Strange, Curtis N.
Golf
b. Jan. 30, 1955, Norfolk, VA
The son of a golf professional, Strange began playing when he was eight years old. He won the NCAA championship and the World Amateur Cup in 1974 as a student at Wake Forest University. He also won the 1975 Eastern Amateur.
Strange left school to join the PGA tour in 1976. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder is noted for his accuracy and consistency, but a bad temper often hampered his play during his early years as a professional.
In 1985, Strange led the tour in winnings with $542,321 and was named player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America. He was also the GWAA player of the year and top money winner in 1987, when he earned $925,941.
Strange won the 1988 U. S. Open and became the first PGA player to win more than $1 million in a season that year. He was named player of the year for the third time. He defended his U. S. Open title in 1989, becoming the first player to win the tournament two years in a row since Ben Hogan in 1951.
That was the last of his 17 victories on the PGA tour. After he turned 50 in 2005, he joined the Champions Tour for senior players, but hasn't won any tournaments on that tour.