Al Geiberger

Last updated

Al Geiberger
Personal information
Full nameAllen Lee Geiberger Sr.
NicknameMr. 59, Skippy
Born (1937-09-01) September 1, 1937 (age 87)
Red Bluff, California, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Career
College University of Southern California
Turned professional1959
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins30
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour11
Japan Golf Tour1
PGA Tour Champions10
Other8
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters Tournament T12: 1972
PGA Championship Won: 1966
U.S. Open T2: 1969, 1976
The Open Championship T13: 1974
Achievements and awards
Senior PGA Tour
Comeback Player of the Year
1996

Allen Lee Geiberger Sr. (born September 1, 1937) is an American former professional golfer.

Contents

Professional career

Geiberger turned pro in 1959 and joined the PGA Tour in 1960. Geiberger won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour, the first being the 1962 Ontario Open and the biggest being the 1966 PGA Championship, a major title. [1] He won the Tournament Players Championship in 1975, and played on the Ryder Cup teams in 1967 and 1975. Geiberger also won 10 times on the Senior PGA Tour, now called the Champions Tour.

Mr. 59

During the second round of the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic in 1977, Geiberger became the first player in history to post a score of 59 (−13) in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. [2] [3] Starting on the tenth tee of the Colonial Country Club in Cordova, Tennessee, he shot a bogey-free round of six pars, 11 birdies, and an eagle on the 7,193-yard (6,577 m) layout. [4] He sank a forty-foot (12 m) putt for birdie on his opening hole, and ended the round with a birdie from eight feet (2.4 m); the lone eagle was a holed-out wedge shot. [3]

Geiberger won the tournament, though not handily. He shot even-par 72 in the first and third rounds, [5] and was two strokes down to Gary Player on Sunday after a 38 (+2) on the front nine put him at 241 (−11) for 63 holes. He regained the lead with a 32 (−4) on the back nine to finish at 273 (−15), two strokes ahead of Player and Jerry McGee. [6]

Scorecard:Friday, June 10, 1977

Hole101112131415161718123456789
Par443443545543434544
Score342442434332433443
To par−1−1−2−2−2−3−4−5−6−8−9−10−10−10−11−12−12−13
Source: [4]

Personal life

Geiberger was born in Red Bluff, California, the son of Ray and Mabel Geiberger. His first big tournament win was the 1954 National Jaycee Championship. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School, attended Menlo College and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1959. [7] [8]

Geiberger has six children. His son Brent Geiberger is also a professional golfer who won two PGA Tour events. Another son, John, was the coach of the Pepperdine University golf team from 1996 to 2012, and won the NCAA Championship in 1997. [7] Geiberger's father was one of the victims of the Tenerife airport disaster in 1977. [9] [10] [11]

Geiberger had surgery in 1980 to remove his colon due to inflammatory bowel disease and has an ileostomy.

Professional wins (30)

PGA Tour wins (11)

Legend
Major championships (1)
Players Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (9)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Oct 21, 1962 Ontario Open Invitational 69-67-70-70=276−81 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Gardner Dickinson, Flag of the United States.svg Bob Goalby,
Flag of the United States.svg Tommy Jacobs, Flag of the United States.svg Chuck Rotar,
Flag of the United States.svg John Ruedi
2Nov 3, 1963 Almaden Open Invitational 69-67-67-74=277−111 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dutch Harrison, Flag of the United States.svg Dick Lotz
3Aug 29, 1965 American Golf Classic 70-69-69-72=280E4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer
4Jul 24, 1966 PGA Championship 68-72-68-72=280E4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dudley Wysong
5Oct 6, 1974 Sahara Invitational 70-68-66-69=273−113 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Wally Armstrong, Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Heard,
Flag of the United States.svg Dave Hill, Flag of the United States.svg Mike Hill
6Apr 27, 1975 MONY Tournament of Champions 67-67-70-73=277−11Playoff Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player
7Aug 24, 1975 Tournament Players Championship 66-68-67-69=270−103 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton
8Apr 4, 1976 Greater Greensboro Open 70-65-65-68=268−162 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Lee Trevino
9Jun 27, 1976 Western Open 71-71-73-73=288+41 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Joe Porter
10Jun 12, 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic 72-59-72-70=273−152 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jerry McGee, Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player
11May 20, 1979 Colonial National Invitation 68-69-64-73=274−61 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Don January, Flag of the United States.svg Gene Littler

