Tom Shaw (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas G. Shaw is an American
professional golfer
who has played on both the PGA Tour
and the Champions Tour
.
Shaw was born in Wichita, Kansas
. He attended the University of Oregon
in Eugene
from 1959–1962, and was an All-American member of the golf
team. He helped Oregon
win the Pacific Coast Conference
title in 1959. Shaw graduated and turned pro in 1962. He joined the PGA Tour in 1963.
Shaw won four PGA Tour events and had over two dozen top-10 finishes. In 1966, he was seriously injured in a car accident on the way to the Bob Hope Classic. In 1971, he won twice, earned $96,220, and finished 15th on the money list. His best finish in a major
was a T-21 at the 1969 PGA Championship
.
Shaw began play on the Senior PGA Tour in 1989, and was one of five rookies to win on tour that year. His two wins on the senior tour included one senior major
, at The Tradition
in 1993 when he defeated Mike Hill by one stroke. He has over two dozen top-10 finishes at this level also.
Shaw was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
.
to be four years younger than the age in some record books. He was suspected by some of being older, notably by Frank Hannigan, who as Executive Director of the United States Golf Association
paired him with the then-19-year-old Ben Crenshaw
and 24-year-old Johnny Miller
, both known as fast players, for the first two rounds of the 1971 U.S. Open
for his apparent amusement. As it turned out, Hannigan was right; in 1988, Shaw produced a birth certificate proving that he had been born on the same date in 1938, which made him eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour
) starting with the 1989 season.
Senior major championship
is shown in bold.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who has played on both the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
.
Shaw was born in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. He attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
from 1959–1962, and was an All-American member of the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team. He helped Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
win the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
title in 1959. Shaw graduated and turned pro in 1962. He joined the PGA Tour in 1963.
Shaw won four PGA Tour events and had over two dozen top-10 finishes. In 1966, he was seriously injured in a car accident on the way to the Bob Hope Classic. In 1971, he won twice, earned $96,220, and finished 15th on the money list. His best finish in a major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was a T-21 at the 1969 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
.
Shaw began play on the Senior PGA Tour in 1989, and was one of five rookies to win on tour that year. His two wins on the senior tour included one senior major
Senior major golf championships
Men's professional senior golf is for players aged 50 and above. Golf differs from all other sports in having lucrative competitions for this age group. The leading senior tour is the U.S. based Champions Tour, which was established in 1980 . It has established a roster of five major championships...
, at The Tradition
The Tradition
The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
in 1993 when he defeated Mike Hill by one stroke. He has over two dozen top-10 finishes at this level also.
Shaw was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
.
Age controversy
Shaw claimed throughout his career on the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
to be four years younger than the age in some record books. He was suspected by some of being older, notably by Frank Hannigan, who as Executive Director of the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
paired him with the then-19-year-old Ben Crenshaw
Ben Crenshaw
Ben Daniel Crenshaw is an American professional golfer.Crenshaw was born in Austin, Texas. He attended and played golf at Austin High School and the University of Texas, where he won three NCAA Championships from 1971 to 1973...
and 24-year-old Johnny Miller
Johnny Miller
John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
, both known as fast players, for the first two rounds of the 1971 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
for his apparent amusement. As it turned out, Hannigan was right; in 1988, Shaw produced a birth certificate proving that he had been born on the same date in 1938, which made him eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
) starting with the 1989 season.
PGA Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 2, 1969 | Doral Open Invitational | 1 stroke |  Tommy AaronTommy Aaron Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :... |
|
| 2 | Aug 24, 1969 | AVCO Golf Classic | 1 stroke |  Bob Stanton |
|
| 3 | Jan 17, 1971 1971 PGA Tour The 1971 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to December 12. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Trevino won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955... |
|
| 4 | Feb 7, 1971 1971 PGA Tour The 1971 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to December 12. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Lee Trevino won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.... |
Hawaiian Open | 1 stroke | Miller Barber Miller Barber Miller Barber is an American professional golfer who enjoyed significant success on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s, and a greater degree of success on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s.-Career:... |
Senior PGA Tour wins (2)
- 19891989 Senior PGA TourThe 1989 Senior PGA Tour was the 10th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 35 official money events with purses totalling $13,345,000 , including four majors. Bob Charles won the most tournaments, five...
(1) Showdown Classic - 19931993 Senior PGA TourThe 1993 Senior PGA Tour was the 14th season since the Senior PGA Tour officially began in 1980 . The season consisted of 38 official money events with purses totalling $26,500,000, including four majors. Dave Stockton won the most tournaments, five...
(1) The TraditionThe TraditionThe Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...
Senior major championship
Senior major golf championships
Men's professional senior golf is for players aged 50 and above. Golf differs from all other sports in having lucrative competitions for this age group. The leading senior tour is the U.S. based Champions Tour, which was established in 1980 . It has established a roster of five major championships...
is shown in bold.
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Tradition The Tradition The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S... |
−19 (70−65−67−67=269) | 1 stroke | Mike Hill |