Pooley turned pro in 1973. Despite winning the 1980
B.C. Open and the 1987
Memorial Tournament, Pooley is probably best remembered in his PGA Tour career for his dramatic million-dollar hole-in-one at the 1987
Bay Hill Classic. Pooley received $500,000 as did
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in
Orlando, Florida because of this once-in-a-lifetime shot. In 1985, he won the
Vardon Trophy, awarded annually by the PGA to the Tour leader in scoring average. His best finish in a
major was T-5 in consecutive major championships: the 1987
PGA Championship and the 1988
Masters Tournament. Late in his
PGA Tour career, Pooley began to experience many debilitating ailments, and missed several years of playing time as a result; however, he enjoyed a resurgence in his career after turning 50 in August 2001 when he began play on the Champions Tour. The biggest win in his
golf career was his first on the Champions Tour. In 2002, he won on the biggest stage in men's senior golf, the
U.S. Senior Open. Pooley was inducted into the Pima County (Arizona) Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. ==Professional wins (7)==