Are there many Senior pros that STARTED on the Senior tour?
In other words how many guys on the senior tour do you think never played on a major circuit tour (PGA, Nationwide), before going pro as a senior. I would have to imagine there are a at least a few.
There are a few. None that is having a great deal of success currently. Tom Wargo, Jim Ahern, Walt Zembriski, Jim Albus all have had a lot of past success there and I don't think any of them ever played on the big tour. Allen Dyle had the proverbial 'cup of coffee' there in his late 40s before joining the Seniors. I don't think that Jay Sigel turned pro until he joined the Seniors. I could be wrong about that. I'm sure that he could have if he'd wanted to. He was well known as the best amatuer in the country for years.
I don't know how many are on the tour now, but I think you'll see more and more in the future. My dad played in a celebrity pro-am with Tim Wakefield (Red Sox pitcher). Dad says this guy can drive the ball a mile, and his short game is good as well. He said he jokingly told Tim that he should be playing golf, not baseball. Guess what? Tim told him that once he retires from baseball, he's going to play golf and work with a trainer for a few years, play a bunch of charity events, etc. and then come out and dominate the Senior Tour when he's 50! He also told dad that he played with several other major leaguers who are thinking of doing the same thing, but he wouldn't give dad any names. But he did give my dad a signed "Lone Palm" hat (the course they were playing) and baseball, which my son now has!
Tim told him that once he retires from baseball, he's going to play golf and work with a trainer for a few years, play a bunch of charity events, etc. and then come out and dominate the Senior Tour when he's 50! He also told dad that he played with several other major leaguers who are thinking of doing the same thing, but he wouldn't give dad any names. But he did give my dad a signed "Lone Palm" hat (the course they were playing) and baseball, which my son now has!
Confidence is an important attribute. He may quailify and earn some cash, but if he thinks he's going to dominate, he's in for a rude awakening. Rick Rhoden, who's dominated the Celebrity/Athletes tournaments for years is the latest to try this. He has an 8th place to his credit but rarely cracks the top 25. John Brodie also had some modest success years ago. Pitchers & QBs seem to be the athletes whose skills best transfer to golf.
I don't know how many are on the tour now, but I think you'll see more and more in the future. My dad played in a celebrity pro-am with Tim Wakefield (Red Sox pitcher). Dad says this guy can drive the ball a mile, and his short game is good as well. He said he jokingly told Tim that he should be playing golf, not baseball. Guess what? Tim told him that once he retires from baseball, he's going to play golf and work with a trainer for a few years, play a bunch of charity events, etc. and then come out and dominate the Senior Tour when he's 50! He also told dad that he played with several other major leaguers who are thinking of doing the same thing, but he wouldn't give dad any names. But he did give my dad a signed "Lone Palm" hat (the course they were playing) and baseball, which my son now has!
That's a good one! I'm sure Johnny bench and Rick Rhoden thought the same thing. Wakefield and his Champions Tour wannabee cronies are all around 40 years old (Wakefield will be 40 in August). A quick glance at the ages of current PGA Tour stars that are his age, or a year or two older, tells me that the competition he will face to earn a Champions Tour card might be a bit tougher than he thinks. That's not to mention all the career club pros that have the same intentions. Good Luck to him.....he'll need it.
Are there many Senior pros that STARTED on the Senior tour?
In other words how many guys on the senior tour do you think never played on a major circuit tour (PGA, Nationwide), before going pro as a senior. I would have to imagine there are a at least a few.
This one caught me off guard, Bobbysan. I have the 2005 PGA TOUR Fan Guide (aka Media Guide) which has a complete section on the seniors. I'll do a little research and get back to this thread.
There are a lot of hockey players that are scratch or 1 HCP. For some reason hockey and golf go together. Mario Lemeaux (sp) comes to mind.
I've played with some hockey players... not pros though. To a man they could hit the ball a country mile, but tended to have problem with hooking it too much.
Are there many Senior pros that STARTED on the Senior tour?
In other words, how many guys on the senior tour do you think never played on a major circuit tour (PGA, Nationwide), before going pro as a senior. I would have to imagine there are a at least a few.
Talk about getting back to a thread on the late side. Sorry about that, Bobbysan.
In looking at the full-field leader boards from the Champions TOUR, you'll usually find at least four or five guys, and many times more, who are not exempt members of the TOUR. Often, these guys do not have a featured profile either in the media guide or at the tour's website. We have to assume that they are "monday qualifiers," as it were.
The Champions TOUR allows for "unrestricted" sponsors' or tournament invitees and high finishers from the annual National Qualifying Tournament to fill out the typical 78-man field for regular TOUR events. This likely means that PGA Professionals, clubs' head pros and even select teachers may appear from time to time in Champions TOUR events.
Now, if you look only at exempt players, you'll find guys like Walter Hall, who turned pro at the tender age of 47 and played two years on the Asian Tour before qualifying for the Champions TOUR. Walter had previously failed in four attempts, back in the 70's, at getting on to the PGA TOUR and had never participated in a PGA TOUR event.
Tom McKnight is another senior who maintained his amateur status throughout most of his playing career, bouncing around on minor tours around the southeast. His only appearance in a PGA TOUR event came in the 1999 Masters, by virtue of his runner-up finish in the 1998 U.S. Amateur.
Walter Morgan served a 20-year stint in the U.S. Army, which included two tours in Vietnam. He left the service in 1980 and tried for his PGA TOUR card, but missed the cut at Q-School by one stroke. He went on to become a club pro in Texas until he turned 50, and then qualified for the Champions TOUR.
Pete Oakley is another guy who never played on the PGA TOUR and doesn't appear to have any significant experience on any major professional tour before joining the Champions TOUR. He won a few Delaware state titles as a club pro before joining the senior circuit.
Ahern, Zembriski, Wargo, Albus and Doyle...all mentioned previously in this thread...all have had some experience on the PGA TOUR.
December 1st, 2005, 11:10 AM
I'm sure Johnny bench and Rick Rhoden thought the same thing.
Wakefield and his Champions Tour wannabee cronies are all around 40 years old (Wakefield will be 40 in August). A quick glance at the ages of current PGA Tour stars that are his age, or a year or two older, tells me that the competition he will face to earn a Champions Tour card might be a bit tougher than he thinks.
That's not to mention all the career club pros that have the same intentions. Good Luck to him.....he'll need it.
Sorry about that, Bobbysan.
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