Ex-PGA star Mike Souchak dies at 81

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., July 10 (UPI) -- Mike Souchak, who won 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour, died Thursday the tour reported. He was 81.

Souchak, who held the tour record for the lowest 72-hole score for half a century, died from complications of a heart attack in Clearwater, Fla., a tour news release said.

"The PGA Tour family has lost one of its true pioneers," Commissioner Tim Finchem said.

"Mike Souchak was in many ways the prototype of today's modern golfer. His formidable athletic skills made him long off the tee, and he helped elevate the game's profile before the game was televised on a regular basis. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and his family."

Souchak, a native of Berwick, Pa., also played on the Champions Tour and was a member of two Ryder Cup teams.

Souchak shot 257 for 72 holes at the 1955 Texas Open, a record that stood for more than 45 years. His last tour victory was at the 1964 Memphis Open.

Souchak was a star golfer and football player at Duke University, where he is a member of the Duke Athletic Hall of Fame.