Bob Fry (golfer)

Robert Nelson Fry (November 29, 1922 – January 12, 1993) was an American professional golfer instrumental in the development of golf in the Iowa and Illinois area.

He came back in 1947, after 5 years in the military, to be runner up in the Iowa Amateur bowing in match play to Fred Gordon of Belmond 3 and 2.

Bob Fry served as a navigator in the 69th Squadron, 433rd Troop Carrier Group in New Guinea and Guam under Commanding Officer Cecil B. Guile, Lt. Col., Air Corps.

When invasions have been made in various theaters of operations and paratroopers and airborne infantry had to be flown in, in advance of the other invasions forces, when reinforcements were imperative, when ammunition or engineering equipment were running low, when wounded had to be evacuated, or when General Patton suddenly needed maps of Germany during his rapid advance, Troop Carrier was called upon - and came through.

In 1960, Fry took the head pro position for three municipal golf courses in Davenport, Iowa (Emeis, Duck Creek and Credit Island).

In 1970, Fry, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack, Franklin "Whitey" Barnard, John Deere Corporation brothers Jim and Ray McLaughlin, restaurant owner Nic Chirekos[3] and several others developed Crow Valley Golf Club in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Fry brought the Quad Cities Open (known today as the John Deere Classic) to Crow Valley Golf Club.

"In 1970, the two groups adopted a program for smaller sponsoring tournaments, calling them satellites instead of labeling them class B or minor meets," said Fry.

"I happened to be on the list for such an event - and working through Marshall Dann (the executive director of the Western Golf Association) and the right parties here in the Quad-Cities - we landed last year's [1971] tourney."

[4] Fry won the Iowa Section PGA tournament five times, including a 1965 record-setting 66-62=128 round at Marshalltown to win by 15 strokes.

In June 1972, Fry defeated Bettendorf pro, Gary Lockie, in a two-hole playoff of the Iowa PGA Match Play to win the Iowa-Western Illinois section title.

[8] The Michigan Golfer On-Line, in their discussion of Garland-Lewiston, part of the Gaylord Golf Mecca, says instructor "Lee Woodruff's philosophy of teaching comes from his long-time mentor, Bob Fry of Iowa.