Tommy Tolles

Played on the South African Tour in 1989-90. Played first professional tournament in Durban, South Africa, in 1989, flying on a ticket that had been purchased by Nolan Henke, a friend from junior golf. Henke had planned to play South African Tour but made it through PGA Tour Q-School instead. Met wife, Ilse, while playing South African Tour.
First earned PGA Tour membership with a 24th-place finish at the 1994 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, finally getting his card on his seventh try. In the first full year in 1995, earned more than $160,000. Member of the PGA Tour from 1995-2002 and 2004, he played in 233 events making 122 cuts. Was in the top-10, 24 times his best finish was T-2nd at the 1996 Players Championship and T-2nd at the 1999 Sony Open at Hawaii. Has had special moments in three of the four majors, was T-3rd at the 1996 PGA Championship, one back of winner Mark Brooks. Was 3rd at the 1997 Masters, 13 back of Tiger Woods, and was T-5th at the 1997 U.S. Open six back of winner Ernie Els. Tolles earned a total of $3,387,665 on the PGA Tour and his best year was 1996 when he finished 16th on the money list with $871,589. In 1997 he finished one spot out (11th) from making the Ryder Cup team. Played his last PGA Tour event in 2005.
Member of the Web Tour from 1991-94, 2003, and 2006-08. Played in 195 events making 107 cuts. Was in the top-10, 29 times winning twice, 1993 Ozarks Open, and 1994 Alabama Classic. Was also runner-up four times. Earned $667,850, his best year was 2003 when he played in 29 events, was second twice, and finished 20th on the money list with $179,963. Played in his last Web.com Tour event in 2009.
Tolles biggest problem was having to endure a back surgery in 2008, he shifted his focus toward his landscaping business in North Carolina. At the same time playing in a lot of mini-tour events.
On turning 50 in 2016 went to Champions Q-School, and finished T-41st. Was committed to giving that tour a run in 2017 and 2018, even to the point of having to play in Monday qualifying events. He grabbed a spot at the 2017 Principal Charity Classic, finishing T-53rd. Also, Monday qualified for his second event, the American Family Insurance Championship finishing T-36th. Missed the cut at the U.S. Senior Open, but finishing T-16th at Dick's Sporting Goods and T-59th at Shaw Charity Classic. At the end of the year got his PGA Tour Champions Tour card finishing 2nd at Q-School losing a playoff to Tom Byram.
2018 Notes: Made 21 PGA Tour Champions starts with two top-ten finishes. Was T-9th at the Cologuard Classic, a week later finished T-2nd a shot back of winner Vijay Singh. Tolles payday of $132,000 was his biggest since he finished T-4th at the 2001 Texas Open and won $132,000. Advanced to the second Playoffs event, the Invesco QQQ Championship, and finished 50th in the standings. Returned to PGA Tour Champions Q-School, advancing to the final stage and ultimately finishing T-13th.
2019 Notes: Played in 18 PGA Tour Champions events with three top-tens and finished 25th in the Charles Schwab Cup. Was T-5th at the Boeing Classic, seven shots back of winner Brandt Jobe. Was a 36-hole co-leader and finished 2nd after a final-round 68 at the Dominion Energy Charity, two shots back of winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. Shot rounds of 68-69-66 to finish T-3rd at the Invesco QQQ Championship a shot back of the Colin Montgomerie/Bernhard Langer playoff. His high finish got him a spot in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship where he finished 32nd.
2020/'21 Notes: Played in 9 PGA Tour Champions events with one top-25 and finished 116th in the Charles Schwab Cup. His first start of 2020 was T-20th in the Morocco Champions.
2022 Notes: He was T-47th at the ClubCorp Classic.