Rick Hartmann
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Richard Hartmann (born c. April 1959) is an American
professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
. Hartmann turned pro in the early 1980s and subsequently tried out for the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
several times. However, he was unsuccessful and decided to play in Europe. Hartmann played on the
European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
for 10 years and recorded a number of high finishes. However, the general consensus was that he had "mixed success" as his performance was erratic and he failed to win. In 1994, he quit life as a touring professional and started working as a club pro on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. Hartmann also played on the local club pro circuit, the Met PGA. Hartmann had incredible success on the circuit, winning every significant tournament, often multiple times, and was generally regarded as one of the "finest club pros" in the country during the era.


Early life

Hartmann was born in
Bridgehampton, New York Bridgehampton is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census. Bridgehampton is in the town of Southampton, on Long Island. Shortly after ...
and grew up in
Huntington, New York The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. ...
on Long Island. His parents were Larry and Dorothy and he has two brothers. In the late 1960s, when Hartmann was still a kid, his family moved from New York to Florida. Hartmann started playing golf at the age of 14. Hartmann immediately caught "golf fever" and played nearly every day for the next two years. Hartmann attended Hudson High School in
Hudson, Florida Hudson is a census-designated place (CDP) located at the westernmost end of Pasco County, Florida, United States, and is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, Hudson's po ...
. However, he eventually stopped attending school during the day, practicing golf exclusively during the mornings and afternoons while taking night classes in an effort to earn his diploma. Hartmann played out of Beacon Woods Golf Club in
Bayonet Point, Florida Bayonet Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pasco County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 23,467. Geography Bayonet Point is located at (28.322903, -82.683957). According to the United States Census Bu ...
. Early in his career, Hartmann broke the Beacon Woods course record with a 65. In 1976, he won the club championship.


Amateur career

In 1976, Hartmann won his first professional tournaments, the Jimmy Mann County Golf Tournament and the Continental Invitational. During this period, Hartmann started attending
Brevard Community College Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College, is a public college in Brevard County, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System and has campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as a Virtu ...
. He attended the school for one year, during the 1977–78 academic year, and "played sparingly" on the golf team. During this era, he was considered one of the "North Suncoast's top amateurs." In June, he played the three-round ''Pasco Times'' Men's Amateur Golf Tournament. The event was at his home course and he was considered "the local favorite." In the final round, Hartmann shot a three-under-par 69, the "tournament's low round," to finish solo second, three behind champion Rick Powers. "I think I played about as well as I could today," he said after the round.


Professional career

As of 1980, Hartmann had turned professional. In May, he tried out for the U.S. Open at Bent Tree at Gator Creek. Hartmann shot round of 71 and 75 and qualified by three shots. He was scheduled to compete in sectional qualifying at the
Atlanta Athletic Club Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC), founded in 1898, is a private athletic club in Johns Creek, Georgia, a suburb 23 miles north of Atlanta. The original home of the club was a 10-story building located on Carnegie Way, and in 1904 a golf course was bui ...
in June. Hartmann, however, failed to make it through sectional qualifying. During this era, Hartmann was thinking about playing on the
European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
. "I enjoy playing, whether it's on the tour here or in Europe," he told the ''Tampa Bay Times''. "In fact, I would enjoy going to Europe to play. The travel would be great, and the competition there might not be as tough." In the early 1980s, Hartmann played a number of state opens across the country in an effort to prepare himself for PGA Tour tryouts. In 1982, Hartmann recorded a top ten at the
Florida Open The Florida Open is the Florida state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is now organized by the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA). It has been played annually since 1942 at a variety of courses around the ...
. The following year, he again recorded a top ten at the event. In July 1983, he played the
New Hampshire Open The New Hampshire Open is the New Hampshire state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the New Hampshire Golf Association. It has been played annually since 1932 at a variety of courses around the ...
. Hartmann shot rounds of 69 and 71 to finish joint second, one back of champion Frank Fuhrer. A few months later, in September, Hartmann played the three-round North Dakota Open. Hartmann finished in tie for third, five back of champion
Barney Thompson Barney may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barney (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Barney (surname), a list of people Film and television * the title character of ''Barney & Friends'', an American live actio ...
. In 1983, Hartmann began attempts to qualify for the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
. In October, he played the Indiana Regional qualifier at the Golf Club of Indiana in
Lebanon, Indiana Lebanon (/ˈlɛbnən/) is a city in and the county seat of Boone County, Indiana, United States. The population was 15,792 at the 2010 census. Lebanon is located in central Indiana, approximately northwest of downtown Indianapolis and southe ...
. However, in his words, he "missed by a bunch." In November, Hartmann decided to play another regional qualifier, the PGA North Florida qualifier, in attempts to make it onto the PGA Tour. In the third round he shot a 66 (−6), the "best round of the day," to move within one of leader Steve Hart. He finished with a 67 to finish at 271 (−17) and earned medalist honors by six shots. He earned the rights to the play the final qualifying school at
TPC at Sawgrass The Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass (TPC at Sawgrass) is a golf course in the southeastern United States, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, southeast of Jacksonville. Opened in the autumn of 1980, it was the first of several Tournament ...
later in the month. However, Hartmann was unsuccessful at final qualifying. It was the second time he was unsuccessful at qualifying.


