National Championship History
Year by Year: 1980's
| 2000's | 1990's | 1980's | 1970's | 1960's |
1989: Fleisher gets respect in his CPC debut
Champion: Bruce Fleisher, N. Miami Beach, Fla.Site: PGA West, La Quinta Hotel & Golf Resort, Mission Hills Country Club, La Quinta, Calif. Date: Oct. 5-8, 1989
Course: PGA West Stadium; Par: 72 (6,854 yards)
Course: La Quinta (Mountain); Par: 72 (6,713 yards)
Course: Mission Hills (Old); Par: 72 (6,954 yards)
Purse: $360,000
Entries: 357, Cut at 220 (104 players advanced)
Bruce Fleisher, a 41-year-old former Tour professional from North Miami Beach, Fla., said he just wanted the respect of his peers when he entered his first PGA Club Professional Championship in 1989. After weathering 105-degree heat at PGA West’s Stadium Course in La Quinta, Calif., and a closing 72, Fleisher had that respect as well as a $30,000 first-place check. The defining moment in the title chase came at the par-4 15th with Fleisher holding a two- stroke lead. Playing partner Jeff Thomsen of Boise, Idaho, reached the edge of the green in two but failed to get his wedge approach close and missed a 10-foot par putt. Fleisher bogeyed, but held his lead to the end.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Rounds under par | Round leader | Bruce Fleisher | |
| Rd. 1 | 75.2 | 15 | 56 | 67 - Jeff Fairfild | 69 - T7th |
| Rd. 2 | 75.3 | 17 | 17 | 137 - Bruce Fleisher | 137 - (68) 1st |
| Rd. 3 | 75.5 | 14 | 14 | 205 - Bruce Fleisher | 205 - (68) 1st |
| Rd. 4 | 74.4 | 8 | 8 | 277 - Bruce Fleisher | 277 - (72) 1st |
| Totals | 75.23 | 54 | 95 |
1988: Just like home
Champion: Bob Boyd, Florence, S.C.Site: Pinehurst Country Club, Pinehurst, N.C.
Date: Oct. 12-15, 1988
Course: No. 2; Par: 72 (7,051 yards)
Course: No. 4; Par: 72 (6,784 yards)
Course: No. 7; Par: 72 (7,114 yards)
Purse: $360,000
Entries: 355, Cut at 225 (98 players advanced)
The 1988 PGA Club Professional Championship came down to a duel on Pinehurst No. 2 between two Carolinians who knew the challenges of the famed Donald Ross layout. Bob Boyd of Florence, S.C., a 33-year-old head professional, sank a three-foot par putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Rick Morton of Jacksonville, N.C. Both players had tied after 72 holes at 1-over-par 287, and both missed potential winning birdie putts on the first extra hole. It marked the first time in PGA Club Professional Championship history that the winning total was over par.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Bob Boyd | |
| Rd. 1 | 76.5 | 8 | 69 - Bob Groff, Gary Hardin | 70 - T3rd |
| Rd. 2 | 77.4 | 5 | 140 - Rick Morton | 144 - (74) T5th |
| Rd. 3 | 76.3 | 16 | 217 - Shawn McEntee | 217 - (73) T7 |
| Rd. 4 | 75.5 | 5 | 287 - Bob Boyd, Rick Morton | 287 - (70) T1st |
| Totals | 76.62 | 34 |
1987: Lumpkin leaves his mark in the desert
Champion: Jay Lumpkin, Amelia Island, Fla.Site: PGA West, La Quinta Hotel & Golf Resort, Mission Hills Country Club, La Quinta, Calif.
Date: Oct. 15-18, 1987
Course: PGA West Stadium; Par: 72 (6,800 yards)
Course: La Quinta (Mountain); Par: 72 (6,834 yards)
Course: Mission Hills (Old); Par: 72 (6,899 yards)
Purse: $325,000
Entries: 358, Cut at 221 (95 players advanced)
With a final-round 69, Jay Lumpkin of Amelia Island, Fla., snapped a string of 70s to post a 72-hole total of 9-under-par 279 and defeat a trio of challengers that included Gibby Gilbert of Chattanooga, Tenn., Bob Menne of Concord, Mass., and Jeff Roth of Flint, Mich. Roth put his own stamp on The Championship by posting a final-round 7-under-par 65, one of the lowest competitive rounds on PGA West’s Stadium Course.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Jay Lumplin | |
| Rd. 1 | 75.4 | 26 | 64 - Gibby Gilbert | 70 - T16th |
| Rd. 2 | 75.8 | 18 | 138 - Lonnie Nelson | 140 - (70) T3rd |
| Rd. 3 | 75.6 | 30 | 208 - Gibby Gilbert | 210 - (70) 2nd |
| Rd. 4 | 73.8 | 18 | 279 - Jay Lumpkin | 279 - (69) 1st |
| Totals | 75.45 | 92 |
1986: Mr. Consistent from Vermont
Champion: Bob Lendzion, Quechee, Vt.Site: PGA West, La Quinta Hotel & Resort, Mission Hills Country Club, La Quinta, Calif.
