'Thunder' Bolt Dies

The man who coined one of the golf's best-ever tips, "Always throw your club toward the hole," has died. The irascible but fun-loving Tommy Bolt passed away last Saturday at age 92 in Batesville, Ark.

On Wednesday, the PGA Tour paid tribute to the sweet-swinging Bolt, who was nicknamed "Terrible Tommy" and "Thunder" and was often fined and suspended for slamming clubs and using abusive language during tournaments. He went so far as to set up a special fund from his earnings to pay fines.

"Today's players owe a debt of gratitude to Tommy Bolt and his fellow pioneers," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in statement. "His golf prowess was only matched by his formidable and colorful personality and he helped launch an era of the game's popularity that has continued for nearly half a century.

"We along with his family mourn his passing, yet he will forever be a part of golf's enduring legacy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

His wife, Mary Lou Bolt, said he died after "his liver shut down. He was the best man I ever knew," she said Wednesday.

Though known for his outbursts, the sweet-swinging Bolt could also play. He won 15 times on the PGA Tour, with his lone major coming in the 1958 U.S. Open at Southern Hills when he beat Gary Player by four shots in stifling heat.

Bolt played sporadically after the birth of the Champions Tour in 1980. He competed in 37 official senior events between 1980 and 1994 and was a regular participant in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Bolt was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002, along with Marlene Hagge, Ben Crenshaw, Tony Jacklin, Bernhard Langer and Harvey Penick. Bolt called the honor the highlight of his career.

But it was Bolt's temper that gained him fame. "That's been ballooned out of proportion a little bit," Bolt said when he was selected for the Hall of Fame. "Now, I threw a couple of clubs. I'm human, just like the other guys. But I threw them at the most opportune time, it seemed like. They always had the camera on me when I was throwing one."

He also said of his reputation: "I couldn't have possibly broken as many clubs I was supposed to have broken. They haven't made that many."

During his induction in 2002, Bolt told a story that resonated with the attendees. He was playing the Bing Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach one year when he had 135 yards left to the 16th. Bolt turned to his caddie and asked for a 7-iron, and the caddied replied, "It's either a 3-iron or a 3-wood. Those are the only clubs you have left."

Bolt was born March 31, 1916, in Haworth, Okla. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and turned professional in 1946, joining the tour four years later. His first victory was the North and South Open, and he won at least one event every year through 1955, when he captured four titles.

His last PGA Tour victory was the Pensacola Open in 1961, before moving on to senior events, winning the 1969 Senior PGA Championship.

The famed club thrower would entertain fans at exhibitions with his technique on how to fling an iron the right way for the most show, poking fun at his hot-headed personality. He did it all with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

In addition to his wife, Bolt is survived by his son, Thomas Walker Bolt. A memorial service was held September 2 in Sharp County, Ark.