| Tom Purtzer | |
| Fullname: | Thomas Warren Purtzer |
| Birth Date: | 5 December 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Weight: | 210lb |
| Residence: | Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| College: | Arizona State University |
| Yearpro: | 1973 |
| Tour: | Champions Tour |
| Extour: | PGA Tour |
| Prowins: | 15 |
| Pgawins: | 5 |
| Japwins: | 1 |
| Champwins: | 4 |
| Otherwins: | 5 |
| Masters: | T24: 1989 |
| Usopen: | 4th: 1977 |
| Open: | T4: 1982 |
| Pga: | T16: 1982 |
Thomas Warren Purtzer (born December 5, 1951) is an American professional golfer. Purtzer won a number of tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Purtzer was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended Arizona State University in Tempe, where he was a member of the school's golf team. He graduated in 1973.
In 1973, he turned pro. Purtzer is often described in golf literature as having the "sweetest swing in golf".[1] He won five tournaments on the PGA Tour in three different decades, and won four times on the Champions Tour. His best finishes in major championships were 4th at the 1977 U.S. Open and T4 at the 1982 Open Championship.[2]
His brother, Paul Purtzer, was also a professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. Purtzer and his brother operate Purtzer Performance Golf School and Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.
Purtzer lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 20, 1977 | Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open | −11 (68-67-66-72=273) | 1 stroke |  Lanny Wadkins | |
| 2 | Jan 22, 1984 | Phoenix Open | −16 (68-67-68-65=268) | 1 stroke | Corey Pavin | |
| 3 | Oct 9, 1988 | Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic | −19 (64-72-69-64=269) | Playoff | Mark Brooks | |
| 4 | May 26, 1991 | Southwestern Bell Colonial | −13 (70-66-67-64=267) | 3 strokes | David Edwards, Scott Hoch, Bob Lohr | |
| 5 | Aug 25, 1991 | NEC World Series of Golf | −1 (72-69-67-71=279) | Playoff | Jim Gallagher Jr., Davis Love III |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1988 | Gatlin Brothers-Southwest Golf Classic | Mark Brooks | Won with par on first extra hole | |
| 2 | 1991 | NEC World Series of Golf | Jim Gallagher Jr., Davis Love III | Won with par on second extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 7, 1981 | Jerry Ford Invitational | −10 (69-63=132) | 1 stroke | John Cook, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange | |
| 2 | Dec 7, 1986 | JCPenney Classic (with Juli Inkster) | −23 (61-69-66-69=265) | 2 strokes | Mike Hulbert and Val Skinner | |
| 3 | Nov 24, 1991 | Shark Shootout (with Lanny Wadkins) | −27 (61-65-63=189) | 4 strokes | Jack Nicklaus and  Greg Norman | |
| 4 | Aug 24, 1993 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with Steve Elkington) | −16 (63-63=128) | 1 stroke | Fred Couples and Davis Love III, Brad Faxon and Rick Fehr, Jim Gallagher Jr. and Bruce Lietzke |
Other playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SBC Classic | −9 (67-68=135)* | 1 stroke | Gil Morgan | ||
| 2 | Toshiba Senior Classic | −15 (60-71-67=198) | 1 stroke | Morris Hatalsky | ||
| 3 | Aug 7, 2005 | 3M Championship | −15 (63-69-69=201) | 1 stroke | Lonnie Nielsen, Craig Stadler | |
| 4 | AT&T Champions Classic | −10 (69-69-68=206) | Playoff | Loren Roberts |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | Bank of America Championship |  Mark McNulty, Don Pooley | McNulty won with birdie on second extra hole | |
| 2 | 2007 | AT&T Champions Classic | Loren Roberts | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole |
| Tournament | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T37 | |||
| U.S. Open | T44 | 4 | T24 | 8 | |
| The Open Championship | |||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T54 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 32 | T25 | CUT | T24 | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | T16 | T68 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T4 | CUT | |||||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T19 | T16 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T47 | CUT | T53 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T45 | T61 | |||||||
| U.S. Open | T37 | T33 | T32 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T22 | T70 | T62 | ||||||
| PGA Championship | T31 | T32 | T21 | CUT |
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 8 | |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 41 | 27 |
1991