Larry Nelson

Last updated
Larry Nelson
Larry Nelson (cropped).jpg
Nelson in 2023
Personal information
Full nameLarry Gene Nelson
Born (1947-09-10) September 10, 1947 (age 76)
Fort Payne, Alabama, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Residence Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
Career
College Kennesaw Junior College
Turned professional1971
Current tour(s) Champions Tour
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins41
Highest ranking 12 (July 17, 1988) [1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour10
European Tour3
Japan Golf Tour4
PGA Tour Champions19
Other8
Best results in major championships
(wins: 3)
Masters Tournament 5th: 1984
PGA Championship Won: 1981, 1987
U.S. Open Won: 1983
The Open Championship T12: 1980
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2006 (member page)
Senior PGA Tour
money list winner 		2000
Senior PGA Tour
Player of the Year 		2000

Larry Gene Nelson (born September 10, 1947) is an American professional golfer. He has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta. He did not play the game growing up – atypical for a successful professional golfer – focusing on basketball and baseball.

Nelson took up golf at the age of 21, after he returned from serving in the infantry in Vietnam (Nelson was a 20-year-old newlywed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army). [2] Nelson was first introduced to golf by Ken Hummel, a soldier and friend in his infantry unit, and Nelson carefully studied Ben Hogan's book The Five Fundamentals of Golf while learning how to play the game. [3] He soon discovered that he had a talent for the game, breaking 100 the first time he played and 70 within nine months. Nelson went on to graduate from Kennesaw Junior College in 1970.

Professional career

In 1971, Nelson turned professional. He qualified for the PGA Tour at 1973 PGA Tour Qualifying School. Nelson's breakthrough year came in 1979 when he won twice and finished second on the money list to Tom Watson.

Nelson won 10 times on the PGA Tour including three major championships. He earned his first major title at the 1981 PGA Championship which he won by four strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller. In 1983, Nelson was victorious at the U.S. Open at Oakmont coming from seven behind at the halfway point to defeat Tom Watson by a single shot. Nelson scored a U.S. Open record 65-67 over the last 36 holes at the difficult Oakmont course which broke a 51-year Open record established by Gene Sarazen. His 10-under-par 132 record score has yet to be equaled. In 1987, he finished tied with Lanny Wadkins after the regulation 72 holes of the PGA Championship. He won the title with a par at the first playoff hole. [4]

Nelson played on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1979, 1981, and 1987. His record of 9–3–1 is one of the best since the event became USA v Europe in 1979; it had been a perfect 9–0–0 after the first two events.

Nelson also had great success internationally. He won four tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour. Nelson also finished runner-up at the 1982 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, 1985 Suntory Open, and the 1987 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in Japan. In addition, in 1987 he finished runner-up at the New Zealand Open on the PGA Tour of Australia. He lost to Northern Ireland's Ronan Rafferty in a sudden-death playoff.

Since turning 50 in 1997, Nelson has had a very successful Champions Tour career, winning 19 times.

Nelson is also active in golf course design and created the LagRx Swing Trainer to help golfers condition and improve their muscle memory.

Honors

Nelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in October 2006. [2]

In 2011, Nelson received the PGA Distinguished Service Award from the PGA of America. The award "honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf". [5]

Professional wins (41)

PGA Tour wins (10)

Legend
Major championships (3)
Other PGA Tour (7)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
1Mar 11, 1979 Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic −14 (67-69-67-71=274)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Grier Jones
2Jul 8, 1979 Western Open −2 (71-69-70-76=286)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Ben Crenshaw
3Jun 8, 1980 Atlanta Classic −18 (66-69-68-67=270)7 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Andy Bean, Flag of the United States.svg Don Pooley
4Apr 5, 1981 Greater Greensboro Open −7 (69-68-69-75=281)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Mark Hayes
5Aug 9, 1981 PGA Championship −7 (70-66-66-71=273)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller
6Jun 19, 1983 U.S. Open −4 (75-73-65-67=280)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson
7Oct 21, 1984 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic −22 (66-66-64-70=266)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Hubert Green
8Aug 9, 1987 PGA Championship (2)−1 (70-72-73-72=287)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Lanny Wadkins
9Oct 18, 1987 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic (2)−20 (68-69-68-63=268)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Morris Hatalsky, Flag of the United States.svg Mark O'Meara
10Jun 26, 1988 Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic (2)−20 (63-66-66-73=268)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Chip Beck

PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1979 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic Flag of the United States.svg Gil Morgan Lost to birdie on second extra hole
21979 Western Open Flag of the United States.svg Ben Crenshaw Won with birdie on first extra hole
3 1981 Greater Greensboro Open Flag of the United States.svg Mark Hayes Won with birdie on second extra hole
4 1987 PGA Championship Flag of the United States.svg Lanny Wadkins Won with par on first extra hole
5 1989 GTE Byron Nelson Classic Flag of the United States.svg Jodie Mudd Lost to birdie on first extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (4)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
1Oct 12, 1980 Tokai Classic −14 (72-69-66-67=274)1 stroke Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Yutaka Hagawa
2Apr 24, 1983 Dunlop International Open 1−12 (67-65-69=201)*1 stroke Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masahiro Kuramoto
3Sep 10, 1989 Suntory Open −12 (69-67-70-70=276)Playoff Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Saburo Fujiki
4Nov 24, 1991 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament −12 (70-71-67-68=276)Playoff Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki, Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros,
Flag of the United States.svg Jay Don Blake

