Nathaniel Patrick Crosby (born October 29, 1961) is an American
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
er. He won the 1981
U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
and played on the winning
1982 Eisenhower Trophy
The 1982 Eisenhower Trophy took place 15 to 18 September at the Golf Club de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was the 13th World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play team event with 30 f ...
and
1983 Walker Cup
The 1983 Walker Cup, the 29th Walker Cup Match, was played on 25 and 26 May 1983, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England. The event was won by the United States 13½ to 10½.
The match was level after the second day foursomes. In the fina ...
teams. He turned professional but had little success and was later reinstated as an amateur. He is the seventh child and sixth son of
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
.
Early life
Crosby was born and raised in
Hillsborough, California
Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula, bordered by Burlingame to the north, San Mateo to the east, Highlands-B ...
.
He was the third and youngest child between
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
and actress
Kathryn Grant. (Bing Crosby also had four children from his first marriage.)
Although his father was a showbiz celebrity he was, in Nathaniel's words, "determined that we didn't grow up to be Hollywood brats."
The family lived hundreds of miles from Los Angeles, in northern California, and Bing instilled a strong work ethic in his children. In the summer Nathaniel and his siblings worked sunup 'til sundown baling alfalfa and vaccinating cattle on the family ranch. Crosby stated later in life in his memoir ''18 Holes with Bing'', "I always longed for summer to end so I could go back to school."
[ He had a cool relationship with his father and got into golf as a way to connect with his dad (who was a golf fanatic). Crosby states, “I learned golf so that I could spend more time with him."][ Crosby largely learned golf from the family's Irish nanny, Bridget. Bridget was also a pro golfer.][ Crosby won the club championship at the family's country club, Burlingame Country Club, at the age of 15. His father stated after the victory, "Today is the happiest day of my life."][ Crosby attended Burlingame High School and was on the golf team.][
Crosby performed with his father, mother, ]brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, and sister
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
in several Christmas television shows and at the London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
in 1976. He starred along with the rest of his family in the 1970 television musical ''Goldilocks
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...
''. Crosby stated that he was embarrassed to perform in the Christmas specials as he was not a natural performer.[
]
Golf career
Crosby attended the University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
and played for the golf team.[ At the University of Miami, he qualified for the 1981 ]U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
held at The Olympic Club
The Olympic Club is an athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, California.
First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest athletic club in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were ...
in San Francisco, which he won at age 19, making him the third youngest U.S. Amateur winner ever. In addition to this youth, Crosby was not considered a uniquely talented amateur golfer. The legendary golf writer Herbert Warren Wind
Herbert Warren Wind (August 11, 1916 – May 30, 2005) was an American sportswriter noted for his writings on golf.
Early years
Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, Wind began golf at age seven at the Thorny Lea Golf Club in Brockton, and played w ...
wrote in ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', "His swing was so unimpressive that most observers felt there had to be at least a thousand better amateur golfers in the country." He was usually not even the top golfer on his college's golf team, occasionally ranking 3rd- or 4th-best.[ Crosby defeated future PGA Tour pro ]Willie Wood
William Vernell Wood Sr. (December 23, 1936February 3, 2020) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a safety with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). Wood was an eight-time Pro Bowler an ...
in the semifinal and then 24-year-old engineer Brian Lindley in the final.[ The win qualified him for the 1982 U.S. Open, again held at another local northern California course, ]Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of the golf course ...
. Crosby shot an opening round 77 and then quadrupled-bogeyed the par-5 14th hole on Friday putting him in danger of missing the cut. However, he shot −1 for the rest of the round to make the cut by two.[ He would shoot 76-77 on the weekend to finish at 303 (+15) and in solo 59th place. He was low amateur, besting future PGA Tour pro ]Corey Pavin
Corey Allen Pavin (born November 16, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and currently on the PGA Tour Champions. He spent over 150 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1986 and 1997 ...
by a shot. Also in 1982 Crosby won the Porter Cup The Porter Cup is a 72-hole, medal-play elite amateur golf tournament held annually at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York. It was first played in 1959 and over the years has hosted some of the biggest names in golf. Past champions ...
, an elite medal-play event for amateurs. Most recent champions of the event – like Ben Crenshaw
Ben Daniel Crenshaw (born January 11, 1952) is a retired American professional golfer who has won 19 events on the PGA Tour, including two major championships: the Masters Tournament in 1984 and 1995. He is nicknamed ''Gentle Ben''.
