JOINED TOUR
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PGA TOUR: 1979
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PGA TOUR Champions: 2005
PGA TOUR Victories (7)
- 1980 Western Open
- 1984 Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic
- 1987 Greater Greensboro Open, U.S. Open Championship
- 1989 BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic
- 1993 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic
- 1998 Buick Invitational
PGA TOUR Champions Victories (1)
- 2006 Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach
International Victories (4)
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1984 Chunichi Crowns [Jpn]
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1984 Dunlop Phoenix [Jpn]
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1988 Chunichi Crowns [Jpn]
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1990 Perrier Invitational [Eur]
Additional Victories (6)
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1976 NCAA Championship (indiv)
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1977 NCAA Championship (indiv)
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1984 Chunichi Crowns
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1984 Dunlop Phoenix
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1988 Chunichi Crowns
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1990 Perrier Invitational
PLAYOFF RECORD
PGA TOUR (2-3)
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1983 Lost to T.C. Chen, Fred Couples, Barry Jaeckel, Gil Morgan, Kemper Open
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1989 Defeated Bob Tway, BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic
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1991 Lost to Payne Stewart, U.S. Open Championship
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1994 Lost to Nick Price, Southwestern Bell Colonial
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1998 Defeated Skip Kendall, Buick Invitational
National Teams
- 1987 Kirin Cup
- 1977 Walker Cup
- 1987 Ryder Cup
Personal
- Spends a great deal of time with family during the season.
- Has served 25 years as host of Scott Simpson HBIC Pro-Am in Los Angeles which benefits Help For Brain-Injured Children.
- Lists the late Byron Nelson as his hero.
- Got started in golf by his dad, Joe, who was a good amateur player. Father lost to Bo Williams in the final of the 1989 U.S. Senior Amateur at Lochinvar in Houston.
- Lists Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills, Winged Foot, The Olympic Club, Cypress Point, Pine Valley and Prairie Dunes as some of his favorite golf courses.
- Favorite TV show is "House."
- Favorite food is spaghetti.
- Favorite entertainer and athlete is Bill Murray.
Special Interests
- Bible study, family activities, exercise, reading
Career Highlights
2016 Season
Played in just 13 events during the year.
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Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship: Best finish came in September at the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship where three consecutive rounds of 69 led to a T28 finish in Victoria, Canada.
2015 Season
Season resume included just seven events.
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U.S. Senior Open Championship: Made the cut at the U.S. Senior Open in Sacramento, finishing T50.
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Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge: Best finish was a T26 at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf with Wayne Levi.
2014 Season
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Quebec Championship: Lone top-10 finish in 21 starts came in September when he was on the leaderboard through 36 holes of the Quebec Championship. Contended early in the final round at La Tempete before eventually posting a 71 and placing T10.
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Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf presented by Bass Pro Shops: Teamed with Wayne Levi for a T15 finish at the Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf in June.
2013 Season
Was 64th on the money list in 23 starts.
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Toshiba Classic: Only top-10 came in March when he closed with a 65 Sunday at the Toshiba Classic to move into a T8. It was his best Champions Tour finish since a T6 at the 2010 First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
2012 Season
Was among the top 25 twice in his 20 appearances.
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Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn: In his next-to-last start of the year, was T24 at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn.
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Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf: Teamed with Loren Roberts to finish T13 at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf.
2011 Season
Played in all 21 official events for which he was eligible but did not post a top-10 finish for the first time in six full Champions Tour seasons.
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SAS Championship: Was T14 in the SAS Championship near the end of the season.
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U.S. Senior Open Championship: Shot four consecutive scores of 1-under 70 at Inverness to finish T15 at the U.S. Senior Open.
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Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf: Among the top 25 four times, twice over the course of his last three appearances. Best effort came at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf when he was T12 with partner Loren Roberts. The duo shot a better-ball score of 9-under 63 in the final round.
2010 Season
Played his best golf during a four-week stretch late in the summer when he was among the top 20 in every event during that period, including three top-10 performances.
