# Larry Nelson

Larry Gene Nelson (born September 10, 1947) is an American professional golfer. He has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.

## Early life and amateur career

Nelson was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in Acworth, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta. He did not play the game growing up – atypical for a successful professional golfer – focusing on basketball and baseball.
Nelson took up golf at the age of 21, after he returned from serving in the infantry in Vietnam (Nelson was a 20-year-old newlywed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army). Nelson was first introduced to golf by Ken Hummel, a soldier and friend in his infantry unit, and Nelson carefully studied Ben Hogan's book The Five Fundamentals of Golf while learning how to play the game. He soon discovered that he had a talent for the game, breaking 100 the first time he played and 70 within nine months. Nelson went on to graduate from Kennesaw Junior College in 1970.

## Professional career

In 1971, Nelson turned professional. He qualified for the PGA Tour at 1973 PGA Tour Qualifying School. Nelson's breakthrough year came in 1979 when he won twice and finished second on the money list to Tom Watson.
Nelson won 10 times on the PGA Tour including three major championships. He earned his first major title at the 1981 PGA Championship which he won by four strokes over Fuzzy Zoeller. In 1983, Nelson was victorious at the U.S. Open at Oakmont coming from seven behind at the halfway point to defeat Tom Watson by a single shot. Nelson scored a U.S. Open record 65-67 over the last 36 holes at the difficult Oakmont course which broke a 51-year Open record established by Gene Sarazen. His 10-under-par 132 record score has yet to be equaled. In 1987, he finished tied with Lanny Wadkins after the regulation 72 holes of the PGA Championship. He won the title with a par at the first playoff hole.
Nelson played on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1979, 1981, and 1987. His record of 9–3–1 is one of the best since the event became USA v Europe in 1979; it had been a perfect 9–0–0 after the first two events.
Nelson also had great success internationally. He won four tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour. Nelson also finished runner-up at the 1982 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, 1985 Suntory Open, and the 1987 Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in Japan. In addition, in 1987 he finished runner-up at the New Zealand Open on the PGA Tour of Australia. He lost to Northern Ireland's Ronan Rafferty in a sudden-death playoff.
Since turning 50 in 1997, Nelson has had a very successful Champions Tour career, winning 19 times.
Nelson is also active in golf course design and created the LagRx Swing Trainer to help golfers condition and improve their muscle memory.

## Honors

Nelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in October 2006.
In 2011, Nelson received the PGA Distinguished Service Award from the PGA of America. The award "honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf".

## Professional wins (41)
### PGA Tour wins (10)

* Legend
* Major championships (3)
* Other PGA Tour (7)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Mar 11, 1979 | Jackie Gleason-Inverrary Classic | −14 (67-69-67-71=274) | 3 strokes | Grier Jones |
| 2 | Jul 8, 1979 | Western Open | −2 (71-69-70-76=286) | Playoff | Ben Crenshaw |
| 3 | Jun 8, 1980 | Atlanta Classic | −18 (66-69-68-67=270) | 7 strokes | Andy Bean, Don Pooley |
| 4 | Apr 5, 1981 | Greater Greensboro Open | −7 (69-68-69-75=281) | Playoff | Mark Hayes |
| 5 | Aug 9, 1981 | PGA Championship | −7 (70-66-66-71=273) | 4 strokes | Fuzzy Zoeller |
| 6 | Jun 19, 1983 | U.S. Open | −4 (75-73-65-67=280) | 1 stroke | Tom Watson |
| 7 | Oct 21, 1984 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | −22 (66-66-64-70=266) | 1 stroke | Hubert Green |
| 8 | Aug 9, 1987 | PGA Championship (2) | −1 (70-72-73-72=287) | Playoff | Lanny Wadkins |
| 9 | Oct 18, 1987 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic (2) | −20 (68-69-68-63=268) | 1 stroke | Morris Hatalsky, Mark O'Meara |
| 10 | Jun 26, 1988 | Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic (2) | −20 (63-66-66-73=268) | 1 stroke | Chip Beck |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1979 | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | Gil Morgan | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1979 | Western Open | Ben Crenshaw | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1981 | Greater Greensboro Open | Mark Hayes | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1987 | PGA Championship | Lanny Wadkins | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 5 | 1989 | GTE Byron Nelson Classic | Jodie Mudd | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |

### PGA of Japan Tour wins (4)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Oct 12, 1980 | Tokai Classic | −14 (72-69-66-67=274) | 1 stroke | Yutaka Hagawa |
| 2 | Apr 24, 1983 | Dunlop International Open$^1$ | −12 (67-65-69=201)* | 1 stroke | Masahiro Kuramoto |
| 3 | Sep 10, 1989 | Suntory Open | −12 (69-67-70-70=276) | Playoff | Saburo Fujiki |
| 4 | Nov 24, 1991 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | −12 (70-71-67-68=276) | Playoff | Isao Aoki, Seve Ballesteros, Jay Don Blake |
*Note: The 1983 Dunlop International Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain. $^1$Co-sanctioned by the Asia Golf Circuit
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (2–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1985 | Suntory Open | Tateo Ozaki | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1989 | Suntory Open | Saburo Fujiki | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1991 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | Isao Aoki, Seve Ballesteros, Jay Don Blake | Won with par on fourth extra hole Ballesteros eliminated by birdie on third hole Blake eliminated by par on first hole |

### Other wins (2)

* 1978 Georgia Open
* 1988 PGA Grand Slam of Golf (United States - unofficial event)

### Champions Tour wins (19)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Feb 22, 1998 | American Express Invitational | −13 (63-69-71=203) | 4 strokes | Dave Stockton |
| 2 | May 31, 1998 | Pittsburgh Senior Classic | −12 (65-65-74=204) | 5 strokes | Bob Duval |
| 3 | Sep 27, 1998 | Boone Valley Classic | −16 (70-65-65=200) | 2 strokes | Graham Marsh |
| 4 | Feb 21, 1999 | GTE Classic | −8 (70-68-67=205) | 2 strokes | Bruce Fleisher |
| 5 | May 2, 1999 | Bruno's Memorial Classic | −11 (70-67-68=205) | 1 stroke | Dana Quigley |
| 6 | Apr 23, 2000 | Las Vegas Senior Classic | −19 (67-66-64=197) | 5 strokes | Bruce Fleisher Hale Irwin |
| 7 | May 28, 2000 | Boone Valley Classic (2) | −16 (66-66-68=200) | 3 strokes | Tom Watson |
| 8 | Aug 27, 2000 | FleetBoston Classic | −13 (67-70-66=203) | 4 strokes | Jim Thorpe |
| 9 | Sep 3, 2000 | Foremost Insurance Championship | −18 (66-69-63=198) | 3 strokes | Dave Stockton |
| 10 | Sep 24, 2000 | Bank One Senior Championship | −13 (67-68-68=203) | 6 strokes | Bill Brask, Jim Thorpe |
| 11 | Oct 1, 2000 | Vantage Championship | −12 (66-63-69=198) | Playoff | Jim Dent, Gil Morgan |
| 12 | Jan 24, 2001 | MasterCard Championship | −19 (67-64-66=197) | 1 stroke | Jim Thorpe |
| 13 | Feb 8, 2001 | Royal Caribbean Classic | 29 pts (6-15-8=29) | 1 point | Vicente Fernández |
| 14 | Jun 24, 2001 | FleetBoston Classic (2) | −15 (65-69-67=201) | 3 strokes | Bruce Fleisher |
| 15 | Jul 8, 2001 | Farmers Charity Classic (2) | −14 (67-67-68=202) | 1 stroke | Jim Ahern |
| 16 | Oct 21, 2001 | SBC Championship | −17 (67-69-63=199) | 2 strokes | Bob Gilder, Gary McCord |
| 17 | Sep 14, 2003 | Constellation Energy Classic | −9 (67-70-70=207) | 2 strokes | Jim Dent, Doug Tewell |
| 18 | May 9, 2004 | FedEx Kinko's Classic | −7 (73-69-67=209) | 1 stroke | Bruce Lietzke |
| 19 | Oct 10, 2004 | Administaff Small Business Classic | −14 (68-70-64=202) | Playoff | Hale Irwin |
Champions Tour playoff record (2–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1998 | Cadillac NFL Golf Classic | Jim Colbert, Bob Dickson | Dickson won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1998 | Kroger Senior Classic | Hugh Baiocchi, Bob Charles Frank Conner, Bruce Summerhays | Baiocchi won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2000 | The Countrywide Tradition | Tom Kite, Tom Watson | Kite won with birdie on sixth extra hole Nelson eliminated by par on second hole |
| 4 | 2000 | Vantage Championship | Jim Dent, Gil Morgan | Nelson won with birdie on sixth extra hole Dent eliminated by birdie on first hole |
| 5 | 2004 | Administaff Small Business Classic | Hale Irwin | Won with birdie on first extra hole |

