Who's who: Don Pooley

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Don Pooley

  • Name:

    Sheldon George "Don" Pooley Jr
  • Country:

    USA
  • Born:

    Aug 27, 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Original/Home Club:

  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1973

Roll of Honour

Senior MAJORS (1): US Senior Open (2002). Multiple winner on the US PGA and Champions Tours. PGA Tour wins (2). Champions Tour wins (2).

Did you know?

Former PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour player.

Top tournaments won by Don Pooley

2003
America
Glen Oaks CC, IA
200 (-13)
$225,000
Allianz

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Venue

Glen Oaks CC, IA

Score

200 (-13)

Prize money

$225,000

Title sponsor

Allianz

Played as the Allianz Championship (Aug 22-24). Second-placed Jim Thorpe (USA), Bruce Fleisher (USA) and Bruce Lietzke (USA) finished 3 shots behind Don Pooley (USA), who recorded the second of his two Champions Tour wins. [Glen Oaks CC, West Des Moines, Iowa].

2002
Majors
274 (-10)
$450,000
USGA

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Score

274 (-10)

Prize money

$450,000

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Senior Open (June 27-30). Pooley (USA) beat Tom Watson (USA) at the fifth sudden-death playoff hole. [Caves Valley GC, Owings Mill, Maryland].

1992
America
193 (-23)
$115,000
Amoco-Centel

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Score

193 (-23)

Prize money

$115,000

Title sponsor

Amoco-Centel

Played as the Amoco-Centel Championship (Nov 5-8; post-season unofficial PGA Tour event for players aged 40-49). Second-placed Gil Morgan (USA) finished 3 shots behind Pooley (USA). [Dunes West G&RC, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina].

1987
America
272 (-16)
$140,000
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Score

272 (-16)

Prize money

$140,000

Title sponsor

x

Played as The Memorial Tournament (May 28-31). Second-placed Curt Byrum (USA) finished 3 shots behind Pooley (USA), who recorded the second of his two PGA Tour wins. [Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, nr Columbus, OH].

1985
Awards
70.36
n/a
PGA of America

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Venue

Score

70.36

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

PGA of America

Pooley (USA) won the PGA of America Vardon Trophy, recording the season's lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour (over a minimum of 80 rounds). John Mahaffey (USA) and Lanny Wadkins (USA) were tied second with 70.44.

1985
Awards
70.36
n/a
PGA Tour

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Venue

Score

70.36

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

PGA Tour

Pooley (USA) won the PGA Tour Byron Nelson Award, recording the season's lowest scoring average (over a minimum of 50 rounds). Lanny Wadkins (USA) and John Mahaffey (USA) were tied second with 70.44.

1980
America
271 (-13)
$49,500
x

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Pooley, Don

Venue

En-Joie

Score

271 (-13)

Prize money

$49,500

Title sponsor

x

Played as the B.C. Open (Aug 28-31). Second-placed Peter Jacobsen (USA) finished 1 shot behind first-time PGA Tour winner Pooley (USA). Jacobsen had just recorded his first PGA Tour title one week earlier. [En-Joie GC, Endicott, NY].

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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