European Tour

In 1984, Hartmann started playing overseas. Early in the year, he played the six-event
South African Tour The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the South African Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the Vo ...
. During the first five weeks of the season, Hartmann won roughly $10,000. At his final event, he played the Swazi Sun Pro-Am. Hartmann opened with three rounds in the 60s to put him near the lead. In the final round, due to an "excellent final nine" he defeated Teddy Webber by a shot. Shortly thereafter, Hartmann began playing on the
European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
. His first event was at the
Timex Open The Timex Open was a professional golf tournament. The tournament was held at Biarritz Golf Club in Biarritz, France. The tournament was originally a domestic event before transitioning into a European Tour event in 1983 and 1984. Winners Refer ...
at Biarritz Golf Club in Spain. Hartmann played well, shooting in the 60s every day to finish in a tie for sixth. Later in the season he played the
1984 Open Championship The 1984 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 113th Open Championship, held from 19 to 22 July at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Seve Ballesteros won his second Open Championship and fourth major title, two ...
at the Saint Andrew's. Hartmann opened with a 70 to put him in the top ten, tied with
Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino (born December 1, 1939) is an American retired professional golfer who is regarded as one of the greatest players in golf history. He was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. Trevino won six major championships and ...
and
Lanny Wadkins Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins Jr. (born December 5, 1949) is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 86 weeks from the ranking's debut in 1986 to 1988. Early years Born in Richmond, Virg ...
. He followed with a 73 to make the cut. However, he "had problems the last two days," shooting rounds of 76 and 77, and finished well back. Overall, in his first tour of Europe, Hartmann made the cut in five of seven events with one top ten. Later in the year, Hartmann returned to the United States to play on the Tournament Players' Series, an offshoot tour of the PGA Tour. In August, he played the three-round
Provident Classic The Chattanooga Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1986 to 1992. It was played at Valleybrook Country Club in Hixson, Tennessee from 1983 to 1991 and at the Council Fire Golf and Country Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was fou ...
. In the final round, Hartmann shot a 66 to finish in a tie for sixth place. Later in the month he began play at the Everett Open in
Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...
. Hartmann opened with a 65 (−6) to take a one shot lead. Hartmann, however, failed to break par for the remainder of the tournament and finished outside the top 25. Hartmann played in a few more TPS tournaments for the remainder of the year. He ultimately finished in 31st place on the TPS' money list. According to the ''Miami Herald'', though content with his play Hartmann wanted to improve and, in his words, move on to the "big time." During this era, Hartmann began working with David Leadbetter, the famed swing instructor. In 1985, Hartmann played his first full season in Europe. He made the cut in five of his first seven events but did not record any high finishes, failing to record any top-25s. He was at 92nd place on the Order of Merit at this point. In July, he played the
Lawrence Batley International The Lawrence Batley International was a European Tour golf tournament which was played annually from 1981 to 1987. The first three editions were played at Bingley St Ives, Bradford, the next three at Ryder Cup venue The Belfry and the final edit ...
at
The Belfry Golf Club The Belfry is a golf resort and hotel in Wishaw, Warwickshire, close to Sutton Coldfield, England, located approximately 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham. It was acquired by KSL Capital Partners in August 2012. The resort has three golf c ...
. He had much more success at this event. In the third round he shot a three-under-par 69 to move into solo second place, two back of
Graham Marsh Graham Vivian Marsh MBE (born 14 January 1944) is a retired professional golfer who was one of the leading Australian players of his generation. During his career he won more than 70 tournaments around the world, including 10 on the European To ...
. He was the only player in the field without a bogey. It was reported by ''The Guardian'' he "played the best golf of his career" during the round. In the final round, he continued to play well, birdieing three holes in the middle of the front nine to take a three shot lead over Marsh. In the middle of the round, however, Hartmann became "anxious around the greens," failing to get up and down several times. He fell into a tie for the lead. Hartmann then bogeyed the par-5 17th hole and par-4 18th hole to lose to Marsh by two. Despite the loss, Hartmann earned automatic entry into next week's
British Open The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
. In August, Hartmann played the
Scandinavian Enterprise Open The Scandinavian Enterprise Open was a golf tournament on the European Tour that was played in Sweden until 1990, when it had a prize fund of £400,000, which was mid-range for the tour at that time. In 1991, the tournament was merged with fell ...
. Hartmann shot under-par every day to finish joint third with, among others,
Johnny Miller John Laurence Miller (born April 29, 1947) is an American former professional golfer. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s. He was the first to shoot 63 in a major championship to win the 1973 U.S. Open, and he ra ...
, three back. In September, shortly after the tour's season ended, Hartmann played the Stiab Grand Prix, a match play tournament on the
Swedish Golf Tour The Swedish Golf Tour (currently known as the MoreGolf Mastercard Tour for sponsorship reasons), is a developmental professional golf formerly operated by Svenska Golftourerna AB, owned equally by the Swedish Golf Federation and the PGA of Swede ...
. Though a wild-card entry, Hartmann reached the finals of the tournament. In the finals, playing
Mats Lanner Mats Åke Lanner (born 5 March 1961) is a Swedish professional golfer, who formerly played on the European Tour. In 1987, he became the second Swedish player to win a European Tour tournament. Early life and amateur career Lanner was born in Got ...
, he scored six consecutive birdies in the middle of the match for an "easy" 5 & 4 win. Hartmann won $12,000. During this era, Hartmann still lived permanently in United States, residing in
Venice, Florida Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located in Sou ...
. In the mid-1980s, Hartmann continued to have success in Europe. In June 1986, he played the
British Masters The Betfred British Masters is a professional golf tournament. It was founded in 1946 as the Dunlop Masters and was held every year up to 2008, except for 1984. Dunlop's sponsorship ended in 1982, and the name sponsor changed frequently therea ...
at
