Rod Funseth

Early life and amateur career

Funseth was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. Funseth's father was a men's clothing store operator and salesman, born in Sweden. Rod competed with his older brother Carl for city junior titles and graduated from North Central High School in 1951. Funseth briefly attended the University of Idaho in Moscow to study civil engineering, but did not graduate. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Funseth returned to Spokane after a semester and worked in various jobs in Washington while competing as an amateur. One of these brief jobs was as a civilian draftsman at the Bremerton Navy Yard, west of Seattle. He won the British Columbia Amateur in 1956.

Professional career

In the fall of 1956, he turned pro. In 1959, Funseth became an assistant pro under Masters champion Claude Harmon back east at Winged Foot, north of New York City and later at Thunderbird in Palm Springs. Funseth entered a handful of tour events in 1962, and received sponsorship of $800 per month from Spokane's Athletic Round Table (ART) in 1963 to allow him to play full-time. He played out of Esmeralda, a municipal course in east Spokane built in the mid-1950s. It was initially funded by ART (land and clubhouse) and was named for the group's mascot, a grinning cartoon mare. Funseth had the smiling horse insignia on his tour bag for several years, which invited frequent inquisitions. Keeping meticulous records of all his earnings, he reimbursed the ART to the last dollar.

PGA Tour

Funseth played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1963 through 1979 and won three tour events. The first was the Phoenix Open Invitational in 1965 at the Arizona Country Club, which came a week after losing a final round lead at the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs. Funseth's second win came eight years later at the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, the season-opener in 1973 at Riviera. His final PGA Tour win came at age 45 in 1978 at the Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open,

His best finish in a major championship was just months earlier, a tie for second at the Masters, one stroke behind Gary Player. Funseth was in the last pairing on Sunday and had a three-under 69, but Player carded a record-tying 64 (−8) for his third green jacket. Funseth birdied the par-5 15th hole, but parred the last three, with a putt left on the lip at the 16th and another narrowly missing on the final hole to force a playoff.

Funseth was known on tour as an avid fisherman, his next-door neighbor in Napa, a rarity for Nicklaus at the time.

Senior career

Funseth became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour after reaching age 50 in April 1983. He had a great deal of immediate success, winning the unofficial Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (team event with Roberto De Vicenzo) in early May, and a nine-stroke victory at his tour debut at the Hall of Fame Tournament three weeks later in North Carolina at Pinehurst No. 2. Funseth also finished second to Billy Casper in a sudden-death playoff at the U.S. Senior Open in July.

Personal life

Funseth was married to Sandi (née Hawkins), a former competitive water skier from Redwood City. They had two children: Lisa and Mark. He met Sandi during the rainy Crosby event at Pebble Beach in January 1965, when she was a spectator in a long leg cast (from a snow skiing accident) and had been offered shelter in a tournament tent; they were married later that year.

Death

Funseth's career on the over-50 tour was cut short by terminal cancer, attributed to exposure to asbestos at the navy yard in Bremerton in his late teens. Told by physicians in January 1984 that he had four months to live, Funseth continued to play well on tour, and returned to defend his team title at the Liberty Mutual Legends in late April. He competed in 17 events in 1984, with three runner-up finishes and nine in the top-10, despite losing weight and strength. Funseth won a match play event in October in Maine, besting Bob Toski 2-up in the final for a winner's share of $30,000. Although a non-tour event, it included most of the top senior players of the day.

Funseth's condition declined in 1985 as his body weight was reduced to 100 lb by September and his breathing assisted with oxygen. He died at age 52 at his home in Napa, California, beside the 12th hole of the Silverado Country Club, next door to friend Johnny Miller.

Awards and honors

In 1999, Funseth was inducted posthumously into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.

Amateur wins

• 1956 British Columbia Amateur

Professional wins (8)

PGA Tour wins (3)

PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

Other wins (3)

• 1964 Northwest Open
• 1973 Confidence Open
• 1977 Spalding Invitational

Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

Other senior wins (2)

• 1983 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Roberto De Vicenzo)
• 1984 Unionmutual Seniors Golf Classic (match play)

References

References

1. McKenzie, Mike. (April 10, 1977). "Rod's clods". Tuscaloosa News.
2. Bingham, Walter. (June 12, 1978). "Look for the man early, not late".
3. Barrows, Bob. (August 22, 1975). "Funseth recalls steelhead fishing". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
4. (September 11, 1985). "Professional golfer Rod Funseth dies of cancer at his home in Napa at age 52". Los Angeles Times.
5. Boling, Dave. (August 25, 1994). "Funseth gone, but Spokane golfer's spirit lives on". Spokesman-Review.
6. Brown, Bruce. (June 8, 1983). "Rod Funseth: A nice guy once again finishing first". Spokane Chronicle.
7. (September 10, 1985). "Funseth loses battle with cancer". Spokesman-Review.
8. (January 8, 1973). "It's Rod Funseth in a breeze". Spokesman-Review.
9. McKenzie, Mike. (April 10, 1977). "Rod's clods". Tuscaloosa News.
10. (October 2005). "Johnny Miller Talks Golf".
11. (August 16, 1948). "Carl Funseth trims brother Rodney, 5 and 4, for city junior title". Spokesman-Review.
12. "Rod Funseth, 1951". North Central High School Alumni Association.
13. (August 23, 1975). "Sports celebrities tackle LCC". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
14. Ashlock, Herb. (July 16, 1954). "From the Bench". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
15. (1952). "Sigma Alpha Epsilon". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook.
16. Ashlock, Herb. (July 16, 1954). "Young Rod Funseth wants to turn pro this fall". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
17. (September 30, 1956). "Funseth joins pro golf ranks". Spokesman-Review.
18. (May 19, 1959). "Funseth leads Open test in huge Metropolitan field". Spokesman-Review.
19. Missildine, Harry. (January 8, 1963). "ART backs Rod Funseth". Spokesman-Review.
20. (March 20, 1954). "Round Table donates $75,000 for Esmeralda golf house". Spokesman-Review.
21. Missildine, Harry. (October 13, 1965). "Pair of charmers meet luncheoneers". Spokesman-Review.
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23. Boling, Dave. (August 25, 1994). "Funseth gone, but Spokane golfer's spirit lives on". Spokesman-Review.
24. (February 15, 1965). "Funseth winner". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
25. (January 8, 1973). "Sandi confident Rod would win". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
26. (July 31, 1978). "Win by Funseth pays for barn". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
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31. (April 10, 1978). "Player comes through". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
32. Brown, Bruce. (April 30, 1975). "Golf superstars thrill throng at SCC". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
33. Brown, Bruce. (April 29, 1975). "Nicklaus limits exhibition golf". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
34. (May 2, 1983). "De Vicenzo, Funseth take Legends title". Spokesman-Review.
35. (May 23, 1983). "Funseth breezes to title". Spokesman Review.
36. (July 26, 1983). "Funseth loses on 19th". Spokesman-Review.
37. (September 11, 1985). "Rod Funseth, 52, Pro Golfer Earned More Than $600,000". [[New York Times]].
38. Blanchette, John. (September 11, 1985). "Rod breathed life into golf". Spokane Chronicle.
39. (April 24, 1984). "Funseth battles deadly lung cancer". Wilmington Morning Star.
40. (April 29, 1984). "Funseth still playing despite lung cancer". Gadsden Times.
41. (October 8, 1984). "Funseth holds on to win". Spokesman-Review.
42. Barber, Dave. (October 8, 1984). "Rod Funseth beats Toski for Unionmutual crown". Bangor Daily News.
43. "State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame: Golf".