Lonnie Nielsen

Nielsen was born and raised in Belle Plaine, Iowa. His father started him in golf as a youngster on the sand green courses in and around his hometown. He attended the University of Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1976.
Nielsen was a member of the PGA Tour from 1978?1983 but did not win any tournaments. He has won over 30 other tournaments, though, most of which were in New York. Has made 142 starts on the PGA Tour, making 76 cuts and placing in the top-10 twice. Best finish in a major was T-11th in the 1986 PGA Championship.
Nielsen became a member of the PGA Tour Champions upon reaching the age of 50 in the summer of 2003, and has enjoyed plenty of success. He began playing on it, in earnest, in 2004, when he played 26 times, and made the cut in all of them. He had 12 top-25 finishes and five inside the top ten. He made $529,262, good for 36th on the money list. The next year, he made the cut in all 24 tries, notching five more top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the 3M Championship, banking $140,000 in the process. He finished 26th on the money list with $693,651. He improved on those earnings in 2006, making 25 cuts in 26 tries. He added another runner-up, at the JELD-WEN Tradition, earning $220,000. He made $694,212 in 2006, 27th on the money list. He broke through with his first victory on the PGA Tour Champions in 2007, en route to making the cut in all 27 events. The win came at the Commerce Bank Championship and he earned $225,000 in the process. He finished 17th on the money list with $989,722. He finished as the runner-up three times in 2008, but couldn?t win. He made the cut in all 27 events, once again, and finished 11th on the money list, the best of his career. He earned $1,224,012 on the year, the most in his career. He made 24 cuts in 25 appearances in 2009, winning again at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open, where he came from three strokes behind Fred Funk in the final round with a 9-under par 63 to win by three strokes. The win was worth $247,500. He made $710,203 on the year, 21st on the money list. Has a career 33 total top-10 finishes in 187 starts on the PGA Tour Champions.
In 2009, Nielsen became the first tour professional to serve as a lead contributor to the GIVE (Golf For Injured Veterans Everywhere) Foundation.
Nielsen was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2010.
Won the 2013 Western New York Section PGA Championship and the Western New York PGA Match Play Championship. At the end of 2013, had a full knee replacement. Nielsen had his right knee replaced in 2010 and the 2013 surgery was his 12th surgery.
Has split his career between the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and being a PGA club professional the latter part of the 1980s and most of the 1990s.
Former PGA Director of Golf at Crag Burn Golf Club in East Aurora, N.Y. Winner of the 1986, '87 and '89 National PGA Professional Player of the Year Award. A 12-time winner of the Western New York PGA Player of the Year award. A nine-time winner of the Western New York PGA Section Championship. Won the 1988 PGA Stroke Play Championship along with the '88 and '89 PGA Match Play Championship and the '85 and '89 New York State Open. A 10-time winner of the Western New York PGA Match Play Championship.
Established more than 40 course records, with his career-best of 61 at the Pima Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., and at Dragon Ridge Country Club in Las Vegas, Nev.