring the rest of the field over the last three rounds. This would be his best showing in a major championship. Later in the summer he would finish runner-up at the German Open to Frenchman Jean Garaïalde [7] and to Englishman Peter Butler at the R.T.V. International Trophy. [8] He would record his final victory in Europe in September, winning the Dunlop Masters for the second time. Like his first Dunlop Masters win he built a big lead, but this time easily held on to it despite bogeying two of the last three holes. [9]

Legrange's final good years were in the early 1970s. At the 1971 South African PGA Championship, one of South Africa's elite Triple Crown events, he finished runner-up, one shot back to compatriot Tienie Britz. [10] Two weeks later he won the Holiday Inns Royal Swazi Sun Open, an official event on the South African Tour held in Mbabane, Swaziland. Legrange tied compatriot Denis Hutchinson after regulation play with a 273 total and then defeated Hutchinson on the second playoff hole. [11] The next year he nearly defended his title in Swaziland, coming up a shot short of American pro John Buczek. [12] He would also finish runner-up at the Western Province Open, at event he won twice, in 1972 and 1974. [1] Legrange's final win was at the 1974 Schoeman Park Open. [13]

Legrange was known for being an extremely deliberate player with an unusual swing process. According to a Scottish golf writer his process was to "fall back on the right foot, drag the club some two feet along the ground, and stop, then restart." [9] By the mid-1970s, however, this method had become far too deliberate and Legrange suffered a severe loss of confidence in his backswing. He would often refuse to complete a shot, stepping away from the ball even after taking the clubhead away from the ball. Naturally, his form tailed off and he would not win again.

After he retired as a touring professional he worked as a club professional at Randpark Golf Club near Johannesburg. In addition he worked as a television commentator, golf course designer, and golf coach. [1]

Professional wins (20)

Southern Africa Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runners-up
115 Feb 1974 Schoeman Park Open −7 (66-67-76-72=281)2 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Dale Hayes, Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey

New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
18 Dec 1964 Wattie's Tournament −6 (69-68-70-67=274)Shared title with Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Dunk

Other South African wins (7)

British PGA circuit wins (4)

Rhodesian circuit wins (2)

Other wins (5)

note: this list may be incomplete

Results in major championships

Tournament196419651966196719681969
Masters Tournament CUTCUT
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship CUTT17CUTT11

Note: Legrange never played in the PGA Championship.

  Did not play

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

Team appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Charles (golfer)</span> New Zealand professional golfer

Sir Robert James Charles is a New Zealand professional golfer who won the 1963 Open Championship, the first left-handed player to win a major championship. He won the 1954 New Zealand Open as an 18-year-old amateur and made the cut in the same event in 2007, at the age of 71. His achievements over that period, in which he won 80 tournaments, rank him as one of the most successful New Zealand golfers of all time. He is, along with Michael Campbell, one of only two New Zealanders to win a men's major golf championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Jacklin</span> English professional golfer (born 1944)

Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer. He was the most successful British player of his generation, winning two major championships, the 1969 Open Championship and the 1970 U.S. Open. He was also Ryder Cup captain from 1983 to 1989; Europe winning two and tying another of these four events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Horton</span> English professional golfer

Thomas Alfred Horton, was an English professional golfer. He finished in the top ten of the Open Championship four times, won a number of important tournaments both before and after the founding of the European Tour in 1972 and played in the Ryder Cup in 1975 and 1977. He reached 50 just before the founding of the European Seniors Tour and won 23 times on the tour between 1992 and 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Daly (golfer)</span> Northern Irish professional golfer (1911–1990)

Frederick J. Daly, MBE was a Northern Irish professional golfer, best known for winning The Open Championship in 1947 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. Born in Portrush, County Antrim, he was the first Irishman from either side of the border to win the Open and the first to play in the Ryder Cup. He remained the only Irish winner of the Open until Pádraig Harrington won it in 2007 and the only Northern Irish major winner until Graeme McDowell won the U.S. Open in 2010.

Peter Arthur Oosterhuis is an English professional golfer and golf broadcaster. Oosterhuis played on the European circuit from 1969 to 1974, winning 10 tournaments and taking the Harry Vardon Trophy for heading the Order of Merit for four consecutive seasons from 1971 to 1974. From 1975 he played on the PGA Tour, winning the Canadian Open in 1981. He was twice runner-up in the Open Championship, in 1974 and 1982. Later he became a golf analyst on TV, initially in Europe and then in the United States. In 2015, Oosterhuis announced that he had Alzheimer's disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Bembridge</span> English professional golfer (1945–2024)

Maurice Bembridge was an English professional golfer. Early in his career he had some success on the British PGA, winning the 1969 News of the World Match Play and the 1971 Dunlop Masters. He would go on to win six times on the British PGA's successor circuit, the European Tour. He also had some success overseas, winning the New Zealand Golf Circuit's Caltex Tournament in 1970 and the Kenya Open three times. In addition, Bembridge broke Augusta National Golf Club's course record at the 1974 Masters Tournament with a 64. Late in his career, Bembridge had some success on the European Senior Tour, winning twice.

Brian George Charles Huggett, is a Welsh professional golfer. He won 16 events on the European circuit between 1962 and 1978, including two after the formal start of the European Tour in 1972. In 1968 he won the Harry Vardon Trophy for leading the Order of Merit and he was in third place in 1969, 1970 and 1972. He won 10 times on the European Seniors Tour between 1992 and 2000, including the 1998 Senior British Open.

