Introduction
Jerry Michael Heard (born May 1, 1947) is an American professional golfer who won several PGA Tour events in the 1970s.
Early life
Heard was born in Visalia, California. He attended Fresno State College (now Fresno State University) for a short while.
Professional career
Heard turned professional in 1968 and joined the PGA Tour in 1969. His first professional win came in the American Golf Classic at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio in 1971. He finished with a four-day total of 275, three strokes better than runner-up Dale Douglass. In 1972, he won the Florida Citrus Open and the Colonial National Invitation. Heard had nearly 60 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events in his career including four top-10 finishes in major championships — his best finish in a major was T-5 at the 1972 Masters Tournament. Heard was struck by lightning at the 1975 Western Open, along with playing partner Lee Trevino. Three others were also struck: Bobby Nichols, Jim Ahern, and Tony Jacklin.
Heard left the Tour in 1980, and today owns and operates a golf school, the Jerry Heard Golf Academy located at the Silverthorn Country Club in Spring Hill, Florida. His school had been located for many years in southwest Florida – in the Fort Myers area where he now lives.
Professional wins (8)
PGA Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 8, 1971 | American Golf Classic | 67-66-68-74=275 | −5 | 3 strokes | Dale Douglass |
| 2 | Mar 12, 1972 | Florida Citrus Open | 70-67-70-69=276 | −12 | 2 strokes | Bobby Mitchell |
| 3 | May 14, 1972 | Colonial National Invitation | 69-66-67-73=275 | −5 | 2 strokes | Fred Marti |
| 4 | Mar 3, 1974 | Florida Citrus Open (2) | 67-68-69-69=273 | −15 | 3 strokes | Homero Blancas, Jim Jamieson |
| 5 | May 28, 1978 | Atlanta Classic | 67-67-68-67=269 | −19 | 2 strokes | Lou Graham, Bob Murphy Tom Watson |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1974 | Kemper Open | Bob Menne | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 20, 1974 | Spanish Open | 72-67-70-70=279 | −9 | 6 strokes | Gary Player |
New Zealand Golf Circuit wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 21, 1971 | Garden City Classic | 67-70-68-64=269 | −23 | 5 strokes | Bob Charles |
Source:
Other wins (1)
- 1968 Northern California Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 48 | T5 | 56 | T11 | T26 | CUT | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T13 | T29 | T7 | T45 | T29 | CUT | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T28 | CUT | ||||||||||||
| PGA Championship | T9 | T7 | T66 | T48 | T25 | T22 | T64 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 18 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1971 PGA – 1974 U.S. Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)