Tom Nieporte, who was the last full-time club professional to win a PGA Tour event, claiming the 1967 Bob Hope Desert Classic, has died at the age of 86 in Boca Raton, Fla.
No cause of death was listed in news reports, but Nieporte suffered from Parkinson’s disease in recent years.
Nieporte, who was head pro at famed Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., for many years, made a birdie on the final hole to beat Doug Sanders by one stroke in the ’67 Hope at La Quinta Country Club.
“Tom didn’t know he was in the tournament until the last minute, so he packed in a hurry,” said Bob Heins, head pro at Old Oaks Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., a protege of Nieporte.
“He ended up with two different white shoes. Tom makes a nice putt on the last hole to win, and during the award ceremony, Delores Hope points out that he’s wearing two different white shoes, and Tom says: ‘I have another pair just like that at home.’ That was typical.”
Nieporte received the trophy from President Eisenhower and Bob Hope (see picture).
A native of Cincinnati, Nieporte attended Ohio State and captured the 1951 NCAA individual championship.
Nieporte won the 1959 Rubber City Open and the 1960 Azalea Open on what became the PGA Tour before accepting a job as club professional at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y., so he would have a steady paycheck to support his growing family.
Nieporte, who was named Father of the Year by Golfweek in 2010, is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan, and their nine children.
