1987 Recap & Results

Memorial Tournament Winner - Don Pooley

Dates

May 28 - 31

Purse

$912,000

Par

36-36=72

Yardage

7,104

Don Pooley Wins the 1987 Memorial Tournament

By Saturday evening, it appeared that last year's assault on Muirfield was only an opening barrage, not the main attack. During the first three rounds of the 12th Memorial Tournament, scoring records fell like autumn leaves. Jack Nicklaus described his course as "defenseless" and "helpless."

As was the case in 1986, perfect scoring conditions prevailed, most notably the absence of wind. The pros took full advantage. On each of the first three days the field's scoring average and number of sub-par rounds eclipsed 1986 records. Scott Hoch simply exploded previous marks for 36 holes (131 to Roger Maltbie's 134 in 1982) and 54 holes (198 to Hal Sutton's 203 in 1986); and three players - Hoch, Sutton, and first-round leader Curt Byrum - tied Mark McCumber's single-round tournament and course record of 64.

Finally, on Sunday, the long-awaited winds returned and Muirfield regained some of its dignity. Though Fred Couples joined the 64 crowd, the stroke average for the 77 survivors of a record-tying 146 cut edged .333 over the 1986 low. Early in the final round, Hoch looked like a run-away winner. He'd gone 55 holes without a bogey, was 18 under par, and held a 4-stroke lead over Don Pooley. But he missed the green on the 2nd hole and chipped poorly for his first bogey of the tournament, was bunkered on three and four for bogeys, and suddenly the usual Sunday scramble was on.

Pooley dropped a birdie putt on four and drew even and admitted, "I was surprised when I made it (the deficit) up so quickly." He dropped back with a bogey on the sixth, but holed a 20-foot birdie on seven to get back even with Hoch, and he led or shared the lead thereafter.

Hoch, David Frost, Denis Watson, Chip Beck and Byrum all kept the pressure on down the stretch, but each faltered, and Pooley won going away with a 15-foot birdie off the fringe at 17 and a gallery pleasing 8-footer on a 70 and a total of 272. Byrum was second at 275, with Hoch, Watson and Beck third at 276.

Defending champion Sutton was at 278. Pooley's 16 under-par total was one over Sutton's Memorial record, and gave him his second title in a dozen years on the TOUR. He won the B.C. Open in 1980. "I believe the deep satisfaction I feel from winning the Memorial Tournament will last a long time," said the new champion. Both Pooley and Byrum noted the return of the Muirfield winds.

"When the wind swirls like it did today, it's much tougher," said Pooley and Byrum added, of his bogey streak, "I hit the shots exactly the way I wanted, but the wind didn't affect them the way I thought it would."

Rain abbreviated the Pro-Am on Tuesday and a full fledged thunderstorm ended play on Saturday, forcing the leaders to finish their third rounds on Sunday morning before teeing off for the final 18.

