Jacky Cupit obit

Jacky Cupit, an early star for University of Houston golf and later PGA Tour, dies at 88

 

He was not on the list.

Jacky Cupit, a two-time All-American who was part of three straight golf national championships at the University of Houston, died on Wednesday. He was 88.

Cupit was a part of UH's golf dynasty that began in the 1950s under legendary coach Dave Williams, winning three straight NCAA championships between 1958-60. Cupit played alongside Rex Baxter, Phil Rodgers and Richard Crawford as the Cougars became a national powerhouse and would eventually claim 16 national titles between 1956-85.

During his time at UH, Cupit was named a first-All-American in 1959 and 1960.

Cupit, who was born in Longview, turned professional in 1961 and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He won four events on the PGA Tour: 1961 Canadian Open, 1962 Western Open, 1964 Tucson Open Invitation and 1966 Cajun Classic Open Invitational and had a top 10 finish at the 1963 U.S. Open. At the Canadian Open, Cupit and his brother, Buster, became the first brothers to finish in the top two spots at a PGA Tour event, a feat that still stands today.

The Cupit brothers teamed up to finish second to Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer at the 1966 PGA National Two Ball Tournament.

Cupit played in 272 events on the PGA Tour. He retired from golf in 1974 due to back problems, according to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and would later return to play on the Champions Tour at age 50 in 1988.