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Obituary: Orville Moody / Won 1969 U.S. Open in an upset
Dec. 9, 1933 - Aug. 8, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008

Golfer Orville Moody, whose only PGA Tour victory was in an upset at the 1969 U.S. Open, died Friday of complications from multiple myeloma at Sulphur Springs, Texas. He was 74.

Mr. Moody, who earned the nickname "Sarge" because of his service in the U.S. Army, won the Open at Champions Golf Club near Houston, Texas, when he came from three shots behind Miller Barber on the last day.

Although Mr. Moody never won another PGA Tour event of the 250 he entered, he became more successful after turning 50 when he switched to the Senior PGA Tour, now called the Champions Tour.

"We are all going to miss Sarge, who was a patriot first and a professional golfer second," said Tim Finchem, PGA Tour commissioner. "He embodied a bit of golf's everyman that we could all identify with."

Mr. Moody, a native of Chickasha, Okla., won the 1989 U.S. Senior Open at Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligonier, Pa., defeating Frank Beard by two shots. He finished in the top five on the Senior PGA Tour four other times and was second on the money earnings list in 1989 with $647,985.

Part Choctaw Indian, Mr. Moody spent 14 years in the Army. He was the last player to win the U.S. Open after earning his way into the tournament through both local and sectional qualifying.

First published on August 10, 2008 at 12:00 am