Woburn Golf Club Woburn Golf Club is a golf club in England located in Little Brickhill, near Milton Keynes within the county of Bedfordshire, about  northwest of central London. There are three courses at the Woburn property: the "Duke's Course", which op ...
. In the first round he "upstaged his more illustrious rivals," recording seven birdies, on his way to a course record-tying 66 (−6) and a one shot lead over
Seve Ballesteros Severiano Ballesteros Sota (; 9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No. 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won 90 inte ...
. In the middle of the tournament, Hartmann shot rounds of 72 and 70 "to remain in contention," three back of Ballesteros, now the leader, in a tie for third with
Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer (; born 27 August 1957) is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first official number one ra ...
. Hartmann remained near the lead during most of the final round and was still "in contention after he birdied the 14th" hole. However, he shot four-over-par over the course of the next three holes to end his hopes. With a final round 73 (+1), he finished in a tie for fifth, six back. Two weeks later, Hartmann played the
French Open The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ven ...
. Hartmann closed with rounds of 68 and 67, including birdies on four of his last eight holes, to record a joint fifth place finish. In 1987, he continued to have success. In May, he played the
British PGA Championship The BMW PGA Championship is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and originally called the British PGA Championship. History The BMW PGA Championship ...
. Hartmann opened with a 68 to put him two back of Langer, in a tie for second. In the second round, he followed with a 69 to remain in solo second, still two behind leader Langer, in a tie with
José María Cañizares José María Cañizares (born 18 February 1947) is a Spanish golfer. Cañizares was born in Madrid. He turned professional in 1967 and made the top hundred on the European Tour Order of Merit every year from its first season in 1972 through to 19 ...
and Ballesteros. He failed to break 70 in the final two rounds but still finished in the top five. Later in the season, Hartmann told ''The Guardian'', "I am playing better now than at any time since I first came here in 1984." In both 1986 and 1987, Hartmann finished in the top 50 of the Order of Merit and recorded two top tens each season. However, Hartmann did not play well for the remainder of the decade. At the end of 1987, like he had in previous years, Hartmann returned to the United States in an attempt to earn his PGA Tour card. However, he was unsuccessful at
PGA Tour Qualifying School PGA is an acronym or initialism that may stand for: Aviation * IATA code for Page Municipal Airport, Coconino County, Arizona * ICAO designator for Portugália, regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal * Abbreviation for Prince George Airport ...
. He ultimately never made it onto the PGA Tour. In 1988, Hartmann returned to Europe. He played poorly, earning rights to play the weekend in only 5 of 23 tournaments, failing to make the cut in his final 14 events. In 1989, Hartmann continued to struggled; he missed the majority of his cuts again and never threatened to win. Late in the year, Hartmann played the
South African Tour The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the South African Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the Vo ...
where he had a little more success. At the Twee Jonge Gezellen Masters, Hartmann finished joint second with
Ernie Els Theodore Ernest Els (; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer. A former , he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands ) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victor ...
and Tertius Claassens, one back of champion
Hugh Baiocchi Hugh John Baiocchi (born 17 August 1946) is a South African professional golfer who has won more than 20 professional tournaments around the world. Professional career Baiocchi was born in Johannesburg. He turned professional in 1971 and spen ...
. In 1990, Hartmann had much more success in Europe, recording a number of top tens throughout the year. In June, he played the
Wang Four Stars The Bob Hope British Classic was the original and most often used name of a European Tour golf tournament which was played in England every year but one from 1980 to 1991. It had six different names in total. The English born American entertainer ...
. Hartmann opened with rounds of 66 (−6) to tie for the lead at the end of each round. He failed to break 70 on the weekend though still finished in the top ten. The following week, Hartmann played the Irish Open at
Portmarnock Golf Club Portmarnock Golf Club is a links golf club in Portmarnock, County Dublin, Ireland, located close to Dublin Airport. The golf course is often rated as one of the top courses in the UK and Ireland and is also often included in lists of the top 10 ...
. Hartmann failed to break par the first two days but closed well, with rounds of 71 and 69, to finish in solo fourth place. At the end of the month, Hartmann began play at the
French Open The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ven ...
. He fired a second round 65 (−5) to take a two-shot lead. In the final two rounds, however, he shot over-par each day to finish two back, two out of a playoff. Much later in the year, in October, he recorded a couple more top tens. At the Austrian Open, Hartmann fired a third round 66 to put him in solo third place, only behind leaders
Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer (; born 27 August 1957) is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first official number one ra ...
and
Lanny Wadkins Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins Jr. (born December 5, 1949) is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 86 weeks from the ranking's debut in 1986 to 1988. Early years Born in Richmond, Virg ...
. He shot over-par the final day though still tied for 8th place. Two weeks later, at the
Portuguese Open The Open de Portugal, previously the Portuguese Open, is an annual professional golf tournament, currently played on the Challenge Tour. History It was first played in 1953, and was part of the European Tour's schedule from 1973 to 2010. After a ...
, Hartmann opened with rounds of 68 (−4) to position himself in fourth place. He shot over-par in the third round to fall well back but recorded another 68 in the final round to finish in the top ten. Overall, for the year Hartmann made the cut in 16 of 25 events with five top tens, his most ever for a single season, and finished 39th on the Order of Merit. For the remainder of his experience in Europe, however, he did not have much success. In 1991, he made the cut in 12 of 17 events but never threatened to win, finishing 91st on the Order of Merit. The following two years he played worse, missing the cut in the majority of his events between the two seasons. He failed to finish inside the top 100 of the Order of Merit each year and ceased playing on the
European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...
after the 1993 season. In general, the consensus from the media was that Hartmann had "mixed success" in Europe. Hartmann later said, "I had a couple of OK years, a few mediocre years and two really bad years."


