Golf Professional
Bobby Nichols was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was seriously injured in an auto accident as a teenager and spent 96 days in the hospital recovering. He persevered to play competitive golf at the highest levels, first as a high school champion, then as a college player at Texas A&M where the legendary Bear Bryant offers bobby a football scholarship. He started on the Tour in 1960 and had 15 professional wins including 12 PGA Tour victories and 1 win on the Senior Tour. Bobby won the 1964 PGA Championship at Columbus CC, leading wire-to-wire and playing with Ben Hogan in the final round. In 1975, Bobby, along with Lee Trevino, Jerry Heard and others were struck by lightning while playing in the Western Open at Butler National GC near Chicago. Bobby made 36 of his first 38 cuts in majors but never traveled to the UK for the British Open. He participated in the 1967 Ryder Cup at Champions GC playing for Captain Ben Hogan. His Bobby Nichols Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation has raised millions for local children's charities in SW Florida.