Duffy Waldorf

When he was small, his grandparents nicknamed him "Duffy" because he tagged along on the golf course, so they called him "Little Duffer." An avid wine collector, Waldorf can often be spotted on the course in his colorful Hawaiian shirts and hat. His family and friends write good-luck wishes on the golf balls he uses.
As an amateur, he won the 1984 California State Amateur and the Broadmoor Invitational. In 1985, he earned first-team All-America honors at UCLA and was the Pac-10 Conference's Player of the Year that same season. He was also a member of the 1985 USA Walker Cup Team.
While competing on the PGA Tour from 1987-2012, played in 592 events, winning four and finishing runner-up eight times. He made 369 cuts, finishing in the top 10 62 times and earning $11,902,599. His PGA Tour career was sidelined in 2008 with knee problems, which required surgery and forced him to miss the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
2012 Notes: Waldorf appeared on all three tours, joining the PGA Tour Champions in late August at the Boeing Classic, where he tied for eighth. His best finish was at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, where he finished second. He rallied from four strokes back that Sunday to catch Fred Funk late on the front nine, but Funk birdied the final hole to win the event. He played 11 events on the PGA Tour on a Major Medical Extension (knee surgery). The best effort was a T-21st at the True South Classic. They also made 11 appearances on the Korn Ferry.com Tour and was in the top 10 twice. He finished tied for second in the TPC Stonebrae Championship, closing his week with a 31 on his final nine holes to challenge for the win. It was his first top 10 in a PGA Tour-sponsored event since a tie for third at the 2006 Chrysler Classic of Tucson on the PGA Tour and his highest finish since finishing runner-up at the 2003 FBR Capital Open.
2013 Notes: He played in 24 events and was the only player among the top 10 on the Charles Schwab Cup points list without a victory. His 12 top 10s were also the most by a player during the season without a victory. His best finish was a T-2nd at the Constellation Senior Players Championship, where he finished two shots back of winner Kenny Perry.
2014 Notes: He registered five of his six top-10 performances before mid-June and had his two best weeks of the season in his first two starts in Florida in February. He lost in a playoff to Michael Allen at the Allianz Championship when he couldn't get up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie on the second extra hole after Allen two-putted for a birdie. They missed a 7-foot birdie putt to extend the overtime. He made another run the following week at The ACE Group Classic. He posted three rounds in the 60s and was among four players who battled down the stretch before his chances ended with a bogey on the final hole. Was T-2nd along with Olin Browne and Bernhard Langer, one shy in the final standings to Kirk Triplett, who sank a six-foot par putt on the final hole for the win. He had three more top-tens, first at the Greater Gwinnett Championship with a T-5th finish. Then he finished T-10th at the Principal Charity Classic, followed by a T-7th when he joined forces with former UCLA teammate Corey Pavin at the Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf. He finished the year 24th on the money list and 31st in the Schwab Rankings.
2015 Notes: Became a winner for the first time with a two-shot win over Joe Durant at the Toshiba Classic, the season's final full-field event. An 11-under-par 60 effort Saturday was the impetus for his victory in his 73rd start on the PGA Tour Champions. He flirted with the magical number 59 in the second round at the Newport Beach CC, needing a birdie on his final two holes, but failed to convert those opportunities. He followed his Toshiba Classic victory with a T-9th at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. In late April, I was T-5th with former UCLA teammate Corey Pavin at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf. One week later, he used a final-round 67 to move into a T-6th at the Insperity Invitational. Also, T-6th at the Encompass Championship after three consecutive sub-par scores at North Shore CC. He rebounded from a 2-over-par 72 in the opening round of the U.S. Senior Open with three consecutive rounds in the 60s to finish T-10th. He made his first start in a PGA Tour event in nearly two years but missed the cut at March's Puerto Rico Open, but finished T-23rd at the Barbasol Championship in July. He was 18th on the Champions Tour money list and 20th in the Schwab rankings.
2016 Notes: Earned the first win of the year when he sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Tom Lehman at the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. The victory was his second in his last three starts, dating back to the 2015 Toshiba Classic, the year's final full-field event. In April, he was T-4th with teammate Corey Pavin at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf. Three consecutive rounds in the 60s led to a T-6th finish at the Tucson Conquistadores Classic in March. Was T-7th at the Insperity Invitational and the Regions Tradition. T-4th at the Principal Charity Classic, he was four back of winner Scott McCarron. Had three T-6th finishes at the Shaw Charity Classic, Dominion Charity Classic, and Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Started 26 events and registered 10 top-10s. He finished 10th on the money list and Schwab Ranking.
2017 Notes: Played in 26 events, made it to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship for the fifth consecutive time, and finished 26th on the Charles Schwab Cup money list. He made a hole-in-one in the first round at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf. One day later teamed with former UCLA teammate Corey Pavin to finish T-2nd at the event, one shot shy of the winning team of Carlos Franco and Vijay Singh. He finished T-4th in defense of his title at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. Also, T-6th at the Dominion Energy Classic, T-7th at the 3M Championship, T-9th at the Tucson Conquistadores Classic, and 10th at the Senior PGA Championship. He won the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational in November when he made up seven shots on the final day to defeat Kevin Sutherland, Tom Pernice, Jr., and Sam Burns by a shot.
2018 Notes: Played in 27 PGA Tour Champions events with four top-ten finishes. T-5th at the Regions Tradition, finishing on the weekend with rounds of 66-66 and 4 shots back of winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. He was T-6th at the Constellation Senior Players, had a final round 64, and was 4 shots back of the Singh/Maggert playoff. He was 4th at the Pure Insurance Championship, 2 shots back of winner Ken Tanigawa. At the first Playoffs event, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, Waldorf made his 100th consecutive start, the longest active streak on Tour (also finished T-10th). Advanced to the Charles Schwab Cup for the sixth consecutive year and finished T-13th to finish 29th in the standings and 23rd on the money list.
2019 Notes: Played in 24 PGA Tour Champions events with three top-ten finishes. It was 38th on the Schwab Rankings. Best finish 4th at the American Family Insurance Championship, 1 shot back of the Kelly/Goosen/Stricker playoff. Also was T-8th at the Senior PGA Championship and T-9th at Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
2020 & 2021 Notes: He played in 34 PGA Tour Champions events with three top-ten finishes. He was 59th on the Schwab Rankings. He was T-10th at the 2020 Morocco Champions and T-10th at the TimberTech Championship. He was T-8th at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. He ended his season with a T-38th finish at the Dominion Energy Charity.
2022 Notes: Played in 18 PGA Tour Champions events, was 68th in the Schwab rankings, and 70th on the money list with earnings of $196,209. Best finish T-15th at Dick's Sporting Goods Open. I went to the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying tournament and was T-60th.
2023 Notes: Played in 20 PGA Tour Champions events, was 81st in the Schwab rankings, and 81st on the money list with earnings of $122,890. Best finish T-27th at the Shaw Charity Classic.
2024 Notes: Best finish T-16th at the Insperity Invitational.