Bob Duden (September 5, 1920 – March 22, 1995) did not get serious about the game of golf until he was 28 years old, then became a dominant force in Pacific Northwest golf events and had success on the PGA Tour.
Duden grew up in Portland, attended Lincoln High School and then the University of Oregon. World War II called him to military service. When he returned, he started to focus on the game and raped immediate rewards. He won the amateur Coast Golf Tournament at Gearhart in 1949 with a six-hole playoff. Duden turned pro in 1950 and bounced between regional events and the PGA Tour. He won a 54-hole non-tour event at Las Vegas one year and another West Coast tourney in San Jose. Bob also finished second in three tour tournaments between 1959 and 1964. He played in the U.S. Open in 1954 and the PGA Championship in 1977 at the age of 57.
When he played close to his Portland home, it was no contest. He was a consistent title contender for over four decades. Duden's dazzling Northwest playing record encompassed 23 major tournament titles, including eight victories in the Oregon Open. He also won the Northwest Open three times, the Oregon PGA three times, the Washington Open three times, the British Columbia Open twice and the Pay Less Classic once.
Bob collected an amazing 22 holes in one in his brilliant career, believed to be the most ever by an Oregon golfer. In his later years, Duden worked as a part time teaching pro at Glendoveer Golf Course, where a tournament was named after him.
Duden was known for creating the croquet-style putter, known as "The Dude". He sold it out of the back of his car at events and experimented with alternate putting stances. The putter, its elf, was banned by the USGA, but his teachings would benefit.
Bob Duden was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA Hall of Fame in 1983.