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Al Geiberger
American professional golfer
American professional golfer
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Al Geiberger |
| imagesize | |
| fullname | Allen Lee Geiberger Sr. |
| nickname | Mr. 59, Skippy |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Red Bluff, California, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| height | |
| weight | 180 lb |
| nationality | |
| college | University of Southern California |
| yearpro | 1959 |
| extour | PGA Tour |
| Champions Tour | |
| prowins | 30 |
| pgawins | 11 |
| japwins | 1 |
| champwins | 10 |
| otherwins | 8 |
| majorwins | 1 |
| masters | T12: 1972 |
| usopen | T2: 1969, 1976 |
| open | T13: 1974 |
| pga | Won: 1966 |
| wghofid | |
| wghofyear | |
| award1 | Senior PGA Tour |
| Comeback Player of the Year | |
| year1 | 1996 |
Champions Tour Comeback Player of the Year](senior-pga-tour-comeback-player-of-the-year) Allen Lee Geiberger Sr. (born September 1, 1937) is an American former professional golfer.
Early life
In 1937, 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. In 1955, Geiberger graduated from Santa Barbara High School and then attended Menlo College. In 1959, he graduated from the University of Southern California.
Professional career
In 1959, Geiberger turned professional. The following year, he joined the PGA Tour. 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. 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.
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. 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 7193 yd layout. He sank a 40 ft putt for birdie on his opening hole, and ended the round with a birdie from 8 ft; the lone eagle was a holed-out wedge shot.
Geiberger won the tournament, though not handily. He shot even-par 72 in the first and third rounds, 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.
Scorecard: Friday, June 10, 1977
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Score | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| To par | −1 | −1 | −2 | −2 | −2 | −3 | −4 | −5 | −6 | −8 | −9 | −10 | −10 | −10 | −11 | −12 | −12 | −13 |
:Source:
Personal life
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.
Geiberger's father was one of the victims of the Tenerife airport disaster in 1977.
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. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner(s)-up | |||||
| 1 | Oct 21, 1962 | Ontario Open Invitational | 69-67-70-70=276 | −8 | 1 stroke | USA Gardner Dickinson, USA Bob Goalby, |
| USA Tommy Jacobs, USA Chuck Rotar, | ||||||
| USA John Ruedi | ||||||
| 2 | Nov 3, 1963 | Almaden Open Invitational | 69-67-67-74=277 | −11 | 1 stroke | USA Dutch Harrison, USA Dick Lotz |
| 3 | Aug 29, 1965 | American Golf Classic | 70-69-69-72=280 | E | 4 strokes | USA Arnold Palmer |
| 4 | Jul 24, 1966 | PGA Championship | 68-72-68-72=280 | E | 4 strokes | USA Dudley Wysong |
| 5 | Oct 6, 1974 | Sahara Invitational | 70-68-66-69=273 | −11 | 3 strokes | USA Wally Armstrong, USA Jerry Heard, |
| USA Dave Hill, USA Mike Hill | ||||||
| 6 | Apr 27, 1975 | MONY Tournament of Champions | 67-67-70-73=277 | −11 | Playoff | RSA Gary Player |
| 7 | Aug 24, 1975 | Tournament Players Championship | 66-68-67-69=270 | −10 | 3 strokes | USA Dave Stockton |
| 8 | Apr 4, 1976 | Greater Greensboro Open | 70-65-65-68=268 | −16 | 2 strokes | USA Lee Trevino |
| 9 | Jun 27, 1976 | Western Open | 71-71-73-73=288 | +4 | 1 stroke | USA Joe Porter |
| 10 | Jun 12, 1977 | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | 72-59-72-70=273 | −15 | 2 strokes | USA Jerry McGee, RSA Gary Player |
| 11 | May 20, 1979 | Colonial National Invitation | 68-69-64-73=274 | −6 | 1 stroke | USA Don January, USA Gene Littler |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1967 | Carling World Open | USA Billy Casper | Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1975 | MONY Tournament of Champions | RSA Gary Player | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Source:
PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner-up | |||||
| 1 | Nov 25, 1973 | ABC Japan vs USA Golf Matches | 72-70-76=218 | +2 | 2 strokes | JPN Takashi Murakami |
Other wins (6)
- 1961 Utah Open
- 1962 Caracas Open, Almaden Open Invitational
- 1979 Spalding Invitational
- 1982 Frontier Airlines Open
- 1985 Colorado Open
