Doyle’s Play Is Worth His Wait

He thought about turning professional when he was 30 but figured he was probably too old.

He got the itch again at 36 but thought it was way too late by then.

So Allan Doyle waited.

The heavily decorated amateur who owns and operates a driving range in La Grange, Ga., thought the Senior PGA Tour--where 50 is the minimum age--would be the place for him.

The wait has paid off.

Now 50 and a rookie on the Senior Tour, Doyle already has a victory and a 12th-place finish in four tournaments and ranks third on the 1999 Senior PGA Tour money list with $243,524. He tries to increase that total starting Friday at the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club in Newport Beach.

“It’s kind of ironic that things worked out this way,” Doyle said. “I thought about [turning pro] so many times, but I had kids and they came first. When they became college aged, I was turning 50 so it was feasible.”

Among his amateur accomplishments are six Georgia State Opens, the 1994 Porter Cup and semifinal appearance in the 1992 U.S. Amateur Championship. Twice named to the U.S. Walker Cup team , he turned professional in 1995.

“It was hard to know how I might or might not do,” Doyle said. “Not having played a lot of these guys and knowing the kind of game it took to win out here, it was hard to get an idea of how I would do. But I figured if I don’t make it, at least I tried.”

At 47, he won three Nike Tour events and was co-medalist at the PGA Tour qualifying school in December, 1995, becoming the oldest rookie in PGA Tour history.

He made 28 starts in 1996 and 28 more in 1997, winning $136,789 in 1996 but has found real success as a senior.

So has another rookie, Bruce Fleisher, who after winning his first two events, leads the 1999 money list with $435,600.

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Fleisher, who had committed to play at Newport Beach, withdrew because of pneumonia.

Fleisher is recuperating at his home in Florida after spending several days in a hospital.

Alternate Larry Mowry, a five-time Senior PGA Tour winner, has been added to the field to replace Fleisher.

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The final four spots in the field were filled Monday in a qualifier at Los Serranos Golf Course in Chino Hills.

Bill Hall of St. Louis shot three-under-par 71 to win the qualifier.

Norm Davis of Riverside, Steve Veriato of Buda, Texas, and Babe Hiskey of Galena Park, Texas, all shot 72 for the final three spots.

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Today’s schedule includes practice rounds all day and a junior golf clinic led by Senior PGA Tour player Rick Acton, who shot 65 in the final round of the 1996 Senior Classic and finished 23rd.

The junior clinic, which begins at 4 p.m., is held in conjunction with the Southern California PGA foundation and will include a discussion about golf and hands-on tutoring.