Tom Weiskopf, who claimed the 1995 U.S. Senior Open, died on Aug. 20 at the age of 79 at his home in Big Sky, Mont., following a bout with pancreatic cancer. Weiskopf came along during an era dominated by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson, but still managed to register 16 PGA Tour victories, including the 1973 Open Championship conducted by The R&A. He also became an acclaimed course architect, designing or renovating 70-plus layouts.

Weiskopf's swing was admired by many in the golf community as he combined enormous power with precision. Because he played a high ball flight and often displayed a temper on the course, he earned the nickname “The Towering Inferno.”

Born in Massillon, Ohio, on Nov. 9, 1942, Weiskopf first was introduced to golf in 1957 when his father took him to the U.S. Open at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Watching Sam Snead hit shots on the practice range got him hooked on the game. He eventually followed another great from his home state, Jack Nicklaus, to Ohio State University.

“Unquestionably, the best years of my life were those spent in Columbus, at Ohio State,” Weiskopf said. “Those years gave me the confidence to become successful.”

Weiskopf turned professional in 1964 and four years later he earned his first victory on the circuit, the Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational (now Farmers Insurance Open) at Torrey Pines. His lone major championship came in the 1973 Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland by three strokes over Neil Coles and Johnny Miller, who one month earlier had shot a final-round 63 to claim the U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Weiskopf posted rounds of 68-67-71-70 for a 12-under total of 276.

Weiskopf could have won several other majors. He and Miller were victimized by Nicklaus’ brilliance down the stretch in the 1975 Masters. It was one of four runner-up finishes at Augusta National Golf Club. He also had five top-5 finishes in the U.S. Open, including four consecutive top-4s from 1976 to 1979, highlighted by a tie for second in 1976 at Atlanta Athletic Club. He had five top-10 finishes in the PGA Championship, as well.

“I'm proud I won 15 times on tour and the 1973 British Open [which wasn’t considered a PGA Tour victory at the time],” Weiskopf told Golf Digest in a 2008 interview. “I should have won twice that many, easy. I wasted my potential. I didn't utilize the talent God gave me.”

Weiskopf represented the United States in the 1973 and 1975 Ryder Cup Matches. But when he qualified for the 1977 competition, he chose not to play in order to go big-game hunting.

When he turned 50, Weiskopf tried his hand at the Senior Tour, winning four times. His biggest victory came at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., when he bested Nicklaus by four strokes to win the U.S. Senior Open. At that time, Weiskopf was heavily involved with designing courses and television work for both CBS and ABC. He was in Butler Cabin at Augusta National providing analysis of Nicklaus’ remarkable final-round 65 to win the 1986 Masters at age 46.

Many of Weiskopf’s early layouts were designed with Jay Morrish, but he later went out on his own. His layouts, including the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, the annual site of the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open, feature a drivable par 4. Troon Country Club, also in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a Weiskopf/Morrish design that was the site of the 1990 U.S. Mid-Amateur and will host the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.