Steve Oppermann (born January 31, 1942) is an American professional golfer. Oppermann had a sterling amateur career, being regarded as "one of the most talented amateurs in the West," culminating with victories at two "blue ribbon" events, the 1964 Western Amateur and California State Amateur Championship. Shortly after these victories he turned professional. He played on the PGA Tour for nine seasons and recorded two second-place finishes. However, he failed to win and did not record many other high results. In 1973 he quit tournament golf and has worked as a club professional in southeastern United States for the remainder of his career.
Early life Oppermann was born in San Francisco, California. He grew up in the suburb of Millbrae, California. He is of German descent. His father was a plumbing contractor. In his teen years, Oppermann played out of Harding Park Golf Club.
Oppermann attended Capuchino High School in San Bruno, California. In the spring of 1957, Oppermann began to have notable results for the high school's golf team. After the school year ended Oppermann received media attention for his play at the three-round Northern California Junior Medal Play tournament. He opened with rounds of 70 and 75 putting him one behind leader John Lotz after the first two days. He shot a third round 75 to finish in a tie for fourth, seven back of champion Lotz. The following February, in 1958, he played the Hayward City Championship, a local professional tournament. Later in the year he led Capuchino High School to the Peninsula League title in golf.
In July, he again played well at the Northern California Junior Medal Play. He opened with consecutive 71s, including a hole-in-one in the second round, to tie Cliff Davis for the lead. However, in the third and final round Davis outplayed Oppermann by two shots, 71 to 73, to win. At the end of regulation, Oppermann was tied for second with Jim Sherman and George Archer. There was a playoff to determine their places. Oppermann won the one-hole playoff, taking solo second, with Sherman taking third and Archer fourth place.
The following year, in late March 1959, he entered the qualifying process for the Northern California junior championship. He shot a 72 (+1) at the qualifier to earn medalist honors. He was considered "the man to beat" in the tournament proper. However, he lost to Tom Culligan, Jr. early in the tournament, 2 up.
In the spring, Capuchino High School's golf season began again. By now he was considered the team's best player. In April, he earned medalist honors in a match against Jefferson High School and led Capuchino to victory. Later in the month they were predicted by the media to repeat as league champions. In May, Capuchino defeated Westmoor High School and Oppermann was again medalist. The following week he "avenged an earlier setback" to Tom Culligan, Jr, who recently defeated him at the Northern California junior championship, defeating him and leading Capuchino's golf team to blowout victory over Serra High School. Later in the year he graduated from Capuchino High School.
Amateur career In July 1959, a few months after graduation, Oppermann played the two-round Junior Chamber of Commerce State Golf (Jaycee) Tournament in Arcadia, California. He won the event with rounds of 71 and 69. With the victory he earned entry into the national Jaycees tournament held a month later in Virginia. In August, Oppermann played the national Jaycee tournament. The event was played at Elizabeth Manor and Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia. Before the tournament proper there were two qualifying rounds. In the first qualifying round Oppermann shot a 71 to put himself in fourth place among 198 other contestants, three back of the lead. He seemed a "cinch qualifier" for the actual tournament. The top 100 players received entry into the tournament proper. Oppermann did easily qualify for the event, finishing in a tie for sixth among qualifiers after a second round 75. Oppermann also opened the tournament proper with a "brilliant effort," shooting a three-under-par 32 on the front nine. However, he "ruined" this good play down the stretch, recording two double-bogeys and two bogeys over the last five holes. He still managed to complete the round in a tie for third, four shots back of leader Fritz Leffingwell. In the second round he shot 36-37 for another 73 (+3). He was now in solo third place, three shots back. In the third round he shot a 75 (+5) to fall into a tie for fourth, now six shots back of leader Leffingwell. In the final round he played poorly and was not in serious contention.
Later in the year Oppermann played the U.S. Amateur. The event was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He won his first round match before losing in the second round to Charles Volpone of Newburyport, Massachusetts 3 & 2. Around this time Oppermann started to focus exclusively focus on golf.
By early 1960, Oppermann was playing out of Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae, California. In mid-March he broke the Green Hills' course record shooting an eight-under-par 63. Over the weekend of March 26–27 he played the two-round Blossom Festival Open in Los Gatos, California. On Saturday, he opened with a "sizzling" 66 (−4). In the second round he shot a 71 (+1), "just enough" to win by one. It was Oppermann's "first major tournament victory." In September he played the U.S. Amateur at St. Louis Country Club. He played Bill Harvey of Greensboro, North Carolina in the first round. Oppermann opened well and by the 11th hole had a 3 up lead. Harvey, however, produced a "tremendous comeback," winning the next six holes to win 3 & 1.
In 1961, Oppermann played in two PGA Tour events, the first time he played in any PGA Tour events. Oppermann did not record many other highlights in 1961, however.
