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Steven Veriato
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EXEMPT STATUS: 2001 SENIOR
TOUR Tournament Winner
FULL NAME: Steven Wayne Veriato
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 160
BIRTHDATE: May 6, 1946
BIRTHPLACE: Hilo, HI
RESIDENCE: Buda, TX
FAMILY: Wife, Karen; Steven, Jr. (9/9/77), Robin
(3/9/79), Kelsey (7/11/88)
EDUCATION: Texas A&M (1973, Management)
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Cooking, fishing, fast cars
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1973
JOINED TOUR: 1996
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| SENIOR TOUR Victories |
| (1) 2001 Novell Utah Showdown. |
| Other Victories |
| 1976 and 1977 Hawaiian State Open, 1987, 1988 and 1994
Southern Texas PGA Championship. |
| Current Year SENIOR PGA TOUR Money
and Positions |
| $124,560 (64) |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Finishes |
| T15--Siebel Classic in Silicon Valley; T16--Audi Senior
Classic |
| Current Year SENIOR TOUR Best Round |
| 68 at Round 2, ACE Group Classic, at Round 3, Toshiba
Senior Classic, at Round 3, Greater Baltimore Classic |
| Best PGA TOUR Finishes |
| 2--1977 Atlanta Classic. |
| Best BUY.COM Finishes |
| T34--1991 Ben Hogan South Texas Open. |
| Best 2001 SENIOR TOUR Finishes |
| 1--Novell Utah Showdown |
| 2001 Season SENIOR TOUR |
| Tournaments Entered--31; in money--30; Top-10 finishes--1 |
| 2001 Season Highlights |
| Registered just one top-10 finish during the campaign,
but it was the biggest one of his professional career.
Came from behind to earn his first career victory at the
Novell Utah Showdown. Started Sunday's final round four
strokes behind Bruce Summerhays, but closed with a third
straight 68 to edge Jesse Patino, Tom Jenkins, Bruce Lietzke
and Graham Marsh by one stroke in Park City. Made five
birdies down the stretch and saved a critical par from
the front bunker on the 18th hole to earn his win. Pocketed
a career-best check for $225,000 which helped him to a
career-best total of $527,703. Victory at Park Meadows
made him the third of four consecutive first-time winners
and came in his 99th career start on the SENIOR TOUR.
Win also made him the third player over 55 to win in 2001...Posted
consecutive eagles in the first round of the Gold Rush
Classic and had the two best eagle-birdie streaks on the
SENIOR TOUR during the season. Was 8-under-par during
a six-hole stretch in the first round of the Gold Rush
Classic (B-B-B-B-E-E) and 6-under-par in a five-hole stretch
in the opening round of the Mexico Senior Classic (E-B-B-B-B). |
| Career Highlights |
| 2000: Lone top-10 performance came early in the campaign
at the LiquidGolf.com Invitational. Closed with a final-round
66 and T4 in Sarasota, one stroke out of a playoff...Also
T11 at the Lightpath Long Island Classic, thanks to rounds
of 69-68 on the weekend and T11 in his native Hawaii at
the EMC Kaanapali Classic with scores of 67-66 on the
final two days...Secured fully exempt playing privileges
for 2001 after T4 in the National Q-School final at Walt
Disney World. Joined Bobby Walzel at 11-under 277 after
closing rounds of 68-69. 1999: Successfully open-qualified
in eight of 13 appearances...Best effort came near the
end of the campaign, a T3 at the EMC Kaanapali Classic,
thanks to a final-round 64...Earned a conditional exemption
for 2000 by securing the ninth position at Tucson National
in dramatic fashion. Chipped in for the only birdie of
the day on the final hole to vault himself into a five-way
playoff and then made par on the first extra hole to place
ninth. Advanced to the final stage with a fifth-place
finish at the regional at Canyon Springs CC in San Antonio.
1998: Open qualified in six events and finished T5 at
the EMC Kaanapali Classic with three consecutive sub-70
rounds...Finished T59 at the SENIOR TOUR National Qualifying
Tournament at Grenelefe. 1997: Open qualified five times
in 12 official appearances and was T11 at the Bruno's
Memorial Classic...T46 at the SENIOR TOUR National Qualifying
Tournament on the Valley Course at the TPC at Sawgrass.
1996: Open qualified in seven of eight events...Played
in the final group of the Hyatt Regency Maui Kaanapali
Classic on Sunday with Hale Irwin and Bob Charles, and
eventually finished two strokes back of Charles despite
a final-round 66...Narrowly missed earning a conditional
card at the SENIOR TOUR National Qualifying Tournament
when he ballooned on the last day to a 77 and T19 on the
Valley Course at the TPC at Sawgrass. |
| Personal |
| Heroes include Gary Player and Hugh Baiocchi...Father
started him in the game of golf at an early age and convinced
him to seriously pursue the game because he was too small
for either baseball or basketball...Wife Karen serves
as his caddie...Once caddied for Jack Nicklaus in Hawaii
when he was 19 years old, during the filming of the old
"Big 3 Golf" TV show with Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and
Gary Player. |
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