Club professional

Hartmann "finally tired of the lifestyle" as a touring professional and "took the suggestion of an old friend
Darrell Kestner Darrell Kestner (born August 15, 1953) is an American professional golfer. Early life Kestner was born in Welch, West Virginia. He attended Concord College. Professional career He turned professional in 1975. Kestner works as a club pro ...
to move to Long Island and seek a job as a club pro." Hartmann became an assistant club pro at
Fresh Meadow Country Club Fresh Meadow Country Club is a country club with a golf course in the eastern United States, located on Long Island in its home since 1946. The club opened in the New York City borough of Queens in 1923, with a golf course designed by noted course ...
in
Great Neck, New York Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck (village), New York, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Es ...
. In June 1994, Hartmann played the
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island O ...
. He opened with a three-under-par 67 to tie for the lead. However, "It was the second round that ultimately won the Open for Hartmann," according to ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
.'' He shot a 66 (−4) to take a three shot lead over John Gentile and Kestner. In the final round, Kestner briefly got within two but that was it. Hartmann shot a final round 69 to defeat runner-up Kestner by four. It was Hartmann's first win since his victory in Sweden in 1985. He won $6,000. After the tournament, he said it was "his most enjoyable win ever." Later in the summer, Hartmann recorded runner-up finishes at the
New York State Open The New York State Open is the New York state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Metropolitan chapter of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been played annually since ...
,
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
, and Met PGA Assistants Championship. After the Met PGA season ended, Hartmann intended to play tournament golf in South America in the fall and then work as a golf instructor in Florida during the winter. In 1996, Hartmann started working at Atlantic Golf Club. He continued to play on the Met PGA during this era. In July 1996, Hartmann played the
New York State Open The New York State Open is the New York state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Metropolitan chapter of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been played annually since ...
at
Bethpage Black Course The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. The course was designed by Joseph H. Burbeck and was assited by noted golf architect A. W. Tillinghast. It is the most difficult of Bethpage's fiv ...
. In the second round, Hartmann birdied the first hole on the way to shooting a 66 (−5), one off the course record, to take a three-stroke lead. In the final round, Hartmann shot even-par to win by two strokes. Hartmann finished in second place on the Met PGA Player of the Year standing, only behind
Bruce Zabriski Bruce Zabriski (born August 3, 1957) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour, European Tour and the Nationwide Tour. Zabriski joined the European Tour in 1985 and would play on the Tour until 1987. His best finish came at t ...
. In May 1997, he played the Tommy Hilfger Met PGA Head Pro Championship. Hartmann opened with a "near-flawless" round of 67 to take a two-shot lead. In the final round, however, "his lead evaporated" when he made three straight bogeys late on the front nine. Competitor Peter Serafimoff took a two-shot lead. Hartmann, however, "fought back" on the back nine with even-par golf to remain close. On the final hole, meanwhile, Serafimoff hit his drive out of bounds leading to a double bogey. Hartmann defeated him by one. In June, he played the
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island O ...
at
Bethpage Black Course The Bethpage Black Course is a public golf course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. The course was designed by Joseph H. Burbeck and was assited by noted golf architect A. W. Tillinghast. It is the most difficult of Bethpage's fiv ...
. He opened with a 69 (−2) to put him in a tie for second place, four back of leader Jimmy Weiss. In the second round, Hartmann shot a one-under-par 70 to get closer. In the final round, Hartmann played "steady, relentless golf" early to overtake Weiss who struggled. Mark Mielke briefly challenged in the middle of the back nine but Hartmann birdied the 16th and "cruised in" from there. He won by three strokes. It was his third win at
Bethpage State Park Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, inclu ...
's courses in recent years. "Looks like I kind of like it, doesn't it," he said after the round. He earned $6,000. At the end of the year, he finished in second place in the PaineWebber Metropolitan PGA Section Player of the Year standings, again only behind Zabriski. Hartmann "dominated area golf in 1998," winning nearly every major tournament on the Met PGA. In May, he played the TaylorMade Long Island PGA Championship. Hartmann reached the quarterfinals where he played Mark Mielke. Hartmann birdied the 18th hole to win 1 up. In the semifinals, he defeated John Gentile 4 & 3. In the finals, Hartmann played Dave Gosiewski. Hartmann took a 3 up lead after five holes and never trailed. He won 2 & 1. After the round, Gosiewski said, "Not only is Rick one of the best players in the Met area, he's one of the best club pros in the country. He's an awful tough guy to beat." Later in the month, he played the two-round Met PGA Head Pro Championship as defending champion. In the final round, Hartmann was three-under-par over the first 16 holes to tie first round leader Mike Caporole. On the 17th hole, both missed the green but Hartmann went up and down while Caporole bogeyed. "Seventeen ended up being the key hole," Hartmann said after the round. "Without it, we would have gone to a playoff." Hartmann won by one and earned $3,600." In June, Hartmann played the three-round
