Bob Tway


Robert Raymond Tway IV is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including eight PGA Tour victories. He spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking in 1986–87.
Tway was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was introduced to golf at the age of five by his father and grandfather. He participated in his first tournament at age seven. He won the Redding Country Club Championship as a junior golfer in Redding, Connecticut. Tway attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he had a distinguished career as a member of the golf team — a three-time, first-team All-American his last three years. In 1978, Tway's freshman year, the Cowboys, led by seniors Lindy Miller and David Edwards, won the NCAA Championship. When Oklahoma State won again two years later, Tway was their star player. He was the winner of the Haskins Award in his senior year. He turned pro in 1981 and joined the PGA Tour in 1985.
In 1986, he was named PGA Player of the Year and finished the season with four victories including one major, the PGA Championship. He was second on the final money list that year — just a few dollars behind Greg Norman.
The 1986 PGA Championship was held at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Tway finished with a score of 276 - a two-stroke margin of victory over Greg Norman. Tway had holed a greenside bunker shot at the 18th hole on the final day, which is a memorable shot in golf history.
Tway is also known for recording the worst score ever on the 17th Hole at TPC Sawgrass, which occurred during the third round of the 2005 Players Championship. His first four attempts ended up in the water. After finally hitting the green on his fifth attempt, he three putted for 12 to go from 7-under-par and 4 strokes out of the lead to 2-over-par and 13 behind the leader.
Tway has PGA Tour career earnings in excess of 14 million dollars. Upon reaching the age of 50 in May 2009, Tway began play on the Champions Tour. His best finish in that venue is T-2 at the 2009 Administaff Small Business Classic, two strokes behind tournament winner John Cook.
Tway lives in Edmond, Oklahoma and enjoys snow skiing, fishing and a variety of other sports. Tway's son, Kevin, celebrated his 17th birthday by winning the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2005. Kevin turned professional in 2011 and won a Web.com Tour event in 2013, and his first PGA Tour event in 2018 at the Safeway Open.

Amateur wins

this list may be incomplete

PGA Tour wins (8)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1Feb 9, 1986Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open−12 Playoff Bernhard Langer
2Jun 8, 1986Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic−12 1 stroke Willie Wood
3Jun 22, 1986Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic−19 2 strokes Hal Sutton
4Aug 11, 1986PGA Championship−8 2 strokes Greg Norman
5May 14, 1989Memorial Tournament−11 2 strokes Fuzzy Zoeller
6Oct. 14, 1990Las Vegas Invitational−26 Playoff John Cook
7Apr 16, 1995MCI Classic−9 Playoff David Frost, Nolan Henke
8Sep 7, 2003Bell Canadian Open−8 Playoff Brad Faxon

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11986Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open Bernhard LangerWon with par on second extra hole
21988AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Steve JonesLost to birdie on second extra hole
31988Southern Open David FrostLost to birdie on first extra hole
41989BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic Scott SimpsonLost to par on first extra hole
51990Las Vegas Invitational John CookWon with par on first extra hole
61995MCI Classic David Frost, Nolan HenkeTway won with par on second extra hole
Frost eliminated with par on first hole
72001Nissan Open Robert Allenby, Brandel Chamblee
Toshimitsu Izawa, Dennis Paulson,
Jeff Sluman
Allenby won with birdie on first extra hole
82003Bell Canadian Open Brad FaxonWon with bogey on third extra hole

Other wins (5)

Wins (1)

Results timeline

CUT = missed the half way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

CUT = missed the halfway cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur
Professional