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Posco E&C Songdo Championship Presented By Gale Int'l.: Good play continued the following week when he was T10 at the inaugural Posco E&C Songdo Championship in South Korea in September.
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Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach: Best showing came in a familiar place, the Monterey Peninsula. Carded a final-round 69 to finish T6 at the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
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JELD-WEN Tradition: Prior to Pebble, carded four straight sub-par rounds at the JELD-WEN Tradition and was T10.
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Toshiba Classic: In early March, posted his first top-10 finish when he was T9 at the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach.
2009 Season
Made just 12 starts after suffering a broken left wrist in an auto accident in San Diego on Jan. 17 and was out of action until the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in late June. Finished T24 at En-Joie GC with three consecutive sub-par rounds. Led the Champions Tour in Driving Accuracy (82.25 percent), the highest percentage since 2006.
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AT&T Championship: Posted three straight sub-par rounds in his final start of the year at the AT&T Championship and finished T7 at Oak Hills in San Antonio.
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U.S. Senior Open Championship: His best effort of the campaign was a T6 at the U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick GC in Indiana in early August.
2008 Season
Nine top-10s were a personal-best on the Champions Tour and eclipsed the seven-figure mark in official earnings for the second time.
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Boeing Classic: Finished among the top three in three events with best effort coming near Seattle late in the year. Was a runner-up to Tom Kite at the Boeing Classic after being tied for the 18-hole lead and the sole 36-hole leader in the event. Could not hold off a back-nine charge in the final round by Kite and fell two strokes shy at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge.
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Senior PGA Championship: Equaled his best finish in a senior major when he T3 at the Senior PGA Championship. Made a significant move up the leaderboard Saturday after posting a 1-under 69 at Oak Hill (31 on the back nine), the only Saturday round in the 60s. Contended late Sunday until two bogeys in his last three holes left him two strokes short of Jay Haas.
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Toshiba Classic: Early in the year, closed with a 6-under 65 Sunday to T3 at the Toshiba Classic.
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Allianz Championship: Second-round 65 at the Allianz Championship, his third start of the year, included a 7-under 29 on the front nine at the Old Course at Broken Sound and six consecutive birdies which proved to be the best birdie streak of the year.
2007 Season
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Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship: Best performance of the year came in early October when he shot a closing-round, 5-under 65 to T3 at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship.
2006 Season
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Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach: First full season on the Champions Tour highlighted by victory at the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in his 25th career start on the circuit. With friend and comedian Bill Murray in his gallery, made a clutch, 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole to post a 12-under-204 total, one stroke better than Jay Haas who was playing two groups behind and failed to birdie the 18th. Victory on the Monterey Peninsula made him the sixth of eight first-time winners that year and ended a winless drought of just over 8½ years. Played all 36 holes at Pebble Beach in the 54-hole event without making a bogey.
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Boeing Greater Seattle Classic: Shot a career-best and course-record, 11-under-par 61 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Saturday at The Boeing Greater Seattle Classic.
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Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic: Added another runner-up finish at the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic in April when he fell one stroke shy of Morris Hatalsky at Vista Vallarta. Was the first-round leader and remained in contention all three rounds. Saw his chances slip away on the final two holes. Bogeyed No. 17 and then missed a 5-foot birdie opportunity at the 54th hole which eventually left him one stroke shy of Hatalsky.
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Turtle Bay Championship: Got his season off to a nice start on the North Shore of Oahu. Played in the final group with Loren Roberts, battling him to the end before finishing second at the Turtle Bay Championship. Trailed Roberts by four strokes entering the final round but tied him with birdie on the 17th hole. Lost when Roberts made eagle on the final hole.
2005 Season
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SAS Championship: Made his Champions Tour debut at the SAS Championship and T18 at Prestonwood after fashioning a 4-under 68 in his first round. Highlight of brief season came when he carded an 8-under 63 Saturday at the SBC Championship. Score at Oak Hills was his best since shooting 63 in the fourth round of the 1993 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on the PGA TOUR.
2003 Season
Played in his first-ever Nationwide Tour event in 2003. Made 18 starts on the PGA TOUR.
