Lonnie Nielsen

Lonnie Nielsen

Lonnie Dean Nielsen (born June 29, 1953) is an American professional golfer.

Nielsen was born and raised in Belle Plaine, Iowa. His father started him in golf as a youngster on the sand green courses in and around his hometown. He attended the University of Iowa, where earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1976.

Nielsen was a member of the PGA Tour from 1978–1983 but did not win any tournaments. He has won over 30 other tournaments though, most of which were played in New York.

Nielsen became a member of the Champions Tour upon reaching the age of 50 in the summer of 2003. He won his first Champions Tour event at the Commerce Bank Championship in 2007. His second Champions Tour win came in 2009 at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open, where he came from three strokes behind Fred Funk in the final round with a 9 under par 63 to win by three strokes.

In 2009, Nielsen became the first tour professional to serve as a lead contributor to the GIVE (Golf For Injured Veterans Everywhere) Foundation.

Nielsen was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2010.