Off Hours April 2008

Jim Knoll, partner at Tully-Wihr, played at the U.S. Senior Open as an amateur in 2006 and 2007. He was among fewer than 20 amateurs nationwide to qualify and one of only five to make the cut in ’07.

Jim Knoll dismisses the notion that to be good at a sport, you have to focus on it exclusively. The former professional golfer and vice president, partner, at Hayward, Calif.-based Tully-Wihr played many sports as a child. “Now people are so serious. Whether it’s golf, tennis, basketball, they dedicate all their time and energy to it. It runs their life. When I was growing up, you played whichever sport was in season,” Knoll says. “I wasn’t gung-ho or too serious. I always had a lot of fun, and I never thought I would advance and become the golfer that I am now.”

Knoll, who recently won the San Francisco city championship—the oldest and longest amateur golf tournament in the country—continues to play golf at a high level, but he didn’t even join his high school golf team until he was a senior. He played baseball for three years but didn’t think he was progressing enough. “I wanted to give golf a try. All of a sudden I started to get a lot better simply because I put more time and effort into it,” he says.

Knoll received a scholarship to play golf at San Jose State University and was named an All-American his final year. He turned pro shortly after graduation and played for the next 4 years, during which time he earned his PGA tour card twice. “That was in Tom Watson’s, Lee Trevino’s and Jack Nicklaus’ heyday. Unfortunately, I came to the realization that these guys were all really good, and I didn’t make enough money,” he says. “They have a little better understanding of their game. They were really focused on what it took to be a great golfer. For the most part, everybody hits the ball a mile and they all putt pretty good, but guys that are really good are the ones who can minimize their mistakes and stay focused. I was pretty young at the time. I had a great time doing it but I just couldn’t make a living at it.”

Knoll eventually joined Tully-Wihr, where his father Don, a former PSDA president, was a partner. He stopped playing golf competitively because it was required. Pro golfers must sit out for three years before returning to amateur status. In 2002, Knoll turned 50 years old, and began trying to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open. “To be eligible on the senior tour, you have to be at least 50 years old,” he says. “I knew I’d be a young guy playing with the older guys.”

He finally qualified in 2006 and again in 2007. “The qualifying tournament here is in northern California, and there are 75 people who play,” he says. “It’s a one-day, 18-hole round of golf. They take the two lowest scores. I was one of two the last two years.”

Knoll admits to being distracted at his first trip to the Senior Open and not playing well as a result. The tournament tees off 144 people and advances 60 golfers with the lowest scores to the next round. Knoll missed the cut by a few strokes. “You live like a king for a week. That’s a huge distraction for a lot of amateurs, because they’re getting free meals rather than practicing and preparing for golf,” he says. “You stay in the same hotels as the professionals. You get the same courtesy cars. You eat at the same buffets. It’s really special.”

He fared better in the 2007 tournament, which took place at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. “I ended up making the cut, which is quite an accomplishment for an amateur,” he says. “There are usually around 5,000 amateurs that try to qualify for the Senior Open, and maybe 15 make it to the tournament.” Knoll sealed his position by birdying his last hole.

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