Karl Douglas Olson

Class of

1985

Class of

1985

Karl Douglas Olson, Medford Sports Hall of FameDoug moved to Medford in 1953 but from a review of all records set in golfing it would be more appropriate to say, “Doug moved to the Rogue Valley Country Club Golf Course in 1953”.

JUNIOR GOLF: Won the Oregon State Junior Championship in all divisions winning the Junior division twice: 1958 – Pee Wee, 1962 – Boys and 1963 & 1965 – Junior Division, being the only person to have ever won all divisions. At age 15, he won the 1962 Northwest Amateur Invitational, Oregon State Jaycee Junior and the Southern Oregon Junior and was runner-up in the Oregon Amateur, the Capitol City Amateur, the Corvallis Invitational and the Roseburg Amateur. In 1958 Oregon State Junior Championship, at age 10, Doug qualified with a score of 39 for 9 holes (supposed record). In 1958, at age 11, shot a 73 par 18 holes at Salem Golf Club. At age 13, shot 69 at Rogue Valley Country Club. At age 15, set RVCC course record at 66. At age 16 shot 66 in first round of final match of the 1963 Oregon State Jr. Championship at Eugene Country Club from the back tees and went on to win 10 and 9.  HIGHSCHOOL GOLF: First team all-tournament in 1963 & 1965. He was tied for the lead in 1964 at three under par after 18 holes but had to withdraw due to a death in the family. He never lost an individual match. Doug played basketball while in high school and captained the First Team All-Tournament in 1965.

COLLEGE AND AMATEUR: Won RVCC Championship in 1966,1967, 1968 & 1969. Won Southern Oregon Amateur Championship in 1966 & 1984. Won 1966 Beaumont (Texas) Invitational by 10 strokes, shot 135 for 36 holes. Mirror Pond Amateur: 1966 runner-up,1967 – lost in 3-hole playoff and won in 1968 & 1969. UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON: Member of NCAA Champion­ship team in 1967 & 1969. Member of NCAA runner-up team in 1968.  Individually placed first, second and second respectively regarding the team and eighth, seventeenth and eighth respectively, regarding the entire field. 1967, 1968 & 1969 NCAA Championships. Individually won the 1966 Tucker Intercollegiate, won and set the scoring record at the 1968 Atascocita Inter­ collegiate (214), won the 1968 Lake Charles Intercollegiate, won and set the scoring record at the 1969 Border Olympics (270 – won by 13 strokes), tied for first and set the scoring record at the 1969 LSU Intercollegiate (208 but lost in a 6hole play-off to teammate John Mahaffey). Doug was co-captain his senior year at the University of Houston.

PROFESSIONAL: Doug won regional and national tour schools to qualify for the tour in 1969. He played the PGA Tour continuously from the fall of 1969 through the winter of 1974. Again, played in 1977 and 1978 until back troubles forced early retirement. His best chances of winning were at the 1970 Coral Springs Open and 1972 Quad Cities Open where he finished fifth. Won and set scoring record at the 1973 Little Crosby (138), a satellite event.