Don Bies (born December 10, 1937) is an American professional golfer who has won tournaments on the PGA Tour, the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour), and in the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA of America.
| Don Bies | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 10, 1937 Cottonwood, Idaho |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Seattle, Washington |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1957 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 30 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 7 |
| Other | 15 (regular) 6 (senior) |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T33: 1969 |
| PGA Championship | T7: 1967 |
| U.S. Open | T5: 1968 |
| The Open Championship | 65th: 1980 |
Early life
Bies was born in Cottonwood, Idaho. He attended Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington.
Professional career
In 1957, Bies turned pro. His only PGA Tour win came at the 1975 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open.[1] His best finish in a major was a T-5 at the 1968 U.S. Open that was played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. He left the PGA Tour in 1980 in order to devote full-time to his restaurant he had opened just outside Seattle.[2]
Bies has also had much success in local events in the Pacific Northwest. He is a three-time winner of the Washington Open and a six-time winner of the Washington State Match Play Championship.
Senior career
After turning 50 at the end of 1987, Bies joined the Senior PGA Tour, where his fortunes improved dramatically for winning tournaments. He has won numerous events both on the regular Senior PGA Tour and in non-Tour senior events. These wins include a senior major championship – The Tradition at Desert Mountain in 1989.[3]
Awards and honors
In 1994, Bies was elected a member of the Pacific Northwest PGA Hall of Fame.[4]
Professional wins (30)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 17, 1975 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | −15 (65-66-67-69=267) | Playoff |  Hubert Green |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1975 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | Hubert Green | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
PGA Tour of Australia wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 29, 1989 | Air New Zealand Shell Open | −5 (70-71-69-65=275) | 4 strokes |  Brad Andrews, Glenn Joyner |
Other wins (15)
this list may be incomplete
- 1959 Washington Open
- 1961 Washington State Match Play
- 1962 Northwest Open
- 1963 Washington State Match Play
- 1964 Washington State Match Play
- 1965 Washington State Match Play
- 1967 Pacific Northwest PGA Championship
- 1968 Washington State Match Play
- 1980 Washington Open, British Columbia Open
- 1983 Washington State Match Play
- 1984 Northwest Open
- 1987 Washington Open, PNW PGA Al Guisti Memorial
- 1988 PNW PGA Al Giusti Memorial
Senior PGA Tour wins (7)
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (1) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (6) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 19, 1988 | Northville Long Island Classic | −14 (69-67-66=202) | 2 strokes |  Bob Charles |
| 2 | Dec 4, 1988 | GTE Kaanapali Classic | −12 (68-67-69=204) | 1 stroke | Don January |
| 3 | Apr 2, 1989 | Murata Seniors Reunion | −8 (68-67-73=208) | 6 strokes |  Harold Henning |
| 4 | Apr 16, 1989 | The Tradition | −13 (71-70-68-66=275) | 1 stroke | Gary Player |
| 5 | Dec 9, 1989 | GTE Kaanapali Classic (2) | −12 (68-64=132) | 1 stroke | Dale Douglass |
| 6 | Jun 7, 1992 | PaineWebber Invitational | −13 (66-71-66=203) | 1 stroke | Lee Trevino |
| 7 | Oct 15, 1995 | Raley's Senior Gold Rush | −11 (69-68-68=205) | 1 stroke | Lee Trevino |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1989 | Northville Long Island Classic | Butch Baird, Frank Beard, Orville Moody | Baird won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other senior wins (6)
- 1989 DuPont Cup (Japan vs. U.S. Senior Golf Match)
- 1990 Chrysler Cup
- 2002 Washington State PGA Senior Invitational
- 2003 Washington State PGA Senior Invitational
- 2004 Pacific Northwest Senior PGA Championship, Oregon Senior Open
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Tradition at Desert Mountain | −13 (71-70-68-66=275) | 1 stroke | Gary Player |