Date: Oct. 2-5, 1986
Course: PGA West Stadium; Par: 72 (6,800 yards)
Course: La Quinta (Mountain); Par: 72 (6,843 yards)
Course: Mission Hills (Old); Par: 72 (6,899 yards)
Purse: $325,000
Entries: 352, Cut at 224 (100 players advanced)
PGA West’s Stadium Course can be one of the more intimidating desert courses. Bob Lendzion of Quechee, Vt., elected to keep things consistently conservative and in control in the 19th PGA Club Professional Championship. Lendzion, 36, had four successive 1-under-par 71s to win the title by one stroke over Bob Betley of Ogden, Utah. Dana Quigley of Barrington, R.I., a former PGA Tour professional, gambled on the 18th hole for a birdie and double-bogeyed, tying for third place at 286.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Bob Lendzion | |
| Rd. 1 | 76.5 | 20 | 67 - James Blair | 71 - T27th |
| Rd. 2 | 76.0 | 22 | 139 - Ray Freeman | 142 - (71) Tth |
| Rd. 3 | 77.2 | 8 | 209 - Dana Quigley | 213 - (71) T6th |
| Rd. 4 | 76.0 | 6 | 284 - Bob Lendzion | 284 - (71) 1st |
| Totals | 76.50 | 56 |
1985: A gem of a win for Dougherty
Champion: Ed Dougherty, Linwood, PaSite: La Quinta Hotel Golf Club, Mission Hills Country Club, La Quinta, Calif.
Date: Oct. 10-13, 1985
Course: Dunes; Par: 72 (6,874 yards)
Course: Mission Hills (New); Par: 72 (7,246 yards)
Course: Mission Hills (Old); Par: 72 (6,899 yards)
Purse: $325,000
Entries: 358, Cut at 220 (92 players advanced)
With a par on the 18th green for a final-round 71 on the Dunes Course, Ed Dougherty of Edgewood Country Club in Linwood, Pa., became the only player in the field to string together four sub-par rounds for an 11-under-par 277 total. The 38-year-old Dougherty, a Vietnam veteran, had contended for the lead in the 1975 PGA Championship. But on a calm October afternoon among the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains, Dougherty was on top of his game while his challengers faded. When third-round leader Charlie Epps of Houston, Texas, triple-bogeyed the first hole, Dougherty was the leader for good. Jim White of Lincoln, Neb., with a closing 71, finished two strokes behind and alone in second place.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Ed Dougherty | |
| Rd. 1 | 75.5 | 27 | 66 - Lonnie Neilsen | 69 - T5th |
| Rd. 2 | 75.3 | 25 | 137 - Kevin Morris | 138 - (69) T2nd |
| Rd. 3 | 74.9 | 36 | 205 - Charlie Epps | 206 - (68) 2nd |
| Rd. 4 | 75.3 | 4 | 277 - Ed Dougherty | 271 - (71) 1st |
| Totals | 75.25 | 92 |
1984: Schumaker goes the distance
Champion: Bill Schumaker, Columbia City, Ind.Site: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Date: Oct. 11-14, 1984
Course: Champion; Par: 72 (7,002 yards)
Course: Haig; Par: 72 (6,806 yards)
Course: General; Par: 72 (6,768 yards)
Purse: $200,000
Entries: 355, Cut at 222 (92 players advanced)
The PGA Club Professional Championship went to extra holes for the sixth time, and Bill Schumaker of Columbia City, Ind., was the survivor. The 34- year-old Schumaker, a golf club owner, birdied the first playoff hole on PGA National’s Champion Course to defeat Gary Ostrega of Colonia (N.J.) Country Club. Both players had tied after 72 holes at 4-under-par 284. Schumaker became the first Indiana-based PGA Professional to win the national title.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Bill Schumaker | |
| Rd. 1 | 76.7 | 13 | 67 - Tom Aycock | 73 - T43rd |
| Rd. 2 | 75.7 | 15 | 140 - Mike Ballo | 142 - (69) T5th |
| Rd. 3 | 75.5 | 24 | 212 - Jim White | 214 - (72) T4th |
| Rd. 4 | 74.3 | 9 | 284 - Bill Schumaker | 284 - (70) 1st |
| Totals | 75.83 | 58 |
1983: A robbery victim who later cashed in
Champion: Larry Webb, Coolidge, Ariz.Site: La Quinta Hotel Golf Club, Mission Hills Country Club, La Quinta, Calif.