Senior PGA Tour wins (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| victory | Runner(s)-up | |||||
| 1 | Oct 4, 1987 | Vantage Championship | 72-67-67=206 | −4 | 2 strokes | USA Dave Hill |
| 2 | Oct 18, 1987 | Seniors International Golf Championship | 70-68-71=209 | −4 | Playoff | USA Jim Ferree |
| 3 | Oct 25, 1987 | Las Vegas Senior Classic | 68-73-62=203 | −13 | 4 strokes | USA Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
| 4 | Mar 20, 1988 | Pointe/Del E. Webb Arizona Classic | 63-69-67=199 | −17 | 1 stroke | USA Orville Moody |
| 5 | Aug 20, 1989 | GTE Northwest Classic | 68-68-68=204 | −12 | 3 strokes | USA Frank Beard |
| 6 | Jul 7, 1991 | Kroger Senior Classic | 66-69-68=203 | −10 | 1 stroke | USA Larry Laoretti |
| 7 | Jan 12, 1992 | Infiniti Senior Tournament of Champions | 71-67-71-73=282 | −6 | 3 strokes | AUS Bruce Crampton, USA Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
| 8 | Jan 10, 1993 | Infiniti Senior Tournament of Champions (2) | 70-70-69-71=280 | −8 | 2 strokes | USA Jim Dent |
| 9 | Mar 7, 1993 | GTE West Classic | 67-65-66=198 | −12 | 2 strokes | JPN Isao Aoki, USA George Archer |
| 10 | Feb 11, 1996 | Greater Naples IntelliNet Challenge | 68-63-71=202 | −14 | 1 stroke | JPN Isao Aoki |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1987 | Seniors International Golf Championship | USA Jim Ferree | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1999 | Toshiba Senior Classic | USA Allen Doyle, USA John Jacobs, | |
| USA Gary McCord | McCord won with birdie on fifth extra hole | |||
| Doyle and Geiberger eliminated by eagle on first hole |
Source:
Other senior wins (2)
- 1989 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Harold Henning)
- 2008 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Jimmy Powell)
Major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | PGA Championship | 4 shot lead | E (68-72-68-72=280) | 4 strokes | USA Dudley Wysong |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T13 | T24 | T44 | T36 | T30 | T13 | ||
| U.S. Open | T12 | CUT | CUT | T14 | T4 | T30 | T28 | T9 | T2 |
| The Open Championship | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | T5 | T19 | 19 | 1 | T5 | T8 | T35 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T45 | T24 | T12 | T37 | T31 | CUT | T15 | CUT | T42 | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T55 | T21 | T13 | T18 | T38 | T2 | T10 | T53 | T19 |
| The Open Championship | T13 | CUT | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T16 | T30 | CUT | T18 | 8 | T33 | CUT | T6 | CUT | T65 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | T67 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T74 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made | Totals | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 62 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 13 | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 16 | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 16 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 20 (1963 PGA – 1970 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Tournament Players Championship | 3 shot lead | −10 (66-68-67-69=270) | 3 strokes | USA Dave Stockton |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T24 | 1 | T24 | CUT | T67 | T56 | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
References
References
- Kelley, Brent. "Al Geiberger profile". About.com.
- Ballard, Sarah. (May 15, 1989). "Building A New Life: Thanks to his family and to senior golf, Al Geiberger has another chance at happiness".
- Jenkins, Dan. (August 1, 1966). "A Happy Stroll For Golf's Smiling Gei".
- (June 12, 1977). "Al Geiberger's achievement 'phenomenal'". Spokesman-Review.
- (June 11, 1977). "Geiberger near perfect (59)". Pittsburgh Press.
- (June 11, 1977). "Geiberger fires PGA mark 59, 11 birds, eagle". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- (June 12, 1977). "Al slips 13 shots but leads by three". Spokesman-Review.
- (June 13, 1977). "Geiberger turns off Player, McGee bids". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- "Crewlist and the Passenger list of the PanAm, that crashed on Tenerife, on 27th March 1977".
- (March 31, 1977). "Champ plays despite grief". Chillicothe Gazette.
- (April 9, 1989). "Geiberger's Perspective is Changed by Tragedy". Chicago Tribune.
- "Al Geiberger PGA TOUR Player Profile, Stats, Bio, Career".
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