Detroit Mercy Titans Hall of Fame
Bob Babbish won over 20 matches in his career at Detroit. Babbish – 96 – was the top-ranked collegiate golfer in the nation in 1938. He twice qualified for the National Intercollegiate Golf Tournament, advancing to the semifinals in 1938 by defeating Willie Turnesa of Holy Cross – a two-time U.S. Amateur champion. He holds the top spot in the Titan “Golden Era” record book with a 73.1 average in 37 rounds of golf over his three years at the University, while winning over 20 golf matches during his collegiate career
Known as “Bashful Bob”, in one of his proudest moments as a Titan, he was awarded a Major Letter following the 1938 season. At that time, a Major Letter was usually reserved for the Detroit basketball or football teams.
Not only was he an accomplished golfer on the collegiate level, but on the amateur front too winning the 1935 Michigan Amateur Championship at the Belvedere Country Club in Charlevoix. He also won four GAM Championships and a pair of Michigan Medal Play titles.
He qualified for 13 USGA Championships, including seven USGA Opens and five U.S. Amateurs – making the cut in three events - while winning the Western Amateur in 1938. He was also the runner-up at the Michigan Open on three occasions.
He was 23 in his Western Amateur victory, besting Maurice McCarthy 1-up in the 36-hole championship. He trailed for much of the first 33 holes of play in the title match before evening things up on the 34th hole. He then won the 35th with a par and halved the final hole for the triumph at the South Bend Country Club in South Bend, IN. He is still the only Michigander to ever to win the Western Amateur.
In one of his best tournaments ever, he took eighth at the 1950 Motor City Open finishing behind the likes of PGA standouts Lloyd Mangrum and Sam Snead. In that tournament, he placed ahead of PGA major champions Ben Hogan, Cary Middlecoff and Gene Sarazen.
He also took part in two US Opens in 1938 and 1940, with his best finish a 52nd-place effort in 1940 at the Canterbury Golf Club in Ohio.
He was inducted into the Titan Hall of Fame in 1980, the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1989. He graduated from the School of Commerce and Finance in 1941.
After graduating from U-D, he enlisted in the U.S. Army reaching the rank of captain while serving during World War II in the 13th Corps Special Services and USO Service.
Born and raised in Detroit, where he attended Pershing High School, Babbish grew up playing at the Highland Park Golf Course, which later on became the site of Chrysler Headquarters. Later on, his nephew, Larry Koss, would attend the University of Detroit and was a member of the golf team serving as team captain in 1962 and 1963.
