Background
Bolt was born in Haworth, Oklahoma.
Bolt was born in Haworth, Oklahoma.
He served in the United States Army during World World War II and turned professional in 1946. He worked as a caddie and club professional in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the fifth Professional Golf Association Tour player to shoot a 60 (11 birdies) in an 18-hole round when he did it in the second round of the Insurance City outside Hartford, Connecticut Previously, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Brosch, Wally Ulrich, Ted Kroll and Bill Nary had also shot 60s.
Bolt had a putt for a 59, but he missed his 15-footer for birdie on the 18th green at the par-71 Wethersfield Country Club.
His career Ryder Cup record was 3-1, including a singles victory over Christy O"Connor Snr in 1955 at Thunderbird Golf and Country Club in Palm Springs, California He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002. Bolt"s fiery disposition earned him the nickname "Thunder" and "Terrible Tommy".
He was known to break clubs during rounds, and his penchant for throwing clubs led to the adoption of a rule prohibiting such behavior. In his later years, he admitted that a lot of his on-course eruptions were merely showmanship and that he felt they had detracted from his playing.
Bolt died in Cherokee Village, Arkansas at the age of 92.
He is interred at Evening Shade Cemetery in Evening Shade, Arkansas. Bolt was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Inducted in 2002. "He"s the only player I have ever known to get an ovation from the fans on the practice tee.
I"ve seen him playing practice rounds before a tournament and half the gallery was made up of other professionals.
Somebody asked me once, Who"s better? Jack Nicklaus or Ben Hogan? Well, my answer was, I saw Nicklaus watch Hogan practice. But I never saw Hogan watch Nicklaus." Professional Golf Association Tour wins (15) 1951 (1) North and South 1960 (1) Memphis Invitational 1961 (1) Pensacola Invitational Senior wins (3) Wins (1) Results timeline.
Bolt was a member of the United States Ryder Cup teams of 1955 and 1957.