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GENE LITTLER
UNITED STATES
Height:
5 ft, 9 in
Weight:
155 lbs
Birthday:
07/21/1930
Champions Tour - Media Guide
| PGA TOUR VICTORIES | (29) |
| 1954 San Diego Open. 1955 Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open, Tournament of Champions, Labatt Open. 1956 Texas Open Invitational, Tournament of Champions, Palm Beach Round Robin. 1957 Tournament of Champions. 1959 Phoenix Open Invitational, Tucson Open Invitational, Arlington Hotel Open, Insurance City Open Invitational, Miller Open Invitational. 1960
Oklahoma City Open Invitational, Eastern Open Invitational. 1961 U.S. Open Championship. 1962 Lucky International Open, Thunderbird Classic Invitational. 1965 Canadian Open. 1969 Phoenix Open Invitational, Greater Greensboro Open. 1971 Monsanto Open Invitational, Colonial National Invitational. 1973 St. Louis Children's Hospital. 1975 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, Westchester Classic. 1977 Houston Open.
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| Champions Tour VICTORIES | (8) |
| 1983 Daytona Beach Seniors Golf Classic, Greater Syracuse Classic. 1984 Senior Seiko/Tucson Match Play Champ. 1986 Sunwest Bank Classic, Bank One Senior Golf Classic. 1987 NYNEX/Golf Digest Commemorative, Gus Machado Classic. 1989 Aetna Challenge. | |
| Other Victories | |
| (1): 1954 Santa Anita Open. | |
| Current Year Champions Tour Money and Position | () |
| $ | |
| Best PGA TOUR Finishes | |
| 1-- San Diego Open, Los Angeles Open, Phoenix Open, Tournament of Champions, Labatt Open, Texas Open Invitational, Tournament of Champions, Palm Beach Round Robin, Tournament of Champions, Phoenix Open Invitational, Tucson Open Invitational, Arlington Hotel Open, Insurance City Open Invitational, Miller Open Invitational, Oklahoma City Open Invitational, Eastern Open Invitational, U.S. Open Championship, Lucky International Open, Thunderbird Classic Invitational, Canadian Open, Phoenix Open Invitational, Greater Greensboro Open, Monsanto Open Invitational, Colonial National Invitational, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, Danny Thomas Memphis Classic, Westchester Classic, Houston Open. | |
| Best Champions Tour Finishes | |
| 1-- Daytona Beach Seniors Golf Classic, Greater Syracuse Classic, Senior Seiko/Tucson Match Play Champ, Sunwest Bank Classic, Bank One Senior Golf Classic, NYNEX/Golf Digest Commemorative, Gus Machado Classic, Aetna Challenge. | |
| 2011 Season Champions Tour | |
| Tournaments Entered--; in money--; Top 10 finishes-- | |
| Career Highlights | |
| PGA TOURPlayoff Record | |
| 3-8 | |
| Champions TourPlayoff Record | |
| 1-2 | |
| Other Information | |
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Last of his eight Champions Tour wins came in 1989, when he won the Aetna Challenge. Was a two-stroke victor over Harold Henning. Set a Champions Tour record for lowest nine-hole score, an 8-under-par 28 (broken by Jay Sigel in 1998; record is now 27 by Seiji Ebihara in 2002). Joined the PGA TOUR shortly after winning the 1954 San Diego Open as an amateur and never had to qualify for a TOUR event. Winner of the 1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills CC by one stroke over Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders. Fell to Billy Casper in an 18-hole playoff at the 1970 Masters, the last 18-hole playoff at Augusta National. Also lost to Lanny Wadkins in a playoff at Pebble Beach for the 1977 PGA Championship. Won three times in 1975 and earned $182,883, his best earnings season on the PGA TOUR. Inducted into the PGA Hall of Fame in 1982 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. 1975: Won the Taiheiyo Club Masters in Japan for a second consecutive year. Began the final round playing in steady rain, three strokes behind Lee Elder. But a 1-under 70 gave him a one-stroke win over Elder, Hubert Green, Allen Miller and Jumbo Ozaki. Played in his final Ryder Cup, finishing in style going 3-0 in his matches, including a 4-and-2 singles victory over Brian Huggett in the U.S. victory. 1974: 1973: Received the Bob Jones and Ben Hogan Awards for his comeback from cancer that culminated with a win at the St. Louis Children's Hospital Classic that same year. 1972: Underwent surgery for cancer of the lymph system in the spring and courageously returned to action that fall. Nicknamed "The Machine" because of his smooth tempo swinging the golf club. |
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| National Teams | |
| Ryder Cup (7): 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1975 | |