### Other senior wins (6)

* 1999 Chrysler Senior Match Play Challenge
* 2004 Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (with son Drew)
* 2007 Del Webb Father/Son Challenge (with son Josh)
* 2008 Del Webb Father/Son Challenge (with son Drew)
* 2015 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf (Legends division, with Bruce Fleisher)
* 2016 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf (Legends division, with Bruce Fleisher)

## Playoff record

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1987 | Nissan-Mobil New Zealand Open | Ronan Rafferty | Lost to par on seventh extra hole |

## Major championships
### Wins (3)

| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
| 1981 | PGA Championship | 4 shot lead | −7 (70-66-66-71=273) | 4 strokes | Fuzzy Zoeller |
| 1983 | U.S. Open | 1 shot deficit | −4 (75-73-65-67=280) | 1 stroke | Tom Watson |
| 1987 | PGA Championship (2) | 3 shot deficit | −1 (70-72-73-72=287) | Playoff$^1$ | Lanny Wadkins |
$^1$Defeated Wadkins with a par on the first extra hole.

### Results timeline

| Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| Masters Tournament | | | | T31 |
| U.S. Open | T21 | T54 | CUT | T4 |
| The Open Championship | | | | |
| PGA Championship | T34 | T54 | T12 | T28 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| Masters Tournament | T6 | CUT | T7 | CUT | 5 | T36 | T36 | CUT | T33 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | T60 | T20 | T19 | 1 | CUT | T39 | T35 | CUT | T62 | T13 |
| The Open Championship | T12 | | T32 | T53 | CUT | T56 | CUT | T48 | T13 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | CUT | 1 | CUT | T36 | CUT | T23 | CUT | 1 | T38 | T46 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1999 |
| Masters Tournament | 48 | 55 | DQ | | | | | | |
| U.S. Open | T14 | T3 | CUT | T46 | CUT | | | CUT | |
| The Open Championship | | | | | | | | | |
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | T28 | T56 | CUT | CUT | WD | T71 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2006 |
| Masters Tournament | | | |
| U.S. Open | | | |
| The Open Championship | | | |
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2011 |
| Masters Tournament | |
| U.S. Open | |
| The Open Championship | |
| PGA Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1984 Open Championship) DQ = disqualified WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

### Summary

| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 14 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 |
| PGA Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 13 |
| Totals | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 70 | 42 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1978 PGA – 1980 Open Championship)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1981 PGA – 1982 Masters)

## Results in The Players Championship

| Tournament | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| The Players Championship | CUT | T72 | T39 | T8 | T4 | T20 | DQ | CUT | T10 | CUT | T62 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T59 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
| The Players Championship | T16 | T23 | CUT | CUT | T55 | CUT | T62 | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut DQ = disqualified "T" indicates a tie for a place

## U.S. national team appearances

* Ryder Cup: 1979 (winners), 1981 (winners), 1987
* UBS Warburg Cup: 2001 (winners)
* Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing Senior PGA Tour): 1997, 1998 (winners)