Mike Hulbert
Encyclopedia
Michael Patrick Hulbert (born April 14, 1958) is an American
professional golfer
and sportscaster
.
Hulbert was born in Elmira, New York
. He grew up in Horseheads, New York
, and was a childhood friend and high school golf rival of fellow PGA Tour
player Joey Sindelar
. Hulbert attended East Tennessee State University
in Johnson City, Tennessee
; he earned All-American honors as a member of the golf team in 1979 and 1980. He turned pro in 1981 and joined the PGA Tour in 1985.
Hulbert won three times on the PGA Tour
; his last two wins came in playoffs. His first win came at the Federal Express St. Jude Classic in 1986 by one stroke over Joey Sindelar
. His second victory was at the 1989 B.C. Open
in a playoff over Bob Estes
. In his third win at the 1991 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic, he defeated Kenny Knox
on the first hole in a playoff. Hulbert's best finishes in major championships
were a T-6 at the 1992 U.S. Open
, and a T-7 at the 1986 PGA Championship
. He has had more than 45 top-10 finishes in his PGA Tour career including more than a half-dozen 2nd or 3rd place finishes.
Hulbert had a knack for the Plantation Course at the Kapalua International
, an event he won in 1991, and finished 2nd to Davis Love III
in 1992. During the 3rd round of the 1993 event he was in the final group paired with Fred Couples
. Couples was blistering his own drives during this round, some 30 yards past Hulbert, and Hulbert wittingly went up to on-course commentator Steve Melnyk
and asked, "How come every time Fred Couples drives it's always downwind?"
During most of the 1995 PGA Tour season Hulbert putted one-handed, earning him the moniker "The One-Armed Bandit"; he almost won the Buick Invitational
while doing so. When he switched back to a traditional two-handed putting grip in the late summer at The International
he found himself on the first pages of the leaderboard as CBS Sports
came on the air for weekend coverage, prompting announcer Jim Nantz
to note: "Mike Hulbert, driving with two hands on the wheel this week!"
Hulbert caddied for Davis Love III
at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Northern Trust Open in the early part of 2008 prior to starting play on the Champions Tour
. He began play on the Champions Tour in April 2008. He finished T8 in his debut event, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am
, and matched it a year later at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
Hulbert has worked as a sports broadcaster for USA Network
, CBS Sports
, ESPN
, and the Golf Channel. During the 2003 Buick Open
he interviewed eventual champion Jim Furyk
from what appeared to be a snack bar during a rain delay while covering the early rounds on USA Network
. Other players (who were not visible, nor identified) were in the room at the time of Furyk's interview and proceeded to throw popcorn at them from off camera as the interview progressed. At one point Furyk even held up a golf towel to block the popcorn as it got worse, and he stated that: "It looks like it's pick on Hubby day!"
In 2002, Hulbert was inducted into the East Tennessee State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Hulbert has had more than 4.7 million dollars in career earnings. He lives in Orlando, Florida
with his wife and two sons. He has a brother named John, a club professional who once qualified for the U.S. Open.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
and sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
.
Hulbert was born in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. He grew up in Horseheads, New York
Horseheads (village), New York
Horseheads is a village in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 6,461 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the number of bleached skulls of pack horses left behind by the Sullivan Expedition....
, and was a childhood friend and high school golf rival of fellow PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
player Joey Sindelar
Joey Sindelar
Joseph Paul Sindelar is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour.Sindelar was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky while his father was serving in the Army, but has lived in New York for most of his life...
. Hulbert attended East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
; he earned All-American honors as a member of the golf team in 1979 and 1980. He turned pro in 1981 and joined the PGA Tour in 1985.
Hulbert won three times on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
; his last two wins came in playoffs. His first win came at the Federal Express St. Jude Classic in 1986 by one stroke over Joey Sindelar
Joey Sindelar
Joseph Paul Sindelar is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour.Sindelar was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky while his father was serving in the Army, but has lived in New York for most of his life...
. His second victory was at the 1989 B.C. Open
B.C. Open
The Dick's Sporting Goods Open is a Champions Tour event. It debuted in July 2007, supplanting the B.C. Open, a now-defunct PGA Tour event, which was held annually from 1971 to 2006. It is sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods....
in a playoff over Bob Estes
Bob Estes
Bob Alan Estes is an American professional golfer.Estes was born in Graham, Texas and reared in Abilene, Texas. He first played golf at age 4 and decided to become a professional golfer at age 12. Estes attended the University of Texas from 1984–1988, and was a member of the golf team...
. In his third win at the 1991 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic, he defeated Kenny Knox
Kenny Knox
Edward Kenneth Knox is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and the Champions Tour....
on the first hole in a playoff. Hulbert's best finishes in major championships
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
were a T-6 at the 1992 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, and a T-7 at the 1986 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. He has had more than 45 top-10 finishes in his PGA Tour career including more than a half-dozen 2nd or 3rd place finishes.