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island O ...
at Bethpage's Red Course. During the final round, on a "blustery day," Hartmann shot a "brilliant" 66 (−4) to win by three. In August, he played the three-round
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
. Hartmann started the final round five strokes back but "got off to a great start" with four birdies on the front nine. He then closed with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. He took a two-shot lead over Kestner. On the final hole, Kestner had an eagle putt to tie. However, he missed. Hartmann defeated him by one. His 63 (−7) was one off the course record. It was also the lowest round of his career. He earned $20,000. It was his fourth win of the year. Hartmann ultimately finished in second place at the Met PGA Order of Merit, only narrowly behind Ron McDougal. ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' considered it his "finest year in the section" so far. In 2000, Hartmann received a great deal of media coverage for his play at the major championships. In the spring, Hartmann qualified for the 2000 U.S. Open which was held at
Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course on the west coast of the United States, located in Pebble Beach, California. Regarded by ''Travel and Leisure'' blog as one of the most beautiful courses in the world, it hugs the rugged coastlin ...
. Hartmann played well early in the tournament and was well within the cut line near the end of the second round. However, he started "leaking some oil" with bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes during Friday's play. However, he went up and down on the 18th to make the cut by a shot. Hartman ultimately finished in a tie for 46th place. Hartmann said after the tournament, "This was definitely a highlight of my career." A few days later, Hartmann was scheduled to play the PGA of America Club Pro Championship at
Oak Tree Golf Club Oak Tree National, formerly called Oak Tree Golf Club, is a golf and country club located in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, Oklahoma. The course was designed by Pete Dye, and it opened in 1976. It plays to a par 71. The course Like other cour ...
in
Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest cit ...
. Hartmann finished in the top 25 and qualified for the
2000 PGA Championship The 2000 PGA Championship was the 82nd PGA Championship, held August 17–20 at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. It was the second time for the event at Valhalla, which hosted four years earlier in 1996. Tiger Woods won his second ...
. However, on August 5th, shortly before the tournament, his father died. He pulled out of the event. In 2001, Hartmann had one of his best seasons on the Met PGA. In May, he played the two-round Met PGA Head Pro Championship at Woodmere Golf Club. Hartmann opened with a 62 (−8), breaking the course record by two shots to take the lead. He shot a final round 74 (+4) but his main competitor, Mark Mielke, also struggled with a 73 (+3). Hartmann's total was enough to defeat him by one. In June, he played the
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island O ...
at Bethpage's par-70 Red course. Hartmann opened with rounds of 68 and 66 to tie Mark Mielke, once again his main competitor, for the lead. Mielke, however, struggled once more in the final round allowing Hartmann to pull way. Hartmann finished with a 67 to win by five. "That's as good as I can play," Hartmann told ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' after the round. In July, he played the
New York State Open The New York State Open is the New York state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Metropolitan chapter of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been played annually since ...
. Hartmann finished in a tie for second place, five back of champion John Nieporte. In August, Hartmann played the
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
. He was considered one of the favorites. The event was again at
Bethpage State Park Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, inclu ...
, this time on the Black course. In the second round, Hartmann fired six birdies on the way to a 65 (−5) and a four-shot lead. He tied the course record, nearly 30 years old. In the final round, however, Hartmann had an "off day," with imprecise iron play and mediocre putting. This allowed amateur
Johnson Wagner Montford Johnson Wagner (born March 23, 1980) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Early years and amateur career Wagner was born in Amarillo, Texas and grew up in upstate New York, where his father taught computer scien ...
