'Gary Koch' (born
November 21,
1952) is an
American professional golfer,
sportscaster and golf course designer, who has played on the
PGA Tour,
Nationwide Tour and
Champions Tour.
Koch was born in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He won the Florida Open in 1969 as an amateur at the age of 16. He won the
U.S. Junior Amateur in 1970. He attended the
University of Florida, and was a distinguished member of the
golf team – a three-time first-team All-American – and member of the
1973 NCAA Championship team. His teammates at
Florida included fellow future
PGA Tour professionals
Woody Blackburn,
Andy Bean and
Andy North. He turned professional in
1975.
Koch won 6 events as a professional on the
PGA Tour during the
1970s and
1980s. His career year in professional golf came in
1984 when he finished 17th on the money list and captured two of the Tour's most prestigious non-majors: The
Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open and the
Bay Hill Classic.
In preparation for play on the Champions Tour, Koch played some on the Nationwide Tour in his late 40s. After turning 50 in November 2002, Koch began play on the Champions Tour. His best finish in this venue has been a T-2 at both the
ACE Group Classic and
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in
2004.
Koch's career as a sportscaster started in
1990 with
ESPN working Champions Tour telecasts. Before the end of the decade, he joined
NBC Sports. He also maintains an interest in a golf course design business. He lives in
Tampa, Florida.
PGA Tour wins (6)
★ 1976 (1)
Tallahassee Open
★ 1977 (1)
Florida Citrus Open
★ 1983 (1)
Doral - Eastern Open Invitational
★ 1984 (2)
Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open,
Bay Hill Classic
★ 1988 (1)
Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational
Other senior wins (1)
★ 2003
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Raphael Division (with
Roger Maltbie)
See also
★
Golfers with most PGA Tour wins
External links
★
Profile on the PGA Tour's official site
★
Golf With Gary: Biography