Hulbert had a knack for the Plantation Course at the Kapalua International
Kapalua International
The Kapalua International was an unofficial PGA Tour event from 1982 to 1997. It was played after the end of the regular PGA Tour season. It was played at the Kapalua Golf Club in Kapalua, Hawaii...
, an event he won in 1991, and finished 2nd to Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
in 1992. During the 3rd round of the 1993 event he was in the final group paired with Fred Couples
Fred Couples
Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship...
. Couples was blistering his own drives during this round, some 30 yards past Hulbert, and Hulbert wittingly went up to on-course commentator Steve Melnyk
Steve Melnyk (golfer)
Steven N. Melnyk is a former American professional golfer and golf sportscaster best known for his success as an amateur golfer. Melnyk won both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.- Early years :...
and asked, "How come every time Fred Couples drives it's always downwind?"
During most of the 1995 PGA Tour season Hulbert putted one-handed, earning him the moniker "The One-Armed Bandit"; he almost won the Buick Invitational
Buick Invitational
The Farmers Insurance Open is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the "West Coast Swing." The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 to 1988. The tournament...
while doing so. When he switched back to a traditional two-handed putting grip in the late summer at The International
The International (golf)
The International was a professional golf tournament played from 1986 to 2006 at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, Colorado. It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match...
he found himself on the first pages of the leaderboard as CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
came on the air for weekend coverage, prompting announcer Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
to note: "Mike Hulbert, driving with two hands on the wheel this week!"
Hulbert caddied for Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the Northern Trust Open in the early part of 2008 prior to starting play on the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
. He began play on the Champions Tour in April 2008. He finished T8 in his debut event, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am
Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am
The Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in April in Lutz, Florida at the TPC Tampa Bay. Outback Steakhouse is the main sponsor of the tournament....
, and matched it a year later at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
Hulbert has worked as a sports broadcaster for USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
, CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, and the Golf Channel. During the 2003 Buick Open
Buick Open
The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship...
he interviewed eventual champion Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
from what appeared to be a snack bar during a rain delay while covering the early rounds on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. Other players (who were not visible, nor identified) were in the room at the time of Furyk's interview and proceeded to throw popcorn at them from off camera as the interview progressed. At one point Furyk even held up a golf towel to block the popcorn as it got worse, and he stated that: "It looks like it's pick on Hubby day!"
In 2002, Hulbert was inducted into the East Tennessee State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Hulbert has had more than 4.7 million dollars in career earnings. He lives in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
with his wife and two sons. He has a brother named John, a club professional who once qualified for the U.S. Open.
PGA Tour
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 31, 1986 1986 PGA Tour The 1986 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Bob Tway won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Federal Express St. Jude Classic | 1 stroke |  Joey SindelarJoey Sindelar Joseph Paul Sindelar is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour.Sindelar was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky while his father was serving in the Army, but has lived in New York for most of his life... |
|
| 2 | Sep 10, 1989 1989 PGA Tour The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
B.C. Open B.C. Open The Dick's Sporting Goods Open is a Champions Tour event. It debuted in July 2007, supplanting the B.C. Open, a now-defunct PGA Tour event, which was held annually from 1971 to 2006. It is sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods.... |
Playoff | Bob Estes Bob Estes Bob Alan Estes is an American professional golfer.Estes was born in Graham, Texas and reared in Abilene, Texas. He first played golf at age 4 and decided to become a professional golfer at age 12. Estes attended the University of Texas from 1984–1988, and was a member of the golf team... |
|
| 3 | Jun 23, 1991 1991 PGA Tour The 1991 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, and Ian Woosnam won the most tournaments, two, and there were 14 first-time winners... |
Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | Playoff | Kenny Knox Kenny Knox Edward Kenneth Knox is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and the Champions Tour.... |
Other wins
- 1987 Chrysler Team ChampionshipChrysler Team ChampionshipThe Chrysler Team Championship was an unofficial event on the PGA Tour from 1983 to 1990. It used a two-man better-ball format. It was played at Boca West Resort and Club and Broken Sound Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida from 1983 to 1986; at Palm Beach Polo Club, Wellington Club and Greenview...
(with Bob TwayBob TwayRobert Raymond Tway IV is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including eight PGA Tour victories. He spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 1986-87....
) - 1991 Isuzu Kapalua International
- 1996 JCPenney ClassicJCPenney ClassicThe JCPenney Classic was a mixed team golf tournament sponsored by the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour. Teams consisted of one PGA Tour player and one LPGA Tour player . It was played in California and Florida...
(with Donna Andrews)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | 48 | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T7 | CUT | CUT | T27 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T45 | DNP | T19 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T29 | DNP | T6 | T62 | CUT | T28 | DNP | T68 | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T39 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T49 | T23 | T28 | T31 | DNP | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.