Rodney Dean Curl (born January 9, 1943) is an American professional golfer best known for being the first full-blooded Native American to win a PGA Tour event.
Early life
Curl was born in Redding, California. He is a Wintu Indian.12 Before taking up golf at age 19, he was an outstanding baseball player at Central Valley High School in Shasta County, California.3
Professional career
In 1968, Curl turned pro. He joined the PGA Tour in 1969 and played regularly through 1978. He had 42 top-10 finishes in official PGA Tour events including one win and a half-dozen second and third-place finishes. In 1974, he won the Colonial National Invitation in Fort Worth by one stroke after runner-up Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the 17th hole and a birdied the last.4567
Curl played in a limited number of Senior Tour events after reaching the age of 50 in 1993. Late in life, he worked as a corporate instructor with VIP Golf Academy.
Personal life
Curl lives in Jupiter, Florida.
Professional wins (3)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin ofvictory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 19, 1974 | Colonial National Invitation | 70-67-71-68=276 | −4 | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus |
Pro Golf Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin ofvictory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 29, 1988 | Pointe Royale Invitational | 68-71-64-64=267 | −13 | 4 strokes | Ben Theobald |
Other wins (1)
- 1977 World Indian Open8
See also
External links
- Rod Curl at the PGA Tour official site
- Database Golf – Rod Curl
- California Indian Education – Sports heroes – Rod Curl
References
"Curl refuses to fold, beats Nicklaus in Colonial". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. May 20, 1974. p. 10. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JQg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6367%2C4177577 ↩
Grimsley, Will (April 10, 1975). "Rod Curl only playing for himself". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1C. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A0YfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ftEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3068%2C3918026 ↩
Biographical information from Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame http://www.shastacosportshof.org/hof.htm ↩
Radosta, John S. (May 20, 1974). "Rod Curl wins golf by stroke". New York Times. p. 41. https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/20/archives/rod-curl-wins-golf-by-stroke-curl-takes-golf-by-shot-over-nicklaus.html?_r=0 ↩
"Curl refuses to fold, beats Nicklaus in Colonial". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. May 20, 1974. p. 10. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JQg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6367%2C4177577 ↩
PGATOUR.com - Bank of America Colonial http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r021/news200404051327146749815SVRT5XRRZ2 ↩
Rabun, Mike (May 20, 1974). "Dream come true for Rod Curl". Beaver County Times. (Pennsylvania). UPI. p. C-3. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4lgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ftoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2371%2C821645 ↩
Official 1991 PGA Tour Media Guide. PGA Tour Creative Services. 1991. p. 190. ↩