Tom Purtzer
| Tom Purtzer | |
|---|---|
| — Golfer — | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Thomas Warren Purtzer |
| Born |
December 5, 1951 Des Moines, Iowa |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st) |
| Nationality |
 United States |
| Residence | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Career | |
| College | Arizona State University |
| Turned professional | 1973 |
| Current tour(s) | Champions Tour |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 15 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| Japan Golf Tour | 1 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 4 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T24: 1989 |
| U.S. Open | 4th: 1977 |
| The Open Championship | T4: 1982 |
| PGA Championship | T16: 1982 |
Thomas Warren Purtzer (born December 5, 1951) is an American professional golfer who has won tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Purtzer was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended Arizona State University in Tempe, where he was a member of the school's golf team. He graduated in 1973 and turned pro. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Paul, who also played golf for Arizona State and played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Purtzer is often described in golf literature as having the "sweetest swing in golf".[1] He won five tournaments on the PGA Tour in three different decades, and has thus far won four times on the Champions Tour. His best finishes in major championships were 4th at the 1977 U.S. Open and T4 at the 1982 British Open.[2]
Purtzer is a close friend of Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount and country music star Vince Gill. He enjoys sports, music and auto racing in his spare time. Purtzer and his brother Paul operate Purtzer Performance Golf School and Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 20, 1977 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | −11 (68-67-66-72=273) | 1 stroke | Lanny Wadkins |
| 2 | Jan 22, 1984 | Phoenix Open | −16 (68-67-68-65=268) | 1 stroke | Corey Pavin |
| 3 | Oct 9, 1988 | Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic | −19 (64-72-69-64=269) | Playoff | Mark Brooks |
| 4 | May 26, 1991 | Southwestern Bell Colonial | −13 (70-66-67-64=267) | 3 strokes | David Edwards, Scott Hoch, Bob Lohr |
| 5 | Aug 25, 1991 | NEC World Series of Golf | −1 (72-69-67-71=279) | Playoff | Jim Gallagher, Jr., Davis Love III |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1988 | Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic | Mark Brooks |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1991 | NEC World Series of Golf | Jim Gallagher, Jr., Davis Love III |
Won with par on second extra hole |
Japan Golf Tour wins (1)
Other wins (4)
- 1981 Jerry Ford Invitational
- 1986 JCPenney Classic (with Juli Inkster)
- 1991 Shark Shootout Benefiting RMCC (with Lanny Wadkins)
- 1993 Fred Meyer Challenge (with Steve Elkington)
Champions Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 16, 2003 | SBC Classic | −9 (67-68=135) | 1 stroke | Gil Morgan |
| 2 | Mar 21, 2004 | Toshiba Senior Classic | −15 (60-71-67=198) | 1 stroke | Morris Hatalsky |
| 3 | Aug 7, 2005 | 3M Championship | −15 (63-69-69=201) | 1 stroke | Lonnie Nielsen, Craig Stadler |
| 4 | Mar 18, 2007 | AT&T Champions Classic | −10 (69-69-68=206) | Playoff | Loren Roberts |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | Bank of America Championship |  Mark McNulty, Don Pooley |
McNulty won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 2007 | AT&T Champions Classic | Loren Roberts |
Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
- 2005 Australian PGA Seniors
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | CUT | T37 | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T44 | 4 | T24 | 8 |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | CUT | T54 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 32 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T25 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T24 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | T16 | DNP | DNP | T68 | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | T4 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | CUT | T19 | T16 | CUT | CUT | DNP | CUT | T47 | CUT | T53 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T45 | DNP | T61 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | T37 | T33 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T32 | DNP |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | T22 | T70 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T62 |
| PGA Championship | T31 | T32 | T21 | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 8 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 41 | 27 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1989 Masters – 1996 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)
U.S. national team appearances
See also
References
- ↑ "Sweet-Swinging Purtzer Works on Putting". The Golf Channel. March 8, 2005.
- ↑ "Golf Major Championships – Tom Purtzer". Retrieved October 23, 2013.
External links
- Tom Purtzer at the PGA Tour official site