Pohl turned pro in 1977 and joined the
PGA Tour in 1978. Early in his career, Pohl was one of the top drivers on tour leading the tour in driving distance in 1980 and 1981. During this era, Pohl had much success at the
major tournaments. He had a third-place finish at the
1981 PGA Championship. This qualified him for the
1982 Masters Tournament. Pohl finished the tournament tied with Craig Stadler at the end of regulation. Stadler defeated him in the playoff. A few months later he recorded a T-3 at the
1982 U.S. Open. He won two tournaments on the PGA Tour during his career both of which came in
1986: the
Colonial National Invitation and the
NEC World Series of Golf. Pohl finished fifth on the money list that year. Pohl had 70 top-10 finishes including more than a dozen second or third-place finishes. A highly ranked player in the world, his career was still ascending in 1987 when he posted the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour and won the
Vardon Trophy. The following year, Pohl began to suffer a series of injuries starting with lower back surgery that dramatically altered his competitiveness. He was a member of the
1987 Ryder Cup Team. Since turning 50 in April 2005, Pohl has played on the
Champions Tour. His best finish at this level has been a T-3 at the 2005 Commerce Bank Long Island Classic. == Awards and honors ==