Allen Doyle
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Allen Michael Doyle (born July 26, 1948) is an American professional golfer. Though a talented golfer, Doyle elected not to turn pro after graduating from Vermont's Norwich University. He moved to the south where he owned and operated a driving range in Georgia. In his free time he played in elite amateur events, winning the Georgia Amateur and Sunnehanna Amateur several times each. At the age of 46, Doyle turned professional and had extraordinary success as a pro, winning three events on the Nike Tour and 11 events on the Champions Tour, including the U.S. Senior Open twice.
Early life
Doyle was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He raised in the Boston suburb of Norwood, Massachusetts. He attended Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Amateur career
Doyle attended Norwich University in Vermont. He currently hosts an annual golf tournament to benefit the Norwich Hockey Team. During his time at Norwich he finished runner-up at the Massachusetts Amateur, losing to Peter Drooker, 1 up, in the finals.
Doyle moved to the south after college and settled in Georgia. He won the Georgia Amateur and Sunnehanna Amateur several times over the course of his amateur career.
Professional career
At the age of 46, Doyle turned professional. In 1995, his first full professional season, he won three times on the Nike Tour. From 1996 to 1998 Doyle competed in 58 PGA Tour events, making the cut in 31, including two top-10 finishes.
Doyle became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour when he turned 50 in July 1998 and won four official money events in 1999, including the Senior PGA Championship. In 2001, he won his second senior major, the Senior Players Championship, and led the tour on the money list. In 2005, he claimed a third major at the U.S. Senior Open, coming behind from a nine stroke deficit with a 63 in the final round. He successfully defended his U.S. Senior Open title in 2006 by defeating Tom Watson at Prairie Dunes Country Club and becoming the oldest U.S. Senior Open Champion at 57 years, 11 months and 17 days. His career earnings on the Champions Tour at the time of his retirement is listed as $13,401,250.
Doyle owns and operates The Doyle Golf Center driving range in La Grange, Georgia. As a philanthropist, Doyle has donated over $1,000,000 to various charities including family members of slain rescuers of the 9/11 attacks.
Awards and honors
- Doyle is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
- Doyle is a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
Amateur wins
- 1978 Georgia Amateur
- 1979 Georgia Amateur
- 1982 Georgia Amateur
- 1984 Georgia Mid-Amateur
- 1986 Georgia Mid-Amateur
- 1987 Georgia Amateur, Georgia Mid-Amateur
- 1988 Georgia Amateur, Georgia Mid-Amateur, Rice Planters Amateur
- 1989 Sunnehanna Amateur, Georgia Mid-Amateur
- 1990 Sunnehanna Amateur, Georgia Amateur, Rice Planters Amateur
- 1991 Cardinal Amateur
- 1992 Sunnehanna Amateur
- 1993 Northeast Amateur
- 1994 Dogwood Invitational, Sunnehanna Amateur, Porter Cup, Cardinal Amateur, Rice Planters Amateur
Professional wins (19)
Nike Tour wins (3)
| Legend |
|---|
| Tour Championships (1) |
| Other Nike Tour (2) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 9, 1995 | Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic | −15 (66-70-67-70=273) | Playoff | United States Franklin Langham |
| 2 | Aug 27, 1995 | Nike Texarkana Open | −19 (66-70-66-66=269) | 1 stroke | United States Gary Rusnak |
| 3 | Oct 22, 1995 | Nike Tour Championship | −5 (72-68-72-71=283) | Playoff | United States John Maginnes |
Nike Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995 | Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic | United States Franklin Langham | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1995 | Nike Tour Championship | United States John Maginnes | Won with par on first extra hole |
Champions Tour wins (11)
| Legend |
|---|
| Champions Tour major championships (4) |
| Other Champions Tour (7) |
*Note: Tournament shortened to 36 holes due to weather.
Champions Tour playoff record (3–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Toshiba Senior Classic | United States Al Geiberger, United States John Jacobs, United States Gary McCord | McCord won with birdie on fifth extra hole Doyle and Geiberger eliminated by eagle on first hole |
| 2 | 1999 | Cadillac NFL Golf Classic | United States Joe Inman | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| 3 | 2001 | NFL Golf Classic | United States John Schroeder | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 4 | 2001 | Ford Senior Players Championship | United States Doug Tewell | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 5 | 2001 | State Farm Senior Classic | United States Bruce Fleisher | Won with par on third extra hole |
Other senior wins (5)
- 1999 Senior Slam
- 2001 Senior Slam, Hyundai Team Matches (with Dana Quigley)
- 2002 Hyundai Team Matches (with Dana Quigley)
- 2017 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf – Legends Division (with Hubert Green)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut Note: Allen only played in the U.S. Open.
Senior major championships
Wins (4)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | PGA Seniors' Championship | −14 (71-71-68-64=274) | 2 strokes | Argentina Vicente Fernández |
| 2001 | Ford Senior Players Championship | −15 (67-69-70-67=273) | Playoff | United States Doug Tewell |
| 2005 | U.S. Senior Open | −10 (71-67-73-63=274) | 1 stroke | United States Loren Roberts, United States D. A. Weibring |
| 2006 | U.S. Senior Open (2) | −8 (69-68-67-68=272) | 2 strokes | United States Tom Watson |
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2012.
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior PGA Championship | 1 | T17 | 4 | T15 | T7 | T13 | T6 | T23 | T68 | T53 | T57 | |||
| The Tradition | 68 | T10 | T16 | T42 | T2 | T36 | T25 | 73 | T52 | T25 | 65 | T53 | T67 | |
| Senior Players Championship | T19 | T12 | 1 | T12 | T15 | T9 | T5 | T45 | T46 | T59 | T43 | |||
| U.S. Senior Open | T13 | T8 | T4 | T7 | T4 | T42 | 1 | 1 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T38 | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut "T" indicates a tie for a place Note: Allen never played in The Senior Open Championship.
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy: 1990, 1992, 1994 (team winners and individual leader)
- Walker Cup: 1989 (injured, did not play), 1991 (winners), 1993 (winners)
See also
- 1995 Nike Tour graduates
- 1996 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- List of golfers with most Champions Tour major championship wins
- List of golfers with most Champions Tour wins
- Champions Tour awards
External links
- at thePGA Tourofficial site