Wikipedia

Craig Stadler

Craig Robert Stadler (born June 2, 1953) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level, including one major championship, the 1982 Masters Tournament.

Craig Stadler
Stadler crouching on a golf course
Stadler at the 2009 JELD-WEN Tradition
Personal information
Full nameCraig Robert Stadler
NicknameThe Walrus
Born (1953-06-02) June 2, 1953 (age 71)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight250 lb (110 kg; 18 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceDenver, Colorado, U.S.
SpouseJan Zumbrunnen
Children2, including Kevin
Career
CollegeUniversity of Southern California
Turned professional1976
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins30
Highest ranking19 (February 2, 1992)[1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour13
European Tour3
Japan Golf Tour1
PGA Tour Champions9
Other5
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentWon: 1982
PGA Championship6th: 1978
U.S. OpenT8: 1990
The Open ChampionshipT6: 1980
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour
money list winner		1982
Champions Tour
Rookie of the Year		2003
Champions Tour
money list winner		2004
Champions Tour
Player of the Year		2004
Champions Tour
Byron Nelson Award		2004

Early life

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Stadler was born in San Diego, California.[2] His father introduced him to golf at age four,[2] and he displayed a talent for golf early in life. Stadler attended La Jolla High School[3] He won the 1973 U.S. Amateur, while attending the University of Southern California, where he was a teammate of future PGA Tour winners Mark Pfeil and Scott Simpson. Stadler was an All-American all four years – first-team his sophomore and junior years; second-team his freshman and senior years.[4] Stadler finished college in 1975 and turned professional in 1976.[2]

Professional career

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Stadler won his first two PGA Tour events in 1980, at the Bob Hope Desert Classic and the Greater Greensboro Open. His career year was 1982 when he won four PGA Tour events including the Masters Tournament after a playoff with Dan Pohl and the World Series of Golf at the end of the year. Stadler won the money list for the only time. His next win was at the 1984 Byron Nelson Classic.

Despite playing relatively well, Stadler did not win a PGA Tour event for over 7 years (May 1984 – November 1991) during the heart of his career. During this period he recorded six runner-up performances and dozens of top-10s on the PGA Tour.[2] He had more success at winning international tournaments. He won the 1985 Swiss Open on the European Tour and the 1987 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. He had great success at the Scandinavian Enterprise Open too, an official event on the European Tour, finishing runner-up at the 1983 and 1986 events until finally winning in 1990. His winless streak in America was broken at the final event of the 1991 season, defeating Russ Cochran in a playoff at the Tour Championship. Stadler won the B.C. Open in 2003, becoming the first player over age 50 to win a PGA Tour event in 28 years and the first player ever to win on the PGA Tour after he had won on the Champions Tour. He won 13 PGA Tour events in all, and played on the 1983 and 1985 Ryder Cup teams.[2] In 1994 he was the featured coach for the Sega Saturn video game Pebble Beach Golf Links. In 1996 he appeared as himself in the film Tin Cup.

Stadler began playing on the Champions Tour upon becoming eligible in June 2003. His greatest successes came during his first two years of eligibility; he was the leading money winner in his first full year on that tour in 2004. Stadler underwent total left-hip-replacement surgery in Los Angeles on September 15, 2010, which limits his playing time.[2] Stadler announced that the 2014 Masters Tournament, his 38th and in which he played with Kevin, was his last.

Personal life

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Very popular with the galleries, Stadler is affectionately called "The Walrus" for his portly build and ample mustache. He lives in Denver, Colorado. His son Kevin is also a PGA Tour champion.[2] Stadler and his son Kevin are the only father and son who have both won on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Stadler's brother Gary Stadler is a Billboard-charting recording artist.[5]

In 1984, United Airlines held a promotion for its frequent flyer members in which any member who flew the airline to all 50 states in the United States in a 50-day period would receive free first-class flights for one year. Stadler was one of 78 people who completed the challenge.[6][7]

Amateur wins

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Professional wins (30)

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PGA Tour wins (13)