In the spring of 1962 Oppermann began taking lessons from Virgil Shreeve, the head club professional at McLaren Park Golf Club. Shreeve improved Oppermann's game immensely. In the summer Oppermann started recording some high results. In July, he attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Public Links. The event was in Buffalo, New York. Over the course of the two-round qualifier, Oppermann shot rounds of 79 and 76 to qualify, albeit ten shots behind medalist George Archer. In the first round he defeated his competitor, Roy Widstrom of Minneapolis, Minnesota, 4 & 2. In the second round he played Archer, also of northern California, whom he had played many times before in local matches. Oppermann scored four birdies, shooting one-under par over the course of the match, to defeat him 4 & 3. In the third round he faced Hubert Farmer of Toledo, Ohio. Oppermann lost to Farmer, 2 & 1. Late in the year he played the Bakersfield Open Invitational. It was the second PGA Tour event he played that year. He opened with a 76 (+4) but responded with a 68 (−4), one of the rounds of the day, to move into a tie for 33rd. He went on to finish in a tie for 59th. During this era, when not playing in golf tournaments, Oppermann worked in the club shop of McLaren Golf Club in San Francisco. Oppermann also played out of McLaren Park during this era. He was known to practice every day.
In 1963 he would have much success. In the first week of the year he broke the course record at McLaren Park. Shortly thereafter he began play at the Hayward City Championships. He opened with a 73 (+1) to put him one back of the lead. In the second round he fired a "hot" 69 (−3), with six birdies, to remain one back of leader Ron Cerrudo. In the third round Cerrudo had a "disastrous" 79 (+7) and Oppermann took a one-stroke lead over John Lotz. In the final round it was Lotz who fell back, with a 77 (+5), while Oppermann closed with a 70 (−2) to win by four over Cerrudo. In March he played the three-round Alameda Commuters Championship, "one of the class medal play tournaments in Northern California." He was two behind Dick Lotz entering the final round. Late in the day he birdied the 14th and 15th holes to cut the lead to one. However, Lotz, playing behind, also birdied the par-5 15th hole to expand his lead. When Oppermann bogeyed the 16th hole "the match was history." Oppermann finished two back of Lotz in solo second. Two months later, in May, Oppermann shot a "sizzling" 66 at a qualifying round for the Northern California Amateur. It earned him medalist honors. He would go on to reach the finals of the match play event where he played John Lotz. He again lost to Lotz, losing to him 6 & 5.
In July 1963 he played the U.S. Amateur Public Links. Early in the tournament, he defeated Jack H. Omuro of Hawaii 3 & 1, shooting one-under-par for the tournament. In the following round, the quarterfinals, he defeated Ed Castagnetto Jr., also of San Francisco, 4 & 3. In the semifinals he played Dante C. Vinici, a glass company worker from Ottawa, Illinois, the tournament's "upset king." Oppermann was the overwhelming favorite. Oppermann and Vicini tied the first eight holes. Vicini played poorly around the greens on the 9th and 10th giving Oppermann a 2 up lead. For the remainder of the back nine both players played erratically, with a number of birdies and bogeys, and Oppermann's lead remained 2 up. Early during the afternoon's front nine Oppermann expanded his lead to 3 up. However, Vicini then produced a "blistering rally," winning three out of five holes, to cut the deficit to 1 up after 27 holes. According to a journalist, "it appeared he was going to pull off" another upset victory. Oppermann, however, blew open this "tight match" with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. The match ended on the 15th as Vicini missed a 3-foot par putt. Oppermann won 4 & 3. "I just wore out," Vicini said after the match. "I've never played anybody who hits finer golf shots than this kid." Oppermann played Bob Lunn in the finals. Though they played in the same golfing circles in San Francisco they had never competed against each other in match play before. According to the San Francisco Examiner, Oppermann was regarded as the "slight favorite." In the beginning of the match, Oppermann bogeyed the second hole to quickly fall behind. Oppermann then birdied the 7th to square the match but Lunn made a three-footer on the 9th to regain the lead. On the back nine Oppermann made three bogeys; he was 2 down entering the final 18 holes. The afternoon's front nine was a "give and take struggle" between the two men with a number of birdies and bogeys between both players. Lunn wound up with a 3 up lead entering the final nine. On the inward half Oppermann produced a "desperate rally." He had par saves on the 11th and 13th and "made a desperation 12 footer" for another par save on the 14th. On the 15th hole Lunn missed a four-footer for par. Oppermann was suddenly only one back. On the 16th hole, and 34th hole of the match, Oppermann made another 12-foot par putt to tie the hole. On the 17th hole Oppermann hit his approach into the wrong fairway but managed another "hard won par" to remain one down. On the final hole, however, Oppermann only managed to hit the fringe with his approach and could not make birdie. Lunn lagged his birdie putt to three feet and made the par putt for the win. Despite the close finish, Oppermann never held the lead in the entire match.