Andy Bean, an 11-time winner during his time on the PGA Tour, passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 70.
According to ESPN, Bean died from complications following a double lung transplant that he underwent last month, after a bout with Covid-19 led to respiratory issues.
Bean’s PGA Tour career stretched from 1977-86 and included 11 victories, with his first coming at the Doral-Eastern Open in Miami in 1977. His last victory came during the 1986 Byron Nelson Golf Classic, where he held off Mark Wiebe to win by one stroke.
In between those first and last victories, Bean’s resume was quite impressive.
During the 1978 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, he defeated Lee Trevino in a playoff to win. He also blew away the competition during the Bay Hill Classic in 1981, winning by seven strokes over runner-up Tom Watson.
Additionally, Bean finished in the top 35 of the PGA Tour money list in each of his 10 PGA Tour seasons, which included five top-seven finishes. He was also a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1979 and 1987.
While Bean never won a major championship, he did finish as runner up three times — twice at the PGA Championship (1980, 1989) and once at the Open Championship (1983) — and had eight major top 10s.
Bean is survived by his wife Debbie, three daughters, and multiple grandchildren. He passed away in his hometown of Lakeland, Fla.