# Name R1 R2 R3 R4 Total Purse
1 Don Pooley 70 67 65 70 272 $140,000
2 Curt Byrum 64 71 69 71 275 $84,000
3 Denis Watson 75 66 65 70 276 $40,443
4 Chip Beck 70 69 69 68 276 $40,443
5 Scott Hoch 67 64 67 78 276 $40,443
6 Sandy Lyle 69 70 69 69 277 $26,038
7 David Frost 68 70 70 69 277 $26,038
8 Larry Nelson 69 69 70 69 277 $26,038
9 John Cook 69 69 72 68 278 $19,480
10 Scott Simpson 68 68 72 70 278 $19,480
11 Hal Sutton 74 64 68 72 278 $19,480
12 John Mahaffey 69 71 65 73 278 $19,480
13 Craig Stadler 71 67 71 69 278 $19,480
14 Tom Watson 67 69 71 72 279 $14,950
15 Ken Green 69 74 68 68 279 $14,950
16 Larry Mize 68 72 69 70 279 $14,950
17 D.A. Weibring 71 69 73 67 280 $12,223
18 Dave Rummells 70 70 69 71 280 $12,223
19 Dan Pohl 71 71 68 70 280 $12,223
20 Dave Barr 70 70 69 71 280 $12,223
21 Mac O`Grady 70 70 70 71 281 $9,660
22 Tim Simpson 71 73 69 68 281 $9,660
23 Joey Sindelar 66 76 70 69 281 $9,660
24 Fred Couples 71 72 75 64 282 $7,793
25 Fred Wadsworth 68 68 71 75 282 $7,793
26 Bruce Lietzke 72 71 72 67 282 $7,793
27 Hale Irwin 74 72 69 68 283 $6,700
28 Buddy Gardner 70 72 69 72 283 $6,700
29 Greg Norman 70 72 69 72 283 $6,700
30 Keith Clearwater 72 72 72 68 284 $5,769
31 Donnie Hammond 73 72 67 72 284 $5,769
32 Payne Stewart 74 69 70 71 284 $5,769
33 Willie Wood 73 67 69 75 284 $5,769
34 Lanny Wadkins 73 70 71 71 285 $4,864
35 Johnny Miller 71 73 70 71 285 $4,864
36 Mark Hayes 69 75 69 71 284 $5,769
37 Ben Crenshaw 71 73 70 71 285 $4,864
38 Curtis Strange 71 73 70 71 285 $4,864
39 Wayne Levi 72 73 72 69 286 $3,980
40 Ian Woosnam 71 69 73 73 286 $3,980
41 Jay Haas 71 74 70 71 286 $3,980
42 Gene Sauers 69 72 73 72 286 $3,980
43 Sam Randolph 71 71 70 74 286 $3,980
44 Mark McCumber 71 73 70 72 286 $3,980
45 Bobby Wadkins 70 73 72 71 286 $3,980
46 Tom Kite 69 70 73 75 287 $3,021
47 David Graham 68 73 74 72 287 $3,021
48 Jim Thorpe 70 68 72 77 287 $3,021
49 Calvin Peete 71 71 71 74 287 $3,021
50 Clarence Rose 75 71 72 69 287 $3,021
51 Jose Maria Olazabal 72 74 74 67 287 $3,021
52 Jodie Mudd 69 74 73 71 287 $3,021
53 Anders Forsbrand 73 72 73 70 288 $2,790
54 Howard Clark 72 74 73 70 289 $2,710
55 Ronnie Black 70 76 70 73 289 $2,710
56 Blaine McCallister 73 69 68 79 289 $2,710
57 Steve Pate 74 66 70 79 289 $2,710
58 Kenny Knox 68 71 75 75 289 $2,710
59 Jim Simons 77 69 71 72 289 $2,710
60 Roger Maltbie 73 71 71 74 289 $2,710
61 Mark Calcavecchia 73 70 73 74 290 $2,628
62 Bill Glasson 71 75 74 70 290 $2,628
63 Tom Purtzer 71 72 75 73 291 $2,598
64 J.C. Snead 72 74 74 71 291 $2,598
65 Bill Kratzert 72 72 72 76 292 $2,575
66 George Burns 73 72 71 77 293 $2,553
67 Jack Nicklaus 73 73 72 75 293 $2,553
68 Ernie Gonzalez 75 70 72 77 294 $2,530
69 Larry Rinker 72 74 76 73 295 $2,505
70 Roger Davis 72 74 76 73 295 $2,505
71 Bob Murphy 74 72 73 76 295 $2,505
72 Pat McGowan 71 72 76 77 296 $2,500
73 Dan Forsman 69 71 74 82 296 $2,500
74 Lenny Clements 70 76 73 78 297 $2,500
75 Ossie Moore 72 73 76 76 297 $2,500
76 Hubert Green 69 73 77 80 299 $2,500
77 Tom Byrum 74 72 76 78 300 $2,500

Leaders

First Round
Curt Byrum shot an eight-under-par 64 to tie the tournament record and take a two-stroke lead over Joey Sindelar.

Second Round
Scott Hoch added a 64 to his opening round of 67 for a tournament record total of 13-under-par 131. He led by four strokes over Curt Byrum.

Third Round
Hoch shot a 5-under-par 67 for a tournament record total of 18-under-par 198 and he led by 4 strokes over Don Pooley.

Notes

Cut Notes:

77 players at two-over par 146.

Missed Cut:

Fulton Allem (75-72-MC), Phil Blackmar (82-77-MC), Gordon Brand (74-76-MC), Danny Edwards (77-74-MC), Steve Elkington (79-72-MC), Brad Fabel (76-77-MC), Rick Fehr (79-75-MC), Ed Fiori (73-77-MC), Ray Floyd (76-74-MC), Dan Halldorson (77-75-MC), Jim Hallet (76-74-MC), Mike Hulbert (79-68-MC), Peter Jacobsen (74-75-MC), Mats Lanner (78-80-MC), Rocco Mediate (74-73-MC), Andy North (75-73-MC), Aki Ohmachi (75-77-MC) Mark O`Meara (78-72-MC), Corey Pavin (79-73-MC), Kenny Perry (75-72-MC), Mike Reid (70-77-MC), Bill Rogers (74-73-MC), Tony Sills (75-72-MC), Jeff Sluman (76-76-MC), Mike Sullivan (80-73-MC), Bob Tway (73-76-MC), Howard Twitty (75-77-MC), Scott Verplank (73-74-MC), Mark Wiebe (74-74-MC), Fuzzy Zoeller (75-73-MC).

Weather:

Thursday, mostly sunny. Friday, cloudy. Saturday, heavy rain forced suspension of play at 1:20 p.m. and it was called for day at 4:45 p.m. with 59 players still on course. Round completed early Sunday morning and then fourth round played in afternoon under cloudy skies.

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