Mike Sullivan (golfer)
Michael James Sullivan (born January 1, 1955) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.
| Mike Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Michael James Sullivan |
| Born | January 1, 1955 Gary, Indiana |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st) |
| Sporting nationality | United States |
| Residence | Ocala, Florida |
| Career | |
| College | University of Florida |
| Turned professional | 1975 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 |
| Highest ranking | 83 (August 13, 1989)[1] |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 3 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T35: 1981 |
| PGA Championship | T12: 1989 |
| U.S. Open | T25: 1984 |
| The Open Championship | T14: 1983 |
Biography
Sullivan was born in Gary, Indiana. He attended Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, where he played for the Forest Wildcats high school golf team.
He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team in 1974. While attending Florida, Sullivan was a roommate of fellow future PGA Tour player Andy Bean. He turned professional in 1975 and joined the PGA Tour in 1976.
Sullivan won three PGA Tour events during his career. His first win came at the 1980 Southern Open which he calls the biggest thrill of his career due to being paired with golf legend Arnold Palmer in the third round. He had more than forty top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events during his career. Sullivan qualified for and played in every major championship at least twice. His best finish in a major championship was T12 at the 1989 PGA Championship.[2]
Sullivan also had a runner-up finish on the European Tour, finishing 2nd place in the 1983 English Open. He lost to Hugh Baiocchi in a playoff.
Sullivan played some events on the Nationwide Tour in his 40s. His best finish in a Nationwide Tour event was a second-place tie in the 1998 NIKE Dominion Open.
Sullivan played on the Champions Tour in 2005 and 2006. His best finish was T9 at the 2005 Blue Angels Classic.
Sullivan lives in Ocala, Florida.
Professional wins (4)
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 5, 1980 | Southern Open | −11 (68-63-69-69=269) | 5 strokes | Dave Eichelberger, Johnny Miller |
| 2 | Apr 2, 1989 | Independent Insurance Agent Open | −8 (76-71-68-65=280) | 1 stroke | Craig Stadler |
| 3 | Sep 18, 1994 | B.C. Open | −18 (65-67-68-66=266) | 4 strokes | Jeff Sluman |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1978 | Buick-Goodwrench Open | Jack Newton | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1981 | Southern Open | J. C. Snead | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 1986 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | Raymond Floyd, Lon Hinkle | Floyd won with par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1994 | Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic | Brian Henninger | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 26, 1984 | Shootout at Jeremy Ranch (with Don January) | −38 (62-63-61-64=250) | 4 strokes | Miller Barber and Gil Morgan, Al Besselink and Donnie Hammond |
Playoff record
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1983 | State Express Classic | Hugh Baiocchi, Eamonn Darcy | Baiocchi won with birdie on first extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||
| U.S. Open | ||
| The Open Championship | ||
| PGA Championship | 34 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T35 | T46 | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T34 | T25 | |||||||
| The Open Championship | T14 | CUT | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T30 | T56 | CUT | CUT | T65 | T53 | T56 | T12 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | |||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T63 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Personal life
He called for professional basketball player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to be shot, after he refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance.[3]
See also
References
External links
- Mike Sullivan at the PGA Tour official site
- Mike Sullivan at the Official World Golf Ranking official site