Fairways • Fall 09
Steve Poulson
Named UGA Senior Play of the Year

by Kurt Kragthorpe

The word is used disparagingly in most contexts, but it is a compliment in golf.

Sneaky.

As opposed to being conniving or otherwise intentionally deceptive, a golfer who’s sneaky is one who tends to play and score better than others might expect, and who is always there in the end.

It is a favorable description, and it certainly applies to Steve Poulson.

For one thing, other than the 50-and-older players who have to compete against him in the UGA’s major events, it is still a little strange to think of him as a “senior” golfer. To watch Poulson play in the final group of the Salt Lake City Amateur in June when he finished third in a strong field of much younger players was to admire how well his game still measures up against that generation of longer hitters with more talent.

Another factor is that Poulson is still two years too young to be eligible for the U.S. Senior Amateur and other 55-plus events, keeping him from truly crossing over into senior territory entirely.

But he’s a senior by the UGA’s basic definition, and he’s the best player in his age group. For the first time, the UGA recognized a Senior Player of the Year, and Poulson was a convincing winner over Rick Lloyd, Bill Probst and the rest of a deep field that has made Utah senior golf highly competitive.

The sneaky senior reigns above them all.

Poulson was knocked off by eventual winner Ben Maddox in 19 holes in the quarterfinals of the UGA Senior Match Play Championship. As was evident even that day, he’s tough to beat. He won the UGA Senior Amateur for the third year in a row, went low to claim the Salt Lake City Senior Amateur and took both senior divisions of the Tournament of Champions to rank atop the Senior Player Performance Ratings with a 15.5 score.

He finished above Lloyd (12.3), who won a senior event at Gladstan Golf Course, finished second in the Senior Am and at Sun River GC, was third among the amateurs in the Utah Senior Open and reached the Match Play semifinals, before also losing to Maddox.

Some friendly rivals jab Poulson about turning 50 just in time to take advantage of the UGA’s new classification of seniors, but he also has raised his game to match the opportunity. He remembers competing in a USGA Public Links qualifier in his mid 40s and being discouraged by the talent of the younger golfers. Senior golf gave him new life, and not just in the sense of playing against his peers.

His rejuvenation was such that he found himself better able to keep up with the kids.

“It raises your expectations,” he said, “and I might be doing that with the seniors. We’re shooting some pretty good scores.”

They sure did so in the Salt Lake City Senior Am. Poulson shot a 67at Rose Park and a 65 at Glendale to finish at 13 under par, and he won by only two strokes over just-turned-50 Jeff Powars, with Brent Marrriott and Ken Sowby tying for third after each shot in the 60s in the opening round.

A shorter course helps occasionally, but Poulson’s ball-striking and putting abilities are such that he’s capable of going low at any time. He’s not physically imposing, contributing to the “sneaky”description, but hits the ball long enough and can be an excellent iron player. Still, there’s just something about his game that makes fellow competitors marvel about the scores he posts, even if they watched it all unfold.

It happened in the qualifying round for the Match Play event at Rose Park, where Brent Marriott and Rob Bachman played with Poulson. By Bachman’s account, Marriott was amazed by Poulson’s score of 66, until they started recounting all of those birdies and eagles that sneaked onto his card.

“Steve is a very good putter,” Bachman said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit, even among his peers, as he should. He’s also sneaky long. He’s not the most imposing player, but he gets the maximum out of his swing.”

Poulson will agree only that he can “keep up with the older guys,” while claiming there can be “a 100-yard difference” off the tee with younger players. That’s a slight exaggeration, judging by his performance in the City Am alongside eventual winner Jon Wright, but it was impressive to watch Poulson stay in the hunt with such a distance disadvantage.

It helps that he’s a driven competitor. “Steve can be intense sometimes, but I really quite enjoy playing with him, because I’m that way,” said Bachman, whose association with Poulson goes back to their days together at Bountiful Ridge Golf Course.

Poulson will have some energy and intensity stored up by March. He shut down his game in the early fall, giving him plenty of time to rehabilitate his back and get his body in shape for next season and beyond. Without trying to put too much pressure on himself, he’s also looking forward to 2011, when he can enter the U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying event.

He knows the increasing quality of Utah senior golf will mean no guarantees that he can advance from here, but he would love to see how he can stack up nationally.

In the meantime, he’s willing to share a little secret with his fellow golfers: Attitude matters. Continually hearing others mutter about how they would be good “if only they could putt,” Poulson started telling himself he could. “I like to think of myself as a good putter,” he said. “Most guys ought to have that frame of mind, that they can make everything, like a 15-year-old kid does.”

Of course, it helps the 53-year-old’s self-image when he has actual evidence of putting success, but there’s something to his counsel.

It’s just the kind of sneaky strategy that might help everybody, because it sure works for him.

Kurt Kragthorpe is a Salt Lake Tribune sportswriter and frequent contributor to Fairways.