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MCI Heritage: His best effort for the season was T27 at the 2003 MCI Classic.
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Chitimacha Louisiana Open: Finished T54 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.
2002 Season
Finished outside top 125 for third time in last three seasons and the only three times in his 23-year career. Made cut in five of first 12 events then made just one the remainder of the season.
2001 Season
Returned from broken ankle that sidelined him for all of 2000. Received a Major Medical Extension and had 29 tournaments to regain exempt status. Started season slowly with five missed cuts in first six starts.
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Canon Greater Hartford Open: Part of eight-man tie for second-round lead at Canon Greater Hartford Open after opening 65-67. Closed 70-69 for T17.
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Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic: Held first-round lead after opening 66, stood one stroke back after 36 holes and two after 54 holes at Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic. Finished T2 for first top-10 since T7 at 1999 Buick Invitational and his only one of the season. Earned $308,000 for the T2 finish or $200,000 more than he received for his Greensboro victory in 1987.
2000 Season
Unable to play the PGA TOUR due to broken ankle he suffered while skiing during the New Year holiday. Prognosis was ankle could heal without surgery but did not, and he underwent surgery in August, which involved inserting seven screws into the ankle and left him on crutches for two months.
1998 Season
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Buick Invitational: Last TOUR victory came in 1998 Buick Invitational when he defeated Skip Kendall with a birdie on the first playoff hole. Posted a final-round 64 and came from eight strokes back entering the final round, at the time matching PGA TOUR best comeback since 1970. Victory came with former San Diego Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries on his bag. Also became third San Diego native to win Buick Invitational in six years (Phil Mickelson in 1993, Craig Stadler in 1994) and fifth overall (Gene Littler in 1954, Billy Casper in 1966).
1997 Season
Fell out of top 125 for first time since 1978. Made 16 of 25 cuts and finished in top-25 one time. Chose to use one-time top-50 career money list ranking exemption to play in 1998.
1996 Season
Named PGA TOUR Player of the Month for February, first to receive award without victory during that month.
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Nissan Open: Impressive West Coast swing included T2 at Nissan Open.
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United Airlines Hawaiian Open: Finished T4 at the United Airlines Hawaiian Open.
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Buick Invitational: Placed T3 at Buick Invitational.
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Phoenix Open: Finished T6 at Phoenix Open.
1995 Season
Earned more money than in any other season on the heels of three runners-up paychecks.
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Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic: Finished second at Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic.
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Motorola Western Open: Placed T2 at Motorola Western Open.
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Northern Telecom Open: Placed T2 at Northern Telecom Open.
1993 Season
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GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic: Recorded a one-stroke victory over Corey Pavin, Billy Mayfair and D.A. Weibring at the GTE Byron Nelson Classic.
1991 Season
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U.S. Open Championship: Lost 18-hole playoff to Payne Stewart in 1991 U.S. Open at Hazeltine National.
1989 Season
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BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic: Defeated Bob Tway in playoff to win BellSouth Atlanta Classic.
1987 Season
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Ryder Cup Matches: Was a member of the American Ryder Cup team in 1987.
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U.S. Open Championship: Won the 1987 U.S. Open. Trailed Tom Watson by one stroke heading into the final round at The Olympic Club, but closed with a 68, which included three birdies on the back nine, good for a one-stroke victory.
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Greater Greensboro Open: Also won Greater Greensboro Open that year on way to fourth-place finish on money list.
1984 Season
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Western Open: First TOUR victory came at Western Open, by five strokes over Andy Bean.
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Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic: Final-round 65 gave him a five-stroke victory at the Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic.
1980 Season
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Western Open: First TOUR victory came in 1980 Western Open, by five strokes over Andy Bean.
1977 Season
Played on victorious U.S. Walker Cup team in 1977.
Amateur Highlights
- 1977 NCAA champion and two-time first-team All-American at University of Southern California in 1976 and 1977.
- Also earned the 1977 Fred Haskins Award as the nation's top collegiate player.
- Is a member of the USC Hall of Fame.
Q SCHOOL GRADUATE