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Legend
Major championships (1)
Tour Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (11)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Jan 13, 1980 Bob Hope Desert Classic −17 (69-68-70-69-67=343) 2 strokes   Tom Purtzer,   Mike Sullivan
2 Apr 6, 1980 Greater Greensboro Open −13 (67-69-71-68=275) 6 strokes   George Burns,   Billy Kratzert,
  Jack Newton,   Jerry Pate
3 May 31, 1981 Kemper Open −10 (67-69-66-68=270) 6 strokes   Tom Watson,   Tom Weiskopf
4 Jan 10, 1982 Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open −14 (65-64-66-71=266) 3 strokes   Vance Heafner,   John Mahaffey
5 Apr 11, 1982 Masters Tournament −4 (75-69-67-73=284) Playoff   Dan Pohl
6 Jun 6, 1982 Kemper Open (2) −13 (72-67-67-69=275) 7 strokes   Seve Ballesteros
7 Aug 29, 1982 World Series of Golf −2 (70-68-75-65=278) Playoff   Raymond Floyd
8 May 13, 1984 Byron Nelson Golf Classic −8 (70-71-64-71=276) 1 stroke   David Edwards
9 Nov 3, 1991 The Tour Championship −5 (68-68-72-71=279) Playoff   Russ Cochran
10 Aug 30, 1992 NEC World Series of Golf (2) −7 (69-65-69-70=273) 1 stroke   Corey Pavin
11 Feb 27, 1994 Buick Invitational of California −20 (67-67-68-66=268) 1 stroke   Steve Lowery
12 Feb 25, 1996 Nissan Open −6 (67-70-73-68=278) 1 stroke   Mark Brooks,   Fred Couples,
  Scott Simpson,   Mark Wiebe
13 Jul 20, 2003 B.C. Open −21 (67-69-68-63=267) 1 stroke   Alex Čejka,   Steve Lowery
 
Stadler at the 2011 Principal Charity Classic.

PGA Tour playoff record (3–3)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1982 Masters Tournament   Dan Pohl Won with par on first extra hole
2 1982 World Series of Golf   Raymond Floyd Won with par on fourth extra hole
3 1985 Bob Hope Classic   Lanny Wadkins Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole
4 1987 Hawaiian Open   Corey Pavin Lost to birdie on second extra hole
5 1991 The Tour Championship   Russ Cochran Won with birdie on second extra hole
6 2000 Shell Houston Open   Robert Allenby Lost to par on fourth extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

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Legend
Major championships (1)
Other European Tour (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Apr 11, 1982 Masters Tournament −4 (75-69-67-73=284) Playoff   Dan Pohl
2 Sep 8, 1985 Ebel European Masters Swiss Open −21 (68-65-67-67=267) 2 strokes   David Feherty,   Ove Sellberg
3 Jun 10, 1990 Scandinavian Enterprise Open −20 (68-72-67-61=268) 4 strokes   Craig Parry

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1982 Masters Tournament   Dan Pohl Won with par on first extra hole
2 1986 Scandinavian Enterprise Open   Greg Turner Lost to birdie on first extra hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 Nov 22, 1987 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament −11 (71-65-69-72=277) 1 stroke   Scott Hoch

South American Tour wins (1)

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Other wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Apr 9, 1978 Magnolia State Classic −12 (67-66-72-63=268) 1 stroke   Bob Eastwood,   Bruce Fleisher
2 Aug 19, 1986 Jerry Ford Invitational −9 (67-68=135) 2 strokes   Mark O'Meara
3 Aug 22, 1989 Fred Meyer Challenge
(with   Joey Sindelar) 		−19 (62-63=125) 1 stroke   Mark Calcavecchia and   Bob Gilder
4 Dec 15, 2002 Office Depot Father/Son Challenge
(with son Kevin Stadler) 		−24 (60-60=120) Playoff   Hale Irwin and son Steve Irwin

Other playoff record (1–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1982 Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge   Raymond Floyd Lost to par on fourth extra hole
2 2002 Office Depot Father/Son Challenge
(with son Kevin Stadler) 		  Hale Irwin and son Steve Irwin Won with birdie on first extra hole

Champions Tour wins (9)

