Fred Corcoran was an American sports promoter, agent and administrator who had a diverse career in the world of golf, baseball, boxing, hockey and other sports. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975, as one of the first non-playing honorees. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Corcoran started in golf as a nine-year-old caddy at Belmont Country Club, carrying bags for Francis Ouimet and Alexa Stirling.

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  • Fred Corcoran was an American sports promoter, agent and administrator who had a diverse career in the world of golf, baseball, boxing, hockey and other sports. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975, as one of the first non-playing honorees. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Corcoran started in golf as a nine-year-old caddy at Belmont Country Club, carrying bags for Francis Ouimet and Alexa Stirling. At the of 12, he became the youngest caddie master in America, collecting 5 cents from every boy who carried a bag. As a young man he worked for the Massachusetts Golf Association, with Donald Ross at Pinehurst, and as the official scorer for the United States Golf Association. Among his innovations was the first tournament scoreboard that reflected birdies, pars and bogies in different colors. In 1936, he became the PGA Tour's tournament manager and the business manager of Sam Snead. During the 1940s, he took golf from a minor curiosity to a major business. He later served as the PGA's Promotion Director. Both idea man and publicist, with a pinch of hustler thrown in, Corcoran raised the awareness and business of golf through many avenues. In 1940, he put together a charity match between Gene Tunney, Babe Ruth, Gene Sarazen and Jimmy Demaret, where he brought the Fred Waring band and "Colonel" Stoopnagel, of radio fame, to follow the match with a sound truck, offering an absurd commentary. A year later, he arranged for a 3-course match between Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, which allowed them to settle their long-term rivalry on the golf course. He established golf's Hall of Fame that year as well. He managed three United States Ryder Cup teams and was official scorer at 34 USGA championships. During World War II, Corcoran worked for the Red Cross and USO, staging golf exhibitions with the help of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and bringing sports shows to the troops with Lefty Gomez and Jack Sharkey. After the war, he helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Golf Writers Association of America. He was well known for providing anecdotes, quotes, and stats to golf writers from a file cabinet inside his head. He worked at the Tournament Director of the LPGA from 1950-54. He also managed the careers of Babe Zaharias, entering her in U.S. Open in 1947 as the first woman, the Bauer sisters, and Ted Williams and Stan Musial. Corcoran's own claim to fame is that he three-putted in 47 counties. In 1955, Corcoran took over the ailing Canada Cup, which traveled the globe to promote international goodwill through golf with a team and individual championship. The Canada Cup became the World Cup and was played under Corcoran's direction until his death in 1977. The World Cup introduced to the world players such as Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Gary Player and Roberto DeVicenzo. Corcoran also worked as Tournament Director for the Thunderbird Classic and the Westchester Classic golf tournaments, which were at the time, the richest in golf. He managed the business of "Champagne" Tony Lema, Ken Venturi, Tom Weiskopf, and orchestrated the move from the AFL to the NFL by New York Giant placekicker, Peter Gogolak. In 1975, Corcoran was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the lifetime achievement category, and he won the William D. Richardson Award in 1960. In 1964, he published his autobiography, "Unplayable Lies."
  • Fred Corcoran, né le 4 avril 1905 à Cambridge et décédé le 23 juin 1977, était un promoteur et administrateur dans le monde du golf. Il a été introduit au World Golf Hall of Fame en 1975. Corcoran débute au golf en devenant à l'âge de neuf ans caddie. Il devient ensuite manager des tournois de la PGA à 28 ans. Après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il aide à fonder la Ladies professional golf association (LPGA) et le Golf Writers Association of America. Il est à l'origine de la création de la Coupe Canada (Canada Cup) qui est aujourd'hui la Coupe du monde de golf. De 1952 à 1975, il est le directeur commercial de la PGA of America. Il est également le manageur de divers champions tels Sam Snead, Tony Lema ou Babe Zaharias.
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  • Fred Corcoran was an American sports promoter, agent and administrator who had a diverse career in the world of golf, baseball, boxing, hockey and other sports. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1975, as one of the first non-playing honorees. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Corcoran started in golf as a nine-year-old caddy at Belmont Country Club, carrying bags for Francis Ouimet and Alexa Stirling.
  • Fred Corcoran, né le 4 avril 1905 à Cambridge et décédé le 23 juin 1977, était un promoteur et administrateur dans le monde du golf. Il a été introduit au World Golf Hall of Fame en 1975. Corcoran débute au golf en devenant à l'âge de neuf ans caddie. Il devient ensuite manager des tournois de la PGA à 28 ans. Après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il aide à fonder la Ladies professional golf association (LPGA) et le Golf Writers Association of America.
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  • Fred Corcoran
  • Fred Corcoran
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