HALE IRWIN IS A POSTER BOY for longevity. Irwin turned pro forty years ago and won his first of 87 professional titles in 1971. His most recent win came last year, 36 years after his initial victory.
Irwin has won three U.S. Opens, in 1974, 1979 and that amazing playoff victory at age 45 in 1990.
There’s another way to measure Hale’s endurance: miles walked.
“Since joining the PGA Tour in 1968, Hale Irwin has walked more than 25,000 miles at PGA Tour and Champions Tour events,” wrote Dave Lancer at PGATour.com. “That’s enough to circle the globe at the equator − a distance of 24,901 miles.”
Irwin has played on five Ryder Cup teams and was ranked as the 19th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
−The Armchair Golfer
I had the pleasure of meeting Hale Irwin at a tournament in Las Vegas in 1997. All I can say is what a class act. There are few as professional or as genuine as this man.
Nice article about a nice man.
I’m glad you had a good experience with Hale.
I wrote the book, Smart Golf, with Hale Irwin and I have to say that he truly is one of the most intelligent players on any tour. By the way, I’ve developed a new golf program to help golfers improve their games. It’s called “8 Days to Better Golf” and I’m running a free pilot program prior to producing a DVD series (so I can gain some testimonials). If you’d like to get a free playbook, just email me at guruofgolf@gmail.com. Thanks.