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Legend
Champions Tour major championships (2)
Other Champions Tour (7)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Jul 13, 2003 Ford Senior Players Championship −17 (67-73-65-66=271) 3 strokes   Tom Kite,   Jim Thorpe,
  Tom Watson
2 Sep 28, 2003 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn −15 (66-69-66=201) 2 strokes   Larry Nelson
3 Oct 19, 2003 SBC Championship −15 (67-64-67=198) 4 strokes   Bob Gilder
4 Feb 15, 2004 ACE Group Classic −10 (67-67-72=206) Playoff   Gary Koch,   Tom Watson
5 Jun 27, 2004 Bank of America Championship −15 (68-69-64=201) 4 strokes   Tom Kite,   Tom Purtzer,
  D. A. Weibring
6 Aug 29, 2004 JELD-WEN Tradition −13 (70-70-68-67=275) 1 stroke   Allen Doyle,   Jerry Pate
7 Sep 5, 2004 First Tee Open at Pebble Beach −15 (72-63-66=201) 3 strokes   Jay Haas
8 Sep 26, 2004 SAS Championship −17 (65-68-66=199) 6 strokes   Tom Jenkins
9 Jun 23, 2013 Encompass Championship −13 (67-65-71=203) 1 stroke   Fred Couples

Champions Tour playoff record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 2004 ACE Group Classic   Gary Koch,   Tom Watson Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 2007 Boeing Classic   R. W. Eaks,   David Eger,
  Gil Morgan,   Naomichi Ozaki,
  Dana Quigley,   Denis Watson 		Watson won with eagle on second extra hole
Eger, Morgan, Ozaki and Quigley eliminated by birdie on first hole
3 2009 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
(with   Jeff Sluman) 		  Tom Lehman and   Bernhard Langer Lost to par on second extra hole

Major championships

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Wins (1)

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Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
1982 Masters Tournament 3 shot lead −4 (75-69-67-73=284) Playoff1   Dan Pohl

1Defeated Pohl with par on first extra hole.

Results timeline

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Tournament 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Masters Tournament CUT CUT T7
U.S. Open CUT CUT
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship 6 CUT
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Masters Tournament T26 T43 1 T6 T35 T6 CUT T17 3 CUT
U.S. Open T16 T26 T22 T10 WD CUT T15 T24 T25
The Open Championship T6 CUT T35 T12 T28 CUT WD T8 T60 T13
PGA Championship T55 CUT T16 T63 T18 T18 T30 T28 T15 T7
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Masters Tournament T14 T12 T25 T34 CUT CUT T29 T26 T41 T38
U.S. Open T8 T19 T33 T33 CUT
The Open Championship CUT T101 T64 T24 CUT T45 CUT
PGA Championship T57 T7 T48 CUT T19 T8 CUT T53 T38 CUT
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Masters Tournament CUT CUT T32 49 CUT 50 CUT T49 CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT T18
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T64
Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1975 and 1985 Open Championships)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 1 0 1 2 5 9 38 21
U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 2 9 18 12
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 2 5 18 11
PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 4 9 23 18
Totals 1 0 1 2 13 32 97 62
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 11 (1990 PGA – 1993 U.S. Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

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Tournament 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Players Championship CUT CUT T67 T67 CUT T6 T63 T3 T13 CUT CUT T45 T21
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
The Players Championship T61 CUT CUT CUT CUT T14 T41 CUT T31 T62 CUT CUT T36 T66
  Top 10
  Did not play

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

Results in World Golf Championships

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Tournament 1999 2000 2001
Match Play R32 QF
Championship NT1
Invitational

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament

Senior major championships

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Wins (2)

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Year Championship Winning score Margin Runners-up
2003 Ford Senior Players Championship −17 (67-73-65-66=271) 3 strokes   Tom Kite,   Jim Thorpe,
  Tom Watson
2004 JELD-WEN Tradition −13 (70-70-68-67=275) 1 stroke   Allen Doyle,   Jerry Pate

U.S. national team appearances

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Amateur

Professional

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Week 05 1992 Ending 2 Feb 1992" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Craig Stadler – Profile". PGA Tour. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  3. ^ "Corey Pavin, Craig Stadler welcomed into SCGA Hall of Fame November 13, 2014". Southern California Golf Association. November 13, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  4. ^ "Men's Golf All-Americans". USC Trojans Athletics official site. Archived from the original on November 26, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2007.
  5. ^ Billboard Magazine, April 28, 2001 through May 17, 2001 - Fairy HeartMagic by Gary Stadler on Sequoia Records, chart position # 24 on Top 25 New Age Albums
  6. ^ Greenberg, Peter S. (June 29, 1985). "The Challenge: 50 States in 50 Days". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  7. ^ Leff, Gary (December 2, 2017). "Flying to All 50 States (and Earning Unlimited Free First Class Travel for a Year)". View from the Wing. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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