Andy Bean (golfer)
A powerhouse golfer from the 1970s and 80s known for his prodigious length off the tee and 11 hard-earned PGA Tour victories.
1953–2023 (age 70)·American golfer·Birthday: March 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Andy Bean was a fixture on the PGA Tour during an era of big hitters and bold personalities. Hailing from Lafayette, Georgia, and a star at the University of Florida, he turned professional in 1975 and quickly made his mark with a combination of sheer physical strength and a gregarious, competitive nature. His swing was a spectacle of force, regularly propelling him to the top of driving distance rankings. Bean’s peak came between 1977 and 1986, a period where he claimed all 11 of his Tour titles, including wins at prestigious events like the Doral-Eastern Open and the Kemper Open. He was a formidable presence in team events, representing the U.S. in the Ryder Cup twice. While a major championship victory eluded him, he contended deeply, with several top-five finishes. Later, on the Champions Tour, he added four more wins, proving his competitive fire burned long and bright. Bean’s career was defined by consistent excellence and the thrilling spectacle of raw power applied to a game of finesse.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Andy was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won 11 official PGA Tour events between 1977 and 1986.
- Represented the United States on two Ryder Cup teams (1979 and 1987).
- Won four times on the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50.
- Finished in the top-10 of the PGA Tour money list three consecutive years (1978-1980).
Did You Know?
He stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and was known for his exceptional strength, even among professional athletes.
Bean was an All-American golfer at the University of Florida.
He lost in a playoff to Larry Nelson for the 1987 PGA Championship, his closest brush with a major title.
His daughter, Lauren, is a professional angler on the Bassmaster tournament circuit.
“You can't steer a parked car; you have to swing.”
