Bert Yancey
| Bert Yancey | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Albert Winsborough Yancey |
| Born |
August 6, 1938 Chipley, Florida |
| Died | August 26, 1994 (aged 56) Park City, Utah |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |
 United States
|
| Career | |
| College | U.S. Military Academy |
| Turned professional | 1960 |
| Former tour(s) |
PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 10 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 7 |
| Best results in major championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | 3rd: 1967, 1968 |
| U.S. Open | 3rd/T3: 1968, 1974 |
| The Open Championship | 5th: 1973 |
| PGA Championship | T22: 1970, 1971 |
Albert Winsborough Yancey (August 6, 1938 – August 26, 1994) was an American professional golfer who won seven times on the PGA Tour and later played on the Senior PGA Tour.
Born in Chipley, Florida, Yancey lived much of his adult life in the Atlanta metro area. He attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and was captain of the Cadet golf team. He suffered from a debilitating illness known then as manic-depressive illness, but today it is more commonly called bipolar disorder. His illness first manifested itself during his senior year at West Point. He spent nine months in an Army psychiatric hospital in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, before being honorably discharged.
Yancey's condition was largely in remission until 1974, which allowed him to participate in competitive golf. He won seven PGA Tour events in 13 seasons. He also had six top-5 finishes in major championships: 1967 Masters (3rd), 1968 Masters (3rd), 1968 U.S. Open (3rd), 1970 Masters (4th), 1973 British Open (5th), 1974 U.S. Open (T-3).
In 1974, Yancey's illness resurfaced and led him to be involved in a series of bizarre incidents, for which he was at various times arrested, incarcerated, and institutionalized. One such incident occurred at LaGuardia Airport in 1975. Yancey climbed up on a ladder in the terminal and ordered all white people to one side and all black people to the other, and then proceeded to preach on the evils of racism. During the same incident, he claimed to have all of Howard Hughes' money and stated that he was going to use it to cure cancer. Yancey credited Dr. Jane Parker of Payne Whitney Hospital for correctly diagnosing his condition and prescribing lithium. Lithium, however, caused him to have hand tremors, which forced him to retire from competitive golf. He was able to resume competitive play, however, when Tegretol became available.
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