*Note: The 1983 Dunlop International Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asia Golf Circuit

PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (2–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1985 Suntory Open Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Tateo Ozaki Lost to par on second extra hole
2 1989 Suntory Open Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Saburo Fujiki Won with birdie on first extra hole
3 1991 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Isao Aoki, Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros,
Flag of the United States.svg Jay Don Blake 		Won with par on fourth extra hole
Ballesteros eliminated by birdie on third hole
Blake eliminated by par on first hole

Other wins (2)

Champions Tour wins (19)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
1Feb 22, 1998 American Express Invitational −13 (63-69-71=203)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton
2May 31, 1998 Pittsburgh Senior Classic −12 (65-65-74=204)5 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bob Duval
3Sep 27, 1998 Boone Valley Classic −16 (70-65-65=200)2 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Graham Marsh
4Feb 21, 1999 GTE Classic −8 (70-68-67=205)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Fleisher
5May 2, 1999 Bruno's Memorial Classic −11 (70-67-68=205)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dana Quigley
6Apr 23, 2000 Las Vegas Senior Classic −19 (67-66-64=197)5 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Fleisher Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin
7May 28, 2000 Boone Valley Classic (2)−16 (66-66-68=200)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson
8Aug 27, 2000 FleetBoston Classic −13 (67-70-66=203)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jim Thorpe
9Sep 3, 2000 Foremost Insurance Championship −18 (66-69-63=198)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton
10Sep 24, 2000 Bank One Senior Championship −13 (67-68-68=203)6 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bill Brask, Flag of the United States.svg Jim Thorpe
11Oct 1, 2000 Vantage Championship −12 (66-63-69=198)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jim Dent, Flag of the United States.svg Gil Morgan
12Jan 24, 2001 MasterCard Championship −19 (67-64-66=197)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jim Thorpe
13Feb 8, 2001 Royal Caribbean Classic 29 pts (6-15-8=29)1 point Flag of Argentina.svg Vicente Fernández
14Jun 24, 2001 FleetBoston Classic (2)−15 (65-69-67=201)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Fleisher
15Jul 8, 2001 Farmers Charity Classic (2)−14 (67-67-68=202)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jim Ahern
16Oct 21, 2001 SBC Championship −17 (67-69-63=199)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bob Gilder, Flag of the United States.svg Gary McCord
17Sep 14, 2003 Constellation Energy Classic −9 (67-70-70=207)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jim Dent, Flag of the United States.svg Doug Tewell
18May 9, 2004 FedEx Kinko's Classic −7 (73-69-67=209)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Lietzke
19Oct 10, 2004 Administaff Small Business Classic −14 (68-70-64=202)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin

Champions Tour playoff record (2–3)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1998 Cadillac NFL Golf Classic Flag of the United States.svg Jim Colbert, Flag of the United States.svg Bob Dickson Dickson won with birdie on first extra hole
21998 Kroger Senior Classic Flag of South Africa.svg Hugh Baiocchi, Flag of New Zealand.svg Bob Charles
Flag of the United States.svg Frank Conner, Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Summerhays 		Baiocchi won with birdie on second extra hole
3 2000 The Countrywide Tradition Flag of the United States.svg Tom Kite, Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson Kite won with birdie on sixth extra hole
Nelson eliminated by par on second hole
42000 Vantage Championship Flag of the United States.svg Jim Dent, Flag of the United States.svg Gil Morgan Nelson won with birdie on sixth extra hole
Dent eliminated by birdie on first hole
5 2004 Administaff Small Business Classic Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other senior wins (6)

Playoff record

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1987 Nissan-Mobil New Zealand Open Ulster Banner.svg Ronan Rafferty Lost to par on seventh extra hole

Major championships

Wins (3)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1981 PGA Championship 4 shot lead−7 (70-66-66-71=273)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller
1983 U.S. Open 1 shot deficit−4 (75-73-65-67=280)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson
1987 PGA Championship (2)3 shot deficit−1 (70-72-73-72=287)Playoff1 Flag of the United States.svg Lanny Wadkins

1Defeated Wadkins with a par on the first extra hole.

Results timeline

Tournament1976197719781979
Masters Tournament T31
U.S. Open T21T54CUTT4
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T34T54T12T28
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament T6CUTT7CUT5T36T36CUTT33CUT
U.S. Open T60T20T191CUTT39T35CUTT62T13
The Open Championship T12T32T53CUTT56CUTT48T13CUT
PGA Championship CUT1CUTT36CUTT23CUT1T38T46
Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
Masters Tournament 4855DQ
U.S. Open T14T3CUTT46CUTCUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUTCUTT28T56CUTCUTWDT71CUT
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUTCUTCUT
Tournament20102011
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1984 Open Championship)
DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 000133149
U.S. Open 1013382014
The Open Championship 00000296
PGA Championship 2002242713
Totals30168177042

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament1974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The Players Championship CUTT72T39T8T4T20DQCUTT10CUTT62CUTCUTCUTCUTT59
Tournament199019911992199319941995199619971998
The Players Championship T16T23CUTCUTT55CUTT62CUTCUT
  Top 10

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

U.S. national team appearances

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Week 29 1988 Ending 17 Jul 1988" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "World Golf Hall of Fame member bio" . Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ Reinhard, Paul (June 29, 2000). "Quiet Nelson Set To Make Some Noise". The Morning Call.
  4. ↑ "Golf Major Championships" . Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Larry Nelson to receive award from PGA". ESPN. Associated Press. April 13, 2011.
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