Date: Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 1983
Course: Mountain; Par: 72 (6,834 yards)
Course: Dunes; Par: 72 (6,874 yards)
Course: Mission Hills; Par: 72 (6,899 yards)
Purse: $150,000
Entries: 355, Cut at 227 (95 players advanced)
Larry Webb of Coolidge, Ariz., was an alternate and uncertain of gaining a berth in the 17th PGA Club Professional Championship in La Quinta, Calif. But a friend elected not to play, opening up a berth for Webb. The Webb drama wasn’t over. A couple days before the first round, an intruder slipped into Webb’s hotel room and escaped with $300 in cash. A 34-year-old head professional at Ho Ho Kam Country Club in Coolidge, Webb shook that incident off and concentrated on a Championship. His final-round 71 on the scenic Mountain Course gave him a 72-hole total of 5-under-par 283 and a four-stroke victory over Bob Ford of Oakmont, Pa. Webb picked up a first-place check of $20,000, more than enough compensation for his unwanted hotel visitor.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Larry Webb | |
| Rd. 1 | 77.7 | 8 | 68 - Bob Wynn | 70 - T4th |
| Rd. 2 | 77.8 | 5 | 138 - Larry Webb | 138 - (68) 1st |
| Rd. 3 | 77.7 | 9 | 212 - Larry Webb | 212 - (74) 1st |
| Rd. 4 | 76.9 | 3 | 283 - Larry Webb | 283 - (71) 1st |
| Totals | 77.65 | 25 |
1982: A timely putting lesson
Champion: Larry Gilbert, Lexington, Ky.Site: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Date: Oct. 21-24, 1982
Course: Champion; Par: 72 (7,002 yards)
Course: Haig; Par: 72 (6,806 yards)
Course: Squire; Par: 72 (6,612 yards)
Purse: $150,000
Entries: 348, Cut at 225 (111 players advanced)
Larry Gilbert of Lexington, Ky., strolled to the winner’s stand for the second straight year, but had his wife, Brenda, to thank for his victory in the 15th PGA Club Professional Championship. Brenda spotted a putting flaw and pointed it out to her husband. Larry listened, struggled to a final-round 74 on the Champion Course and won by one stroke over Steve Benson of Long Grove, Ill., who had finished runner-up in the 1977 CPC.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Larry Gilbert | |
| Rd. 1 | 77.0 | 13 | 67 - Gene Borek | 73 - T43th |
| Rd. 2 | 76.8 | 14 | 135 - Steve Benson | 145 - (72) T21st |
| Rd. 3 | 75.8 | 17 | 210 - Larry Gilbert, Gene Borek | 210 - (65) T1st |
| Rd. 4 | 77.4 | 1 | 284 - Larry Gilbert | 284 - (74) 1st |
| Totals | 76.67 | 45 |
1981: The Gilbert era begins
Champion: Larry Gilbert, Lexington, Ky.Site: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Date: Nov. 19-22, 1981
Course: Champion; Par: 72 (7,002 yards)
Course: Haig; Par: 72 (6,806 yards)
Course: Squire; Par: 72 (6,612 yards)
Purse: $150,000
Entries: 358, Cut at 226 (96 players advanced)
Playing the new Tom Fazio-designed Champion Course that would eventually become a regular site of the PGA Seniors’ Championship, Larry Gilbert of Lexington, Ky., established his name in PGA Club Professional Championship history by hanging on to defeat Don Padgett II of Akron, Ohio, on the second playoff hole. Gilbert, who parred the second extra hole for the victory, became the first wire-to-wire winner in Championship history. Gilbert also had the distinction of having posted the highest final-round score (74) by any previous Champion.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | Larry Gilbert | |
| Rd. 1 | 77.2 | 17 | 67 - Larry Gilbert, Don Massengale | 67 - T1st |
| Rd. 2 | 77.0 | 8 | 137 - Larry Gilbert | 137 - (70) 1st |
| Rd. 3 | 78.0 | 3 | 211 - Larry Gilbert | 211 - (74) 1st |
| Rd. 4 | 77.3 | 2 | 285 - Larry Gilbert, Don Padgett II | 285 - (74) T1st |
| Totals | 77.38 | 30 |
1980: Perfect timing for Traub
Champion: John Traub, Rochester, Mich.Site: PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Date: Oct. 23-26, 1980
Course: Haig; Par: 72 (6,806 yards)
Course: Eastpointe CC; Par: 72
Course: Frenchman's Creek (North); Par: 72
Purse: $125,000
Entries: 336, Cut at 224 (99 players advanced)
John Traub, 29, of Rochester, Mich., began the final round of the 13th PGA Club Professional Championship seven strokes behind third-round leader Gene Borek of White Plains, N.Y. With a front-nine 34 on the Haig Course to Borek’s 40, Traub was suddenly in the title hunt. After a bogey at the 10th hole, Traub bounced back with birdies on the 15th and 17th holes to cruise to a final-round 69. Traub ’s 5-under-par 283 was two strokes better than Jim Albus, who would go on to play the Senior PGA Tour. Borek slumped to an 81 and finished tied for third with Larry Gilbert.
| Average of courses | Rounds of 70 & under | Round leader | John Traub | |
| Rd. 1 | 76.4 | 13 | 67 - Gene Borek, Gary Wintz, Dick Lotz | 72 - T29th |
| Rd. 2 | 75.7 | 18 | 135 - Gene Borek | 141 - (69) T4th |
| Rd. 3 | 77.3 | 9 | 206 - Gene Borek | 214 - (73) T7th |
| Rd. 4 | 76.4 | 2 | 283 - John Traub | 283 - (69) 1st |
| Totals | 76.47 | 42 |