Don Bies


Don Bies is an American former professional golfer who has won tournaments on the PGA Tour, the Senior PGA Tour, and in the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA of America.

Early life

Bies was born in Cottonwood, Idaho. He attended Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington.

Professional career

In 1957, Bies turned pro. His only PGA Tour win came at the 1975 Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open. His best finish in a major was a T-5 at the 1968 U.S. Open that was played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. He left the PGA Tour in 1980 in order to devote full-time to his restaurant he had opened just outside Seattle.
Bies has also had much success in local events in the Pacific Northwest. He is a three-time winner of the Washington Open and a six-time winner of the Washington State Match Play Championship.

Senior career

After turning 50 at the end of 1987, Bies joined the Senior PGA Tour, where his fortunes improved dramatically for winning tournaments. He has won numerous events both on the regular Senior PGA Tour and in non-Tour senior events. These wins include a senior major championshipThe Tradition at Desert Mountain in 1989.

Awards and honors

In 1994, Bies was elected a member of the Pacific Northwest PGA Hall of Fame.

Professional wins (30)

PGA Tour wins (1)

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11975Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open

PGA Tour of Australia wins (1)

Other wins (15)

this list may be incomplete
  • 1959 Washington Open
  • 1961 Washington State Match Play
  • 1962 Northwest Open
  • 1963 Washington State Match Play
  • 1964 Washington State Match Play
  • 1965 Washington State Match Play
  • 1967 Pacific Northwest PGA Championship
  • 1968 Washington State Match Play
  • 1980 Washington Open, British Columbia Open
  • 1983 Washington State Match Play
  • 1984 Northwest Open
  • 1987 Washington Open, PNW PGA Al Guisti Memorial
  • 1988 PNW PGA Al Giusti Memorial

    Senior PGA Tour wins (7)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1Jun 19, 1988Northville Long Island Classic−14 2 strokes

Other senior wins (6)

Wins (1)