Biography
He won 11 times on the PGA Tour, including a major championship, and 10 more times on the Champions Tour. But Al Geiberger will forever be remembered as the first man to shoot 59 in an PGA Tour event. The date was June 10, 1977, and the tournament was the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic. It was the second round at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, and Geiberger shot 30-29--59, making a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish off the historic round. He had six pars, 11 birdies and one eagle, at one point scoring 8-under during a 7-hole stretch. It's still one of only three 59s shot on the PGA Tour. The round was very unlikely: The golf course had bumpy, grainy greens; it was 100 degrees that day; and Geiberger wasn't knocking down the pins with his approach shots. But his putter was on fire: His shortest birdie putt of the day was eight feet. Ever since that day, Geiberger has been known as "Mr. 59." Geiberger grew up in California and his first big tournament win was the 1954 National Jaycee Championship. After graduating from Southern Cal, Geiberger turned pro in 1959 and joined the PGA Tour in 1960. His first Tour win was the 1962 Ontario Open Invitational. Geiberger was a consistent player through the mid-1960s, although not a star, and then he won the 1966 PGA Championship. His career seemed ready to take off, but stomach and intestinal problems slowed him down. In fact, after the PGA victory he didn't win again for eight years. Then, in the mid-1970s, Geiberger enjoyed his best seasons, winning twice each in 1975-76 and recording his record round in 1977. His last PGA Tour victory was the 1979 Colonial. Medical problems returned, however, and emergency surgery in 1980 removed Geiberger's colon. Despite that major procedure, Geiberger went on to win 10 times on the Champions Tour, the last victory in 1996. Geiberger was noted for a smooth, rhythmic form that led many to want to copy his tempo. He made several instructional videos, including "Golf with Al Geiberger," which contains no narration - just repeating images of Geiberger's silky, repeating swing. He also worked on the instructional book "Swing for a Lifetime." Geiberger has six children. One, Brent, is a 2-time winner on the PGA Tour; another, John, is a national championship-winning college golf coach. All Above Information Was Obtained From - http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/al_geiberger.htm Nickname: "Mr. 59," for reasons that are obvious. Or will be in a moment. Earlier in his career, Geiberger was sometimes called "The Peanut Butter Kid" because of his penchant for loading his golf bag with the sandwiches and munching on them throughout his rounds. http://golf.about.com/od/golfersmen/p/al_geiberger.htm
