He won $3,000 and his best finish was a tie for 26th at the ’67 Carling World Open. Zembriski joined the PGA Tour in 1967 but had a short run. “I didn’t have a silver spoon in my mouth.” “The private courses ran me off,” he said. As an adult, he built apartments and worked on bridges until 4 p.m., then played at the local public courses until dark. “It’s not about the money anymore.”Īs a boy, Zembriski learned to play while caddying at a public course in Mahwah, N.J. Though he played in 29 events last year, he had no top-25 finishes. Zembriski, who turned 65 last month, is reaching the twilight of his Senior career. “But I haven’t seen the guy since,” he said. Three million dollars later, Zembriski still remembers the talk. “You’ll starve to death, son,” the foreman said. When he quit his job to pursue a golf career, Zembriski got an earful from his foreman. “When I’m done here, maybe when I’m 62 or so,” Wargo said, “I’ll go run the course. Wargo and wife Irene bought the Greenview Golf Course in Centralia, Ill. With that determination he has built a comfortable life. But I have the determination to post some kind of result.” “I’m an average putter, sand player, driver, iron player and chipper. “I’m not really good at any part of my game,” he said. His secret is five hours of practice a day, shagging balls by himself in the woods. Wargo ranks in the 30s in scoring average, total driving and putting average. He has done it without benefit of a lesson, teacher or any specific golf gift. In February, Wargo ended a nearly five-year winless run by edging Gary McCord in a playoff at the Invitational. Since then, Wargo, 57, has been among the Senior Tour’s most active players, averaging 33 starts and $655,000 in earnings per year. Wargo made more than $1 million in 1994 (his best season on Tour) and won the Senior British Open. His win was memorable: He defeated Bruce Crampton on the second playoff hole at the PGA Seniors’ Championship.Īfter that, his Senior career raced onward. Wargo played in 32 events that year, winning once and earning $557,000. In 1993, he made enough money to buy the course. Wargo placed 10th at the 1992 Senior Qualifying School, earning a conditional exemption for the next season. “I never dreamed about the kind of money I’ve made.” “I thought maybe I could scrape together $500,000 to buy a golf course and go from there,” he said. Having made $16,000 in his professional career, Wargo saw an opportunity. He won PGA Section championships in Illinois in 1990 and ’91 and was named the PGA Club Pro of the Year in ’92.īy the time Wargo turned 50 in 1992, the Senior Tour was attracting more than just former Tour players. Wargo continued on as a club pro, winning events here and there. “I thought it was just for the Tour players.” “I didn’t think a whole lot about it,” he said. Three years later, Wargo became a club professional, and the following year something called the Senior Tour was formed. But Wargo taught himself so well that he turned pro in 1976. While teaching himself the game, Wargo held various jobs: bartender, assembly-line auto worker, iron worker. Then he taught himself to play, taking his clubs and shag bag into the woods to practice. At one time he thought about a career as a professional bowler.īut golf? Wargo never showed much interest until he turned 25 and realized baseball had passed him by. Wargo, who grew up on a Michigan dairy farm, played baseball as a youngster. But these four have proven more than mere field-fillers. Though the Senior Tour was created as a showcase for aging stars, its fields are filled with players like these. And Quigley, a golfer of noted devotion, has turned his passion into a living. Fleisher overwhelmed the Senior Tour as a rookie last year, winning seven events and all the postseason honors.
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