Jay Sigel

Robert Jay Sigel (born November 13, 1943) is an American professional golfer. He enjoyed one of the more illustrious careers in the history of U.S. amateur golf, before turning pro in 1993 at age 50, when he became a member of the Senior PGA Tour, now known as the PGA Tour Champions.

Jay Sigel
Personal information
Full nameRobert Jay Sigel
Born (1943-11-13) November 13, 1943
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight212 lb (96 kg; 15.1 st)
Nationality United States
ResidenceBerwyn, Pennsylvania
Career
CollegeWake Forest University
Turned professional1993
Former tour(s)Champions Tour
Professional wins20
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour Champions8
Other12
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT26: 1980
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenT43: 1984
The Open ChampionshipT38: 1980
Achievements and awards
Bob Jones Award1984

Early years

Born and raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Sigel grew up playing golf at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. He attended high school at Lower Merion High School in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. From there he moved on to Wake Forest University, where he was a member of the golf team, and graduated with a degree in Sociology in 1967.

Business career and personal life

Sigel was considering a professional golf career while in college, but injured his arm in an accident.[1] He decided on a career in insurance, while competing in high-level amateur golf. Sigel developed his own successful insurance business in the Philadelphia area for over 30 years. He recently sold the business to Century Business Services, where he remains a Senior Vice President. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and a qualifying life member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He also sits on the Corporate Advisory Board for the American Cancer Society, and is the president of the Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association and the First Tee of Philadelphia chapter. He hosts the Annual Jay Sigel Invitational Golf Tournament at his home course, Aronimink Golf Club. The proceeds from this tournament benefit prostate cancer research at the University of Pennsylvania. He has three daughters and currently resides in Berwyn, Pennsylvania with wife Betty.

Amateur golf highlights

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Sigel was one of America's premier amateur golfers. He compiled victories in the U.S. Amateur, British Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur, competed on nine Walker Cup teams, and won numerous other amateur titles. In 1983, he became the only golfer ever to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur in the same year, which made him only the third golfer to win two USGA individual titles in the same year. He was also runner-up in the Canadian Amateur Championship that year. Although he remained an amateur he did occasionally compete in professional events on the PGA Tour. His best finish was tied 18th at the 1979 IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic. He was the low amateur in the 1980 Open Championship, the 1984 U.S. Open, and the Masters Tournament in 1980, 1981, and 1988.

Professional golf

Sigel turned professional when he reached the age of 50. He joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1994 and won Rookie of the Year honors, when he earned 14 top-10 finishes and secured his first victory at the GTE West Classic. For the next five seasons, he finished in the top-31 on the Senior Tour money list. He won eight events; the last was the 2003 Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am. In the 2004 Champions Tour season, Sigel finished in the money in all 28 tournaments that he entered and had six top-10 finishes. During the 2005 campaign his best finish was 5th at the Turtle Bay Championship. He has career earnings of over $9 million. Since joining the Champions Tour in 1994, Sigel has been sponsored by Global Management Consulting and technology services company Accenture.

Amateur wins

this list may be incomplete

Professional wins

Other wins (10)

this list may be incomplete

all as an amateur

Champions Tour wins (8)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 Mar 6, 1994 GTE West Classic 70-66-62=198 –12 Playoff Jim Colbert
2 Nov 10, 1996 Energizer Senior Tour Championship 69-69-69-72=279 –9 2 strokes Kermit Zarley
3 May 4, 1997 Bruno's Memorial Classic 68-67-70=205 –11 3 strokes Gil Morgan
4 Jul 6, 1997 Kroger Senior Classic 66-63-66=195 –18 7 strokes Isao Aoki
5 May 24, 1998 Bell Atlantic Classic 74-62-69=205 –11 Playoff José María Cañizares
6 Oct 25, 1998 EMC Kaanapali Classic 61-72-68=201 –12 2 strokes Hugh Baiocchi, Larry Laoretti
7 May 26, 2002 Farmers Charity Classic 67-69-67=203 –13 2 strokes Morris Hatalsky
8 May 18, 2003 Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am 72-68-65=205 –11 1 stroke Mike McCullough

Champions Tour playoff record (2–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1994 GTE West Classic Jim Colbert Won with birdie on fourth extra hole
2 1997 Toshiba Senior Classic Bob Murphy Lost to birdie on ninth extra hole
3 1997 Northville Long Island Classic Dana Quigley Lost to par on third extra hole
4 1998 Bell Atlantic Classic José María Cañizares Won with birdie on third extra hole

Other senior wins
  • 1997 Diners Club Matches (with Gil Morgan)
  • 2006 Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions Championship (unofficial Champions Tour event)

Results in major championships
Tournament 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Masters Tournament CUT CUT T26LA T35LA CUT CUT CUT T44 CUT CUT T39LA
U.S. Open CUT CUT T43LA T64 CUT
The Open Championship T38LA CUT

Note: Sigel never played in the PGA Championship

  Did not play

LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

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See also

References
  1. "Injured golfer isn't thinking of past". Lodi News-Seninel. (California). UPI. September 7, 1982. p. 18.
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