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1967 Carling World Open Flag of the United States.svg Billy Casper Lost to par on first extra hole
2 1975 MONY Tournament of Champions Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player Won with birdie on first extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1Nov 25, 1973 ABC Japan vs USA Golf Matches 72-70-76=218+22 strokes Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Takashi Murakami

Other wins (6)

Senior PGA Tour wins (10)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Oct 4, 1987 Vantage Championship 72-67-67=206−42 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dave Hill
2Oct 18, 1987 Seniors International Golf Championship 70-68-71=209−4Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jim Ferree
3Oct 25, 1987 Las Vegas Senior Classic 68-73-62=203−134 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Chi-Chi Rodríguez
4Mar 20, 1988 Pointe/Del E. Webb Arizona Classic 63-69-67=199−171 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Orville Moody
5Aug 20, 1989 GTE Northwest Classic 68-68-68=204−123 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Frank Beard
6Jul 7, 1991 Kroger Senior Classic 66-69-68=203−101 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Larry Laoretti
7Jan 12, 1992 Infiniti Senior Tournament of Champions 71-67-71-73=282−63 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Crampton, Flag of the United States.svg Chi-Chi Rodríguez
8Jan 10, 1993 Infiniti Senior Tournament of Champions (2)70-70-69-71=280−82 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jim Dent
9Mar 7, 1993 GTE West Classic 67-65-66=198−122 strokes Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki, Flag of the United States.svg George Archer
10Feb 11, 1996 Greater Naples IntelliNet Challenge 68-63-71=202−141 stroke Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1987 Seniors International Golf Championship Flag of the United States.svg Jim Ferree Won with birdie on second extra hole
2 1999 Toshiba Senior Classic Flag of the United States.svg Allen Doyle, Flag of the United States.svg John Jacobs,
Flag of the United States.svg Gary McCord
McCord won with birdie on fifth extra hole
Doyle and Geiberger eliminated by eagle on first hole

Other senior wins (2)

Major championships

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1966 PGA Championship 4 shot leadE (68-72-68-72=280)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dudley Wysong

Results timeline

Tournament196119621963196419651966196719681969
Masters Tournament CUTT13T24T44T36T30T13
U.S. Open T12CUTCUTT14T4T30T28T9T2
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T5T19191T5T8T35
Tournament1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
Masters Tournament T45T24T12T37T31CUTT15CUTT42
U.S. Open CUTT55T21T13T18T38T2T10T53T19
The Open Championship T13CUT
PGA Championship T16T30CUTT188T33CUTT6CUTT65
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T67CUTCUTCUTT74
Tournament199019911992199319941995199619971998
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 0000061713
U.S. Open 02035112016
The Open Championship 00000121
PGA Championship 10036102316
Totals120611286246

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1975 Tournament Players Championship 3 shot lead−10 (66-68-67-69=270)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton

Results timeline

Tournament19741975197619771978197919801981198219831984
The Players Championship T241T24CUTT67T56CUT
  Win
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

See also

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References

  1. Jenkins, Dan (August 1, 1966). "A Happy Stroll For Golf's Smiling Gei". Sports Illustrated . p. 16. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  2. "Al Geiberger's achievement 'phenomenal'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 12, 1977. p. D11.
  3. 1 2 "Geiberger near perfect (59)". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. June 11, 1977. p. A7.
  4. 1 2 "Geiberger fires PGA mark 59, 11 birds, eagle". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 11, 1977. p. 11. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  5. "Al slips 13 shots but leads by three". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 12, 1977. p. D5.
  6. "Geiberger turns off Player, McGee bids". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 13, 1977. p. 18. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Kelley, Brent. "Al Geiberger profile". About.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  8. Ballard, Sarah (May 15, 1989). "Building A New Life: Thanks to his family and to senior golf, Al Geiberger has another chance at happiness". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  9. "Crewlist and the Passenger list of the PanAm, that crashed on Tenerife, on 27th March 1977" (PDF). project-tenerife.com.
  10. "Champ plays despite grief". Chillicothe Gazette. Ohio. Associated Press. March 31, 1977. p. 16.
  11. "Geiberger's Perspective is Changed by Tragedy". Chicago Tribune. April 9, 1989. Retrieved June 30, 2020.