Lanny Wadkins

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR Champions: 2000

PGA TOUR Victories (21)

• 1972 Sahara Invitational
• 1973 Byron Nelson Golf Classic, USI Classic
• 1977 PGA Championship, World Series of Golf
• 1979 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, Tournament Players Championship
• 1982 Phoenix Open, MONY Tournament of Champions, Buick Open
• 1983 Greater Greensboro Open, MONY Tournament of Champions
• 1985 Bob Hope Classic, Los Angeles Open, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic
• 1987 Doral-Ryder Open
• 1988 Hawaiian Open, Colonial National Invitation
• 1990 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
• 1991 United Hawaiian Open
• 1992 Canon Greater Hartford Open

PGA TOUR Champions Victories (1)

• 2000 ACE Group Classic

International Victories (1)

• 2015 PNC Father/Son Challenge [with Travis]

Additional Victories (8)

• 1968 Southern Amateur
• 1970 U.S. Amateur
• 1970 Southern Amateur
• 1978 Victorian PGA Championship
• 1978 Canadian PGA Championship
• 1979 Bridgestone Open
• 1984 World Nissan Championship
• 1990 Fred Meyer Challenge [with Bobby Wadkins]

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR (3-3)

• 1972 Lost to Homero Blancas, Phoenix Open
• 1973 Defeated Dan Sikes, Byron Nelson Golf Classic
• 1977 Defeated Gene Littler, PGA Championship
• 1983 Lost to Gil Morgan, Curtis Strange, Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open
• 1985 Defeated Craig Stadler, Bob Hope Classic
• 1987 Lost to Larry Nelson, PGA Championship

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS (1-0)

• 2000 Defeated José Maria Cañizares, Tom Watson, Walter Hall, ACE Group Classic

Personal

• Enjoys well-deserved reputation as a fierce competitor.
• Along with brother, Bobby, kept Richmond, Va., junior championship trophy in the Wadkinses' household for six consecutive years. He won four times, with Bobby taking two titles.
• Served as the player consultant on TPC Myrtle Beach, the venue of the Champions Tour season-ending event in 2000.
• Biggest thrill in golf was winning the 1977 PGA Championship, and his biggest thrill outside of golf is watching his sons play sports.
• Son Travis played some on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2012 after following in his father's footsteps by playing collegiately at Wake Forest. His other son, Tucker, plays golf at the University of Arizona.
• Favorite golf course is Pebble Beach GL.
• Assumed the role of lead analyst for CBS golf telecasts in the summer of 2002 following the retirement of Ken Venturi and held that role through 2006.

Special Interests

• Bird hunting, scuba diving, watching sons play sports

Career Highlights

2015 Season

Continued his analyst work with Golf Channel on Champions Tour events as well as other selected events for the network.

• PNC Father Son Challenge: Teamed up with his son, Travis, to win the PNC Father/Son Challenge in a four-team playoff in December in Orlando when Travis eagled the first extra hole.

2013 Season

Handled full-time duties as an analyst for the Golf Channel's Champions Tour telecasts.

• Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid: Made only one start during the year–at the Senior PGA Championship in St. Louis. Made the cut and finished T79.

2012 Season

Made just three appearances during the year. Worked several Champions Tour events as a broadcast analyst for Golf Channel telecasts and will continue full time in that role in 2013.

• Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf: Teamed with brother Bobby to finish T33 at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf.

2011 Season

• Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf: Lone Champions Tour appearance came at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, joining brother Bobby in the Legends Division competition. The duo finished 34th with a better-ball team score of 8-under 208 in Savannah, Ga.

2010 Season

Recurring back issues limited him to just three early season appearances.

• Toshiba Classic: Did not play the rest of the year after the Toshiba Classic in early March, where he was 74th.

2009 Season

In November 2009, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

• AT&T Championship: Best stroke-play finish came at the final full-field event of the year when he was T32 at the AT&T Championship.
• The ACE Group Classic: When he competed at February's The ACE Group Classic, it was his first start since April 2008 (Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf). Finished T53 in Naples.

2008 Season

Schedule was limited to just five events due to back issues and did not make a start after an appearance in late April at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Underwent double-fusion surgery on his lower back on August 20 at the Texas Spine Institute.

2007 Season

Back problems limited his season to just five starts. Underwent two laser back surgeries, the first in February. Had follow-up surgery in March.

• SAS Championship: Did not compete from mid-February until late September when he returned at the SAS Championship.

2003 Season

• U.S. Senior Open: Lone top-10 finish was a T8 at the U.S. Senior Open at the Inverness Club in Toledo.

2002 Season

• Emerald Coast Classic: Placed solo third at the rain-shortened Emerald Coast Classic thanks to a 7-under 63 in the second round, his career-low 18-hole score on the Champions Tour and best round since shooting a 62 at the 1989 Texas Open on the PGA TOUR. Performance at The Moors was his best since winning the 2000 ACE Group Classic in his initial Champions Tour appearance.

2001 Season

Played the Champions Tour despite several injuries (wrist and elbow) and broadcasting commitments on CBS golf telecasts.

• 3M Championship: Was grouped with his brother, Bobby, in the second round of the 3M Championship, the first time the two had played an official round together since the 1999 MCI Classic in Hilton Head, S.C.
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car Match Play Championship: Was T9 at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Match Play Championship.

2000 Season

Troubled for a portion of the year with right elbow problems.

• Nationwide Championship: Made first hole-in-one on the Champions Tour during the opening round of the Nationwide Championship.
• ACE Group Classic: Became just the 10th player ever to win in his Champions Tour debut (brother, Bobby, became the 10th during the 2001 season). Defeated Tom Watson, Walter Hall and Jose Maria Canizares in a playoff for The ACE Group Classic title. Rallied from three strokes down to get into overtime on the final day with an 8-under-par 64, then won the event when he eliminated Canizares with a par on the third extra hole.

1992 Season

• Canon Greater Hartford Open: Last official victory came at the 1992 Canon Greater Hartford Open. Entered the final round five strokes back of Donnie Hammond, but used a final-round 65 to post a 6-under-par 274 total and defeat Hammond, Nick Price and Dan Forsman by two strokes.

1985 Season

Named PGA of America Player of the Year in 1985, when he finished second in earnings to Curtis Strange.

1979 Season

• Tournament Players Championship: Braved windy conditions to win the 1979 Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass CC by five strokes over Tom Watson.

1977 Season

Finished third on the money list that year. Also was third on the 1983 money list, when he won twice and also had two seconds and a third.

• World Series of Golf: Defeated Hale Irwin and Tom Weiskopf by five strokes at the World Series of Golf.
• PGA Championship: Biggest victory came in the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble Beach, when he bested Gene Littler in a playoff.

1972 Season

• Sahara Invitational: First win came at the 1972 Sahara Invitational in his first full year on the PGA TOUR.

Amateur Highlights

• Was a two-time first-team All-America at Wake Forest and is a member of the Demon Deacons' Athletic Hall of Fame.