Quick Facts
Biography
David Benjamin Eger (born March 17, 1952) is an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour.
Eger was born in Fort Meade, Maryland. He attended the University of North Carolina, and later East Tennessee State University. He turned professional in 1978, but won only $31,014 in 58 PGA Tour events, with only one top-10 finish.
In 1982, he went to work as a golf administrator and regained his amateur status. He served as Director of Tournament Administration for the PGA Tour from 1982–92; Senior Director of Rules and Competition for the USGA from 1992–95; and as Vice-President of Competition for the PGA Tour from 1995-96.
As a golf administrator, Eger kept his skills intact by playing competitively as an amateur, winning the 1988 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the North and South Amateur in 1991. He was also a three-time Walker Cup team member and two-time semi-finalist in the U.S. Amateur.
Eger turned professional for the second time in 2001. He earned a spot on the Champions Tour through qualifying school after preparing with the help of golf instructor David Leadbetter. He has two victories on the tour with both wins in inaugural events. Eger won the 2003 MasterCard Classic — the first Champions Tour event ever held in Mexico, and a winner's prize of $300,000. He won his second title in 2005 by shooting a final-round 67 in the inaugural Boeing Greater Seattle Classic, winning$240,000. His 54-hole score of 199 was 17 under par, three strokes ahead of Tom Kite.
Eger won the Champions Tour Player of the Month award in March 2003. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Tricia. He has two children, Dottie (1982) and Michael (1984).
Eger was the individual who alerted rules officials of Tiger Woods's illegal drop during the second round of the 2013 Masters Tournament.
Amateur wins (5)
- 1988 U.S. Mid-Amateur
- 1991 North and South Amateur
- 1999 Azalea Invitational
- 2000 Azalea Invitational, North and South Amateur
Professional wins (4)
Champions Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 9, 2003 | MasterCard Classic | –12 (69-70-65=204) | 1 stroke | Eamonn Darcy, Hale Irwin, Tom Jenkins, Bruce Lietzke |
| 2 | Aug 21, 2005 | Boeing Greater Seattle Classic | –17 (68-64-67=199) | 3 strokes | Tom Kite |
| 3 | May 2, 2010 | Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic | –8 (68-68-69=205) | 1 stroke | Tommy Armour III |
| 4 | Apr 24, 2011 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Mark McNulty) | –27 (64-64-61=189) | Playoff | Scott Hoch & Kenny Perry |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | Boeing Classic | R. W. Eaks, Gil Morgan, Naomichi Ozaki, Dana Quigley, Craig Stadler, Denis Watson | Watson won with eagle on second extra hole Eger, Morgan, Ozaki, and Quigley eliminated with birdie on first hole |
| 2 | 2011 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Mark McNulty) | Scott Hoch & Kenny Perry | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2011 | Senior PGA Championship | Tom Watson | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup: 1989, 1991 (winners), 2001
- Eisenhower Trophy: 1990, 2000 (winners)