Former PGA winning Pro Bruce Lietzke dies

Bruce Lietzke, the former PGA Tour winner, died on Saturday of brain cancer at the age of 67.

"Our PGA Tour family lost a treasured member with the death of Bruce Lietzke," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "He touched on parts of five decades as a player, competed in 700 tournaments as a member of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions, and recorded a total of 20 victories.

"But to celebrate Bruce Lietzke's life properly, we offer praise to the great family man and the cherished friend to many."

Lietzke won 13 times on the PG Tour, and is best known for what has become known as the banana story. At the final PGA Tour event in 1984, Lietzke told his caddie Al Hansen that he wouldn't touch his clubs again until the first  event of the 1985 Tour.

Hansen put a banana in Lietzke's golf bag too see if this was really the case, and low and behold it was still there in January as the new season kicked off. This was a man who did not need to tinker with his swing!

"We hunted, we fished, but most importantly, we all laughed with 'Lieky.' He was truly one of the good guys and will be missed,'' Curtis Strange tweeted.

Lietzke played in 1981 Ryder Cup at Walton Heath, when America defeated GB&I by a massive 181/2 to 91/3 points. He also finished second to John Daly in the 1991 PGA Championship.

Lietzke is survived by wife Rose, son Stephen and daughter Christine.

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