, who was four-under-par through the first 12 holes, to take control. Hartmann lost to Wagner by three shots. Though he did not win Hartmann earned the $23,000 first place cheque because Wagner was an amateur. Due to his good play over the course of the year, Hartmann won Met PGA's Player of the Year Award for the second straight year. In 2002, Hartmann received some attention for his play in
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
events. In May, he qualified for the tour's
Buick Classic The FedEx St. Jude Championship, founded as the Westchester Classic in 1967, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been played as the first tournament of the playoff system for the FedEx Cup, with the field limi ...
which was held at
Westchester Country Club Westchester Country Club is a private country club located in Town of Harrison, New York. Founded in 1922 as destination for sportsmen, it was known to professional golf players and spectators for more than four decades as the home of the "Westche ...
. However, Hartmann opened with a 79 (+8) to put him in third to last place. Though he shot a 72 (+1) in the second round, he still missed the cut by a wide margin. In June, he attempted to qualify for the
PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major championships ...
at the PGA Club Professional Championship. Hartmann failed to break par the first three rounds and was outside of the top-25 cut-off. In the final round, however, Hartmann shot a 68 (−4), the second best round of the day, to easily make the cut-off and qualify for the tournament. It would be first appearance at the event. At the 2002 PGA Championship, Hartmann shot rounds of 79 and 73 and missed the cut. Over the next few years, Hartmann continued to win local events in the northeast. In September 2002, Hartmann played the Eastern PGA Club Professional at Shenandoah Golf Club at
Turning Stone Resort Casino Turning Stone Resort Casino is a Native American resort casino owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York (OIN) in Verona, New York. The facility opened on July 20, 1993, and offers golf amenities (on- and off-site golf course ...
in upstate New York. Hartmann opened with rounds of 69 and 68 to take the lead. He closed with an even-par 72 to win by one. Hartmann repeated as champion the following year. In 2004, Hartmann played the three-round
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
at Hudson National Golf Course. In the second round he shot a 67 (−4), the round of the day at the "confounding" course. He took a "commanding" four-shot lead. In the final round, though, Brian Lamberti shot with a "dramatic" 64 (−7) to take the clubhouse lead. Hartmann recorded sand saves on the final two holes, however, to win by one. At this point in his career Hartmann was considered one of the top club pros in the country. Ann Miller of ''
The Honolulu Advertiser ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Int ...
'' referred to him as, "One of the finest club pros in the finest section of club pros in the country." In the mid-2000s, Hartmann received national media attention. In May 2005, Hartmann played the Big Stakes Match Play competition. The tournament was for club pros and mini-tour players. It was a pairs match play event which lasted six rounds. Each player had to put up $50,000 to enter the event which guaranteed $3 million in prize money to the winning team. Members at Hartmann's club, Atlantic Golf Club, put up money for him. Hartmann's partner was Mark Mielke. The event was at Casa Bianca Resort in
Mesquite, Nevada Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States adjacent to the Arizona state line and northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 20,471. The city is located in the Virgin River valle ...
. Their team won their first four matches. In the semi-finals, they played the team of Jimmy Blair and Steve Schneiter. Hartmann's team were "slow starters" and were 2 down after 5 holes. However, Mielke made a number of birdies around the turn and the pair took the lead. The pair eventually won it, 4 & 2. The pair were now guaranteed to win at least several hundred thousands dollars each. "This is life changing," Hartmann said shortly after the win. "This is paying off the car, paying off the mortgage." They were scheduled to play David Ping and Garth Mulroy in the finals. The champions would earn $1.5 million each while the runners-up would split the $675,000 runner-up total. In the finals, Mielke birdied two holes early to give Hartmann's team an early 2 up lead. However, the team of Ping and Mulroy won a number of holes around the turn to take the lead. Two down with two to play, Hartmann birdied the 17th to force an 18th hole. However, Hartmann's team conceded after they failed to birdie the final hole. Despite the loss, Hartmann and Mielke shared the $675,000-second place prize. The event received nation-wide media coverage and was reported by ''Sports Illustrated''. A year later, Hartmann was again in the "national spotlight." He earned the rights to play a sectional qualifier for the 2006 U.S. Open and was paired with David Gossett and
Michelle Wie Michelle Sung Wie West (; born October 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie also became the youngest winner of the U.S ...
. The two-round event was held at two different courses on Canoe Brook Country Club in
Summit, New Jersey Summit is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city is located on a ridge in northern- central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. At the 2010 United Sta ...