Norman Vico Drew was a Northern Irish professional golfer. He had a successful amateur career, winning a number of Irish championships and playing in the 1953 Walker Cup. In the 1959 season, he won the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament and played in the Ryder Cup. Drew later represented Ireland in the Canada Cup, becoming the first golfer to play in the Walker Cup, Ryder Cup and Canada Cup. He was renowned for his short game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Henning</span> South African professional golfer (1934–2004)

Harold Henning was a South African professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour.

Peter Joseph Butler was an English professional golfer. He was one of the leading British golfers of the 1960s and early 1970s. He won a number of important tournaments including the 1963 PGA Close Championship and the 1968 French Open. He played in four Ryder Cup matches between 1965 and 1973 and three times in the World Cup. He played in the Open Championship 23 times, with two top-10 finishes, and seven successive times in the Masters from 1964 to 1970.

Denis John Hutchinson is a former South African professional golfer. Hutchinson was born and raised in Rhodesia but moved to South Africa as a young adult. He represented South Africa in several elite amateur events, including the Commonwealth Tournament and Eisenhower Trophy. He also had much success in professional events as an amateur, culminating with a victory at the 1959 South African Open. He turned professional shortly thereafter and played primarily in South Africa and Europe. In South Africa he won many events, including the South African Masters three times, as well as four significant tournaments in Europe. After he retired Hutchinson became a notable broadcasters, earning the label "Voice of Golf" in South Africa.

Peter Michael Paul Townsend is an English professional golfer. After a very successful amateur career he turned professional in 1966. He had a number of wins in the early part of his professional career including the Piccadilly PGA Close Championship in 1968. He represented Great Britain twice in the Ryder Cup, in 1969 and 1971.

Lionel Platts was an English professional golfer. He finished 7th in the PGA Order of Merit in both 1964 and 1965. He played in the 1965 Ryder Cup.

Antony Gawen Grubb was an English professional golfer. He is remembered for winning the 1964 Schweppes PGA Close Championship.

The Western Province Open was a golf tournament in South Africa as part of the Southern Africa Tour. In the early years of the tournament, Bobby Locke and Harold Henning had much success, winning the event multiple times each. During the middle and later phase of the tournament legend Gary Player had much success, ultimately winning the event five times.

Hedley W. Muscroft was an English professional golfer. He played regularly on the European circuit and later on the European Tour when it started in 1972. He won the 1970 Classic International and played in The Open Championship 16 times with a best finish of 18th place in 1967.

Graham Henning was a South African professional golfer. In the late 1960s and early 70s Henning was briefly one of the top golfers in South Africa. He recorded several 1st and 2nd place finishes in top international events across Europe and Africa. This excellent play helped him qualify for South Africa's 1969 World Cup team.

Walter John Ihaka Godfrey is a professional golfer from New Zealand.

Randall Vines is an Australian professional golfer. Vines was one of the top Australian golfers of his generation, winning a number of worldwide tournaments. He may be best remembered for his sterling 1968 season which included four significant worldwide wins across in Asia, Europe, and Australia, including a 17 stroke win at the Tasmanian Open. The victory is still considered by some to be the largest margin of victory in any golf significant professional tournament ever.

Robert James Stanton is a retired professional golfer from Australia. He had considerable success in the late 1960s, winning a number of tournaments in Australia and playing on the PGA Tour. As a 20-year-old, he won the 1966 Dunlop International, beating Arnold Palmer in a sudden-death playoff. He never won on the PGA Tour but was runner-up twice, in the 1969 AVCO Golf Classic and the 1970 Florida Citrus Invitational. He had a brief return of form in 1974/1975 and again for a few years from 1982.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Cobie le Grange". Southern Africa Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "Legrange Scores in W.A. Golf Purse". The Age. 21 September 1964. p. 23.
  3. 1 2 "Legrange Cops British Masters". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. 28 June 1964. p. 48.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Legrange wins Masters". The Age. 26 October 1964.
  5. ↑ "Dunk and Legrange dead-heat". The Canberra Times . Vol. 39, no. 11023. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 December 1964. p. 35. Retrieved 26 September 2019– via National Library of Australia.
  6. 1 2 "Legrange Shows Mature Judgment at Barnton". The Glasgow Herald. 28 June 1965. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "German Open Championships". The Times. 28 July 1969. p. 7.
  8. ↑ "Irish Golf -- Butler wins by threes strokes". The Times. 11 August 1969. p. 11.
  9. 1 2 3 "Legrange Wins From the Front". The Glasgow Herald. 15 September 1969. p. 4.
  10. ↑ "Britz Wins by One Stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 1 March 1971. p. 5.
  11. 1 2 "Legrange's Title After Play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 15 March 1971. p. 4.
  12. ↑ "Britons Slip as Buczek Wins". The Glasgow Herald. 21 February 1972. p. 5.
  13. ↑ "Hunt's 76 let in Legrange". The Glasgow Herald. 18 February 1974. p. 7.
  14. ↑ "Barnes shares third place". The Glasgow Herald. 6 February 1967. p. 6.
  15. ↑ "Legrange Newcastle success". The Glasgow Herald . 26 September 1966. p. 10.
  16. ↑ "Legrange wins Dunlop open". The Glasgow Herald. 26 February 1968. p. 10. Retrieved 18 April 2020– via Google News Archive.
  17. ↑ "Golf" . The Birmingham Post. 4 March 1968. Retrieved 22 December 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.