Introduction
Fred "Butch" Baird (born July 20, 1936) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour).
Baird was born in Chicago. He learned the game at the age of 14 from his father. He turned pro in 1959 after working in the Texas oil fields for a few years after high school.
Baird won two official PGA Tour events during his career: the 1961 Waco Turner Open and the 1976 San Antonio Texas Open. The San Antonio victory came 15 years, 5 months and 10 days after the Waco win, and was the record for longest time span between victories in PGA history until eclipsed by Robert Gamez in 2005. His career year came in 1976, when in addition to his San Antonio win, he finished 46th on the money list with $58,192. Also in 1976, came his best finish in a major championship — a T-4 at the U.S. Open.
Baird now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona as do many other professional golfers. He has a golf-memorabilia marketing business, BBJM Golf Enterprises, with partner Jack Mishler. His son, Briny, is also a professional golfer.
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 7, 1961 | Waco Turner Open | –7 (73-72-68-68=281) | 1 stroke |  Rex Baxter |
| 2 | Oct 17, 1976 | San Antonio Texas Open | –15 (68-70-70-65=273) | Playoff | Miller Barber |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1976 | San Antonio Texas Open | Miller Barber | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (10)
- 1965 PGA National Four-ball Championship (with Gay Brewer)
- 1967 Los Lagartos Open
- 1968 Southern Texas PGA Championship, Panama Open
- 1969 Panama Open, Maracaibo Open
- 1974 Florida PGA Championship
- 1979 Panama Open (tie with Chi Chi Rodriguez)
- 1967-1969 two other Caribbean Tour victories
Senior PGA Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 19, 1986 | Cuyahoga Seniors International | –3 (70-71-69=210) | 4 strokes | Chi Chi Rodríguez |
| 2 | Jun 18, 1989 | Northville Long Island Classic | –9* (58-62-63=183) | Playoff | Frank Beard, Don Bies, Orville Moody |
* Due to flooding, only 16 holes played in every round
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1987 | MONY Senior Tournament of Champions | Don January | Lost to birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 2 | 1989 | Northville Long Island Classic | Frank Beard, Don Bies, Orville Moody | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
- 2007 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Bobby Nichols)