. The pairing received much media attention because Wie was trying to become the first female to qualify for the U.S. Open. David Fay, executive director of the
USGA The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...
, chose Gossett, a former
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...
pro, and Hartmann because of their experiences as touring professionals playing events in front of large galleries. Marty Parkes, spokesman for the organization, stated, "We didn't want someone who would not be able to deal with the situation." According to ''The Boston Globe'', Hartmann was "besieged with attention" due to the pairing. ''Sports Illustrated'' commissioned him to write an article about the pairing.
Mike Lupica Michael Lupica (; born May 11, 1952) is an author and former American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the ''New York Daily News'' and his appearances on ESPN. Biography Lupica was born in Oneida, ...
ran a full-length profile of Hartmann before the event in the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
''. At the two-round qualifier, Hartmann opened well, birdieing the first hole and remained near the prospective cut-off for most of the first round. However, he " lewup" on the 16th hole, making a double-bogey and ultimately scored a two-over-par 72. Hartmann closed with a 74 (+2) at the North Course to miss the cut-off by six shots. For the remainder of his career on the Met PGA, Hartmann continued to place high, recording a number of runner-up finishes. In July 2006, Hartmann played the three-round North Fork Bank New York State Open. Hartmann opened with rounds of 69 and 71 to put him two back, in solo third, and earned rights to play in the final group. However, Hartmann opened with a double-bogey on the first hole that, in his words, "kind of put me behind the eight-ball." He was never in contention though still finished in a tie for second, three back. In August, he played the three-round
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
at Canoe Brook Golf Club, his first event there since the U.S. Open qualifier with
Michelle Wie Michelle Sung Wie West (; born October 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie also became the youngest winner of the U.S ...
. Hartmann opened with rounds of 70 and 69 to tie for the lead. He would be in the final round's final group once more. Hartmann came to the par-5 18th hole tied for the lead with a chance to win. However, he was forced "to scramble for par." He entered a three-hole playoff with John Guyton. At the final playoff hole, played at the par-5 12th hole, Hartmann three-putted for par giving Guyton the win. After the round, Hartmann stated, "This one is a little more difficult because I thought I was more in control today." In May 2007, Hartmann played the MasterCard Long Island PGA Championship. Hartmann won all of his early matches to reach the finals. However, in the finals he lost to Ron Faria, his assistant at Atlantic Golf Club, 4 & 3. In August, he played the three-round
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
once more. Hartmann finished the tournament birdie-birdie for a 68 (−3) to tie for the clubhouse lead. However, competitor Frank Bensel also closed birdie-birdie to defeat Hartmann by one. In September, Hartmann played the three-round Metropolitan PGA Championship. Hartmann opened with a 79 was ultimately 11 strokes behind entering the final round. However, he had a "torrid" final round, shooting five-under-par through the first 17 holes. Meanwhile, the leader Tony DeMaria struggled and was five-over-par by the middle of the back nine. Hartmann had a 15-foot putt on the final hole to temporarily tie. However, he missed and finished with a 67 (−5). DeMaria closed with four pars to defeat Hartmann by one. In 2008, he recorded another runner-up, this time at the Met PGA Head Pro Championship. In 2009, he won the
Long Island PGA Championship The Long Island PGA Championship is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Metropolitan section of the PGA of America. The current title of the event is the MasterCard Long Island PGA Championship. ...
, his first win on the Met PGA in several years. During this era, Hartmann still worked at Atlantic. He was in charge of preparing the club for the 2010
U.S. Mid-Amateur The U.S. Mid-Amateur, often called the Mid-Am for short, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for post-college amateur golfers, organized by the USGA. It was first played in at Bellerive Country Club in Creve Coeur, Missouri, ...
. "The next two years will be a grind but it's good for the game of golf," Hartmann said in early 2009. "It certainly helps amateur golf." Hartmann, did not play much during the year of 2010, according to ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'', but focused on preparing the club for the event. Shortly thereafter, Hartmann started playing on the senior Met PGA. He had recently turned 50. In 2011, he played the Bacardi Met PGA Senior Championship. The event was held at the par-71 Pine Hollow Club in East Norwich, New York. Hartmann shot rounds of 70 and 69 to win by one. The following year he again had some success, winning the MasterCard Senior Match Play Championship and finishing runner-up at Met PGA Senior Championship. Since 2012, Hartmann has played some Met Senior events but has not had many high results.