Professiona ...
, John Cook, and Scott Simpson – had gone on to win on the PGA Tour, so the victory certainly boded well for Crosby. He also played on the victorious 1982 Eisenhower Trophy
The 1982 Eisenhower Trophy took place 15 to 18 September at the Golf Club de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was the 13th World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play team event with 30 f ...
and 1983 Walker Cup
The 1983 Walker Cup, the 29th Walker Cup Match, was played on 25 and 26 May 1983, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England. The event was won by the United States 13½ to 10½.
The match was level after the second day foursomes. In the fina ...
teams.
After graduating from college, Crosby turned professional in 1984.[ He failed to gain a place on the ]PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
. In the 1980s the PGA Tour did not have a developmental tour so many young golfers in Crosby's situation played overseas. Crosby decided to play in Europe, qualifying for the European Tour
The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
before the 1985 season. He played full-time in Europe from 1985 to 1987.[ His best year was in 1985. He recorded a third place finish at the ]Portuguese Open
The Open de Portugal, previously the Portuguese Open, is an annual professional golf tournament, currently played on the Challenge Tour.
History
It was first played in 1953, and was part of the European Tour's schedule from 1973 to 2010. After a ...
, his only top-10 of the season. He would finish 87th on the Order of Merit and kept his card. The 1986 season was more of a struggle as he did not record any top-10s and missed the majority of cuts. He finished 115th on the Order of Merit and barely kept his card. In addition, he played five events on the PGA Tour that season, playing on sponsor's exemptions, but missed the cut in all of them. The 1987 season was Crosby's final season in Europe. He missed the cut in 14 of his 18 events and finished 158th on the Order of Merit, not keeping his card. His good play at the 1985 Portuguese Open would turn out to be the only top-10 of his European Tour career.
Crosby would quickly retire as a touring professional but would work as a golf industry executive for the remainder of his career. In 1988 he became president of the Tony Penna Golf Company,[ an equipment manufacturer, where he worked for 10 years.][ He then worked at Orlimar for 4 years,][ working as an executive at direct marketing.][ Since his experience at Orlimar he formed his own company to pursue high-end real estate and golf developments.][ He is also currently trying to market his dad's name more, whose "brand" he feels is neglected compared to other stars of the era.][
Crosby has intermittently been involved in notable golf events since his retirement as a full-time touring professional. He regained his amateur status in 1994, initially in order to play in the ]AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually at Pebble Beach, California, near Carmel. The tournament is usually held during the month of February on three different courses, currently Pebble Beac ...
, the tournament founded by his father. In 2007 he played in the Porter Cup, the site of one of his greatest triumphs as a junior golfer. He did not do well this time though, finishing in last place by five shots. He also attempted to qualify for the 2007 U.S Amateur. The event was held at San Francisco's Olympic Club for the first time since his 1981 victory.[ Crosby captained the American ]Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match (not "Matches" as in Ryder Cup Matches). It is ...
teams in 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
and 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
.
Crosby was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Personal life
Crosby lives in North Palm Beach, Florida
North Palm Beach is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami Metropolitan Area. The population was 13,162 at the 2020 census. The village won an award from the National Association of Home Buil ...
. He has been married twice. He has four children with his first wife. He is now married to Sheila and has two step-children with her.[
]
Amateur wins
*1981 U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
*1982 Porter Cup The Porter Cup is a 72-hole, medal-play elite amateur golf tournament held annually at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York. It was first played in 1959 and over the years has hosted some of the biggest names in golf. Past champions ...
Results in major championships
''Note: Crosby never played in the PGA Championship
The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major championships ...
.''
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
* Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy (World Men's Amateur Team Championships) is the biennial World Amateur Team Championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. Since the tournament was first played in 1958, it is named after Dwight D. Eisen ...
: 1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
(winners)
* Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested in odd-numbered years by leading male amateur golfers in two teams: United States, and Great Britain and Ireland. The official name is the Walker Cup Match (not "Matches" as in Ryder Cup Matches). It is ...
: 1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
(winners), 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
(winners, non-playing captain), 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
(winners, non-playing captain)
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Nathaniel
American male golfers
Miami Hurricanes men's golfers
European Tour golfers
Golfers from California
People from Hillsborough, California
Bing Crosby
1961 births
Living people