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Don Pooley  |
EXEMPT STATUS: Top 31 on 2002 Champions Tour Money List FULL NAME: Don Pooley HEIGHT: 6-3 WEIGHT: 195 BIRTHDATE: August 27, 1951 BIRTHPLACE: Phoenix, AZ RESIDENCE: Tucson, AZ FAMILY: Wife, Margaret; Lynn (1/19/80), Kerri (5/19/82) EDUCATION: University of Arizona (1973, Business Administration) SPECIAL INTERESTS: Family, reading TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1973 JOINED TOUR: 2001 |
| PGA TOUR Victories |
| (2) 1980 B.C. Open. 1987 Memorial Tournament. |
| Champions Tour Victories |
| (1) 2002 U.S. Senior Open. |
| Other Victories |
| 1992 Amoco Centel Championship. |
| Best PGA TOUR Finishes |
| 1--1980 B.C. Open. 1987 Memorial Tournament. |
| Best Champions Tour Finishes |
| 1--2002 U.S. Senior Open. |
| Best Nationwide Tour Finishes |
| T5--2001 BUY.COM Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs. |
| Best 2002 Champions Tour Finishes |
| 3--RJR Championship, T7--FleetBoston Classic, 9--NFL Golf Classic, T9--The Countrywide Tradition, SAS Championship, SBC Championship, T10--Toshiba Senior Classic |
| 2002 Season Champions Tour |
| Tournaments Entered--29; in money--29; Top 10 finishes--8 |
| 2002 Season Highlights |
| One of only two players (Rodger Davis) to finish among the top 31 money-winners after earning exempt status at the 2001 National Qualifying Tournament. Was one of a record 18 millionaires on the Champions Tour and earned more than twice his best year on the PGA TOUR ($450,005, 1987)...Won the biggest event of his career in his 22nd start. Became the first qualifier to win the U.S. Senior Open and just the sixth player to claim the prestigious event in his first attempt. Holed a dramatic 10-foot birdie putt on the fifth extra hole of a playoff to beat Tom Watson. Moved into the lead in the third round by shooting a course-record 8-under 63 at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, the lowest 18-hole score ever posted in Senior Open history. Got into the championship through the USGA qualifier in Nashville (116 players for five spots). Made a two-foot birdie putt on the last hole to advance into a three-man playoff for the final two spots. Secured a spot with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole. Victory at Caves Valley also ended a TOUR victory drought of 15 years, one month...Also had a strong outing in North Carolina in September, finishing solo third at the RJR Championship with a 12-under 198 total for 54 holes. |
| Career Highlights |
| 2001: Debuted on the Champions Tour at the Kroger Senior Classic and T4 at the rain-shortened event near Cincinnati...Also T4 later in the fall campaign at the Gold Rush Classic near Sacramento. Prepped for the Champions Tour by playing in three PGA TOUR and seven Nationwide Tour events...T5 at the Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs near Greenville, SC...Earned a full exemption for the 2002 season by virtue of his sixth-place finish at the National Qualifying Tournament in the fall. |
| Personal |
| Has been involved in the PGA TOUR Bible study throughout his career and has been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes...Helped coach his daughter's basketball teams at one point. Daughter, Kerri, plays point guard at Biola University near Los Angeles...Likes Mexican food....Among his other interests are all kinds of shooting (trap, skeet and sporting clay) and watching his daughter play basketball...Got started in golf at age 6. Caddie Cliff Moore used to be his club professional and has been his instructor since he was a junior in high school. |
| Champions Tour Playoff Record |
| 1-0 |