Personal life

In 1983, while playing in South Africa, he met Claudette. Hartmann and Claudette eventually got married. Hartmann was friends with the tennis legend
Vitas Gerulaitis Vytautas Kevin Gerulaitis (July 26, 1954 – September 17, 1994) was an American professional tennis player, known as Vitas Gerulaitis. In 1975, he won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon, partnering with Sandy Mayer. He won the men's singles ...
. They traded golf and tennis lessons with each other. Hartmann served as a pallbearer at Gerulatis' funeral after he abruptly died of
carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...
poisoning in September 1994.


Professional wins (26)


Sunshine Tour wins (1)

Sources:


Swedish Golf Tour wins (1)

Sources:


Met PGA Section wins (16)

* 1994
Long Island Open The Long Island Open is a professional golf tournament played on Long Island, New York. It is sponsored by the Long Island Golf Association and was first held in 1922 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, New York. History The Long Island O ...
* 1996
New York State Open The New York State Open is the New York state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Metropolitan chapter of the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It has been played annually since ...
* 1997 Tommy Hilfiger Met PGA Head Pro Championship, Long Island Open * 1998 TaylorMade Long Island PGA Championship, Met PGA Head Pro Championship, Long Island Open,
Metropolitan Open The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status. History The tournament has been ...
* 1999 MasterCard Long Island PGA Championship, Hoffhine Memorial Golf Championship * 2000 MasterCard Long Island PGA Championship, Metropolitan PGA Championship * 2001 Met PGA Head Pro Championship, Long Island Open * 2004 Metropolitan Open * 2009 Long Island PGA Championship


Senior Met PGA Sections wins (2)

* 2011 Bacardi Met PGA Senior Championship * 2012 MasterCard Senior Match Play Championship


Other wins (6)

* 1976 Jimmy Mann County Golf Tournament, Continental Invitational * 1999 PGA Tournament Series event * 2002 Eastern Club Pro Professional Championship * 2003 Eastern Club Pro Professional Championship * 2007 TaylorMade Long Island ProAssistants Championship


Results in major championships

''Note: Hartmann never played in the
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first maj ...
'' Source:


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartmann, Rick American male golfers European Tour golfers Golfers from New York (state) People from Suffolk County, New York 1959 births Living people