Honoring Lost Legends: Houston Heroes
With the recent passing of Jacky Cupit, we felt it fitting to reflect on his collegiate career and honor several other University of Houston golf legends who have also passed in the last decade.
*NOTE: underlined text provides a link to references or sites with more information
HOUSTON BECOMES A DYNASTY
Before we get into recognizing the players, it’s important to gain some context. Prior to the 1940s, and the official NCAA takeover of collegiate golf, Yale was the dominating team of the sport. Since then, the Houston Cougars under the guidance of “Mr. College Golf” Coach Dave Williams have embodied the pinnacle of success in team college golf.
Houston captured an extraordinary 16 NCAA team championships in a mere 30-year span, beginning with its first title in 1956 and culminating with its most recent in 1985. The first stretch of five titles in a row from 1956-60 represents a watershed moment in the sport, building a foundation of Houston success for decades to follow. Note that several of the legends profiled below - particularly the three from the landmark 1958 championship team - helped lay that very foundation.
Not highlighted below simply because they were laid to rest much earlier, we would be remiss if we didn’t also mention the passing of others from the 1956 championship team: Richard “Pink” Parvino (1934-1989) and Coach Dave Williams (1918-1998).
THE LEGENDS
Let’s learn a little more about the players, listed below (with the years they lettered) with a few details from their collegiate careers. We’ve chosen to order them by the years they lettered for the team rather than by the year of their passing.
REX BAXTER (1955-57)
You simply cannot overstate the impact that Rex Baxter had on the University of Houston golf and by extension the entire sport. Coach Williams successfully recruiting the 1953 U.S. Junior Amateur champ marked a defining turning point for the program, and sets into motion the dynasty that would follow. It all began with a 60-foot putt to win the 1956 NCAA championship for the Cougars. The team repeated in 1957, and this time Baxter also took home the program’s first NCAA individual title. He would go on to represent his country first as a member of the 1957 Walker Cup and then as a member of the armed forces. It is very likely that without Rex Baxter joining the University of Houston golf team in 1955, none of the men that follow would have done so either.
FRANK WHARTON (1956-58)
Frank Wharton was another core member of those vaunted teams that captured titles in 1956 & 1957, and he would continue that in 1958. Although he did not garner the same individual collegiate success as teammate Baxter, it’s fair to say that without Wharton Houston would not have won all three of those titles. After college, Wharton found success as a PGA member and served as an assistant under Claude Harmon, Sr. at Winged Foot.
PHIL RODGERS (1958)
Phil Rodgers was only a member of the Houston golf team for one full season, but he left an indelible mark on the program. Not only did he help the team to its three-peat at the 1958 NCAA championship, but he also capture the individual title, etching his name into the two (currently lost) trophies. That season he was also the Missouri Valley Conference medalist and was named as a 1st Team All-American in the very first year of the award’s existence. He served in the Marines for two years before becoming an eventual 5-time winner on the PGA Tour and respected short game instructor whom Jack Nicklaus credited with helping the Golden Bear win two majors in 1980.
JACKY CUPIT (1958-60)
Jacky Cupit picked up the mantle from Rodgers and ran with it. Not only was he a member of the 1958 championship team, he also helped lead Houston to titles number 4 and 5 in 1959 and 1960 respectively. In 1959, he and teammate Bob Pratt tied for medalist honors - note this was in the time of individual match play so they were not individual champions - setting a new NCAA record in the process. Cupit was a 1st Team All-American in both 1959 and 1960, the first Cougar to achieve the honor multiple times. He became the PGA Rookie of the Year the following season. His pro career included four victories and a runner-up finish at the 1963 U.S. Open.
This following video is from his Texas Golf Hall of Fame profile, please see this invaluable resource for many more details on Cupit’s incredible golfing career and consider supporting!
HUGH “ROCKY” THOMPSON (1961-62)
Rocky Thompson’s Houston career was a bit understated compared to those mentioned above, however his impact was keenly felt as a member of (though not contributing scorer to) the team’s sixth NCAA championship in 1962. He would enjoy an extremely prolific career on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour after college, competing in over 300 events on each!
BRUCE LIETZKE (1970-73)
Bruce Lietzke was an exceptional junior player from Beaumont, Texas, winning the Texas State Junior Championship in 1968 before being recruited to the University of Houston. While he did not contribute a score in the NCAA championship in 1970, he was a member of the team that won Coach Williams’s 12th team title. The next two seasons, the Cougars would finish runner-up to Texas. Lietzke turned pro in 1973 after helping Houston win the Southwestern Conference title, and would go on to win 13 times as a pro on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.
FRANK “FUZZY” ZOELLER (1973)
Fuzzy Zoeller was another one-year letterman who managed to make an impact on the Houston Cougar golf program in a short time. He turned pro the same year as Bruce Lietzke. Zoeller is perhaps best known for winning the 1979 Masters, becoming the first player since Gene Sarazen (1935, second ever!) to win the coveted Major in his first attempt. He would go on to capture the 1984 U.S. Open in a playoff over Greg Norman and the next year be awarded the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor.
ED FIORI (1976-77)
Ed Fiori is known mostly for his unique nickname (“The Grip”) and beating out PGA Tour rookie Tiger Woods at the 1996 Quad Cities Classic. Before that, however, he was a solid contributor to the University of Houston golf program. Fiori was a 2nd Team All-American in 1976 after helping lead the team to a Southwest Conference title and a third place finish in the NCAAs. The 1977 season was one of Houston’s most successful of the decade, again winning the Conference title as well as capturing the 13th NCAA team title under Coach Williams. Fiori won four times on the PGA Tour and added a Champions Tour win in 2004.
Thanks for reading! Our condolences to the family and loved ones of these lost legends. If we have missed someone, please let us know so we can pay our proper respects and do our small part in keeping their legacy alive!