Bob Duden

Who was Bob Duden?

Robert W. Duden was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.

A lifelong resident of Portland, Oregon, Duden compiled a remarkable record in sectional golf competition. He won over 50 tournaments in a 40 year career that included 23 major Pacific Northwest Section events including a record 7 wins of the Pacific Northwest Senior PGA Championship; he won the Oregon Open a record eight times. In competition on the PGA Tour, Duden's best showings were three 2nd place ties between 1959 and 1964. His best finish in a major championship was T-46 at the 1954 U.S. Open.

Duden invented and patented the croquet style putter, which he named "The Dude". When other well-known professionals like Sam Snead adopted this revolutionary putting technique, its popularity began to surge; however, the USGA banned it when tradionalists like Bobby Jones objected.

Duden had 22 holes-in-one during his career. In his later years, he worked as a teaching pro at Glendoveer Golf Course, where an annual tournament bears his name. Duden was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Section PGA Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.