Hall of Fame

Hometown: Elmira, N.Y.
Residence: Orlando, Fla.

Mike Hulbert is a product of New York's Twin Tiers who carried a Southern Tier upbringing all the way to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour. A three-time Tour champion with a top-six finish at the U.S. Open, Hulbert built a career defined by durability, big-stage performance, and a hometown loyalty that never faded.

Born in Elmira and raised in Horseheads, Hulbert came up in one of the most fertile stretches of golf talent the region has ever produced. He was a childhood friend and high school rival of Joey Sindelar — a fellow Horseheads product and NYSGA Hall of Famer — and the two pushed each other from junior golf all the way to the game's highest level. Hulbert announced himself on the state stage in 1979 with a runner-up finish at the NYS Men's Amateur Championship.

He took his game south to East Tennessee State University, where he became a two-time All-American (1979, 1980) and captured the Southern Conference Individual Championship in 1980, laying the foundation for a long professional career.

Hulbert turned professional in 1981 and earned his PGA Tour card, competing on Tour from 1985 to 2007. His breakthrough came in 1986 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, a one-stroke victory over his old friend Joey Sindelar. Three years later he authored the most meaningful win of his career on home soil, capturing the 1989 B.C. Open in Endicott — in the heart of the Southern Tier — with a playoff victory over Bob Estes. He completed his trio of Tour titles at the 1991 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic, winning on the first playoff hole over Kenny Knox, and added a win that same year at the Kapalua International. Across his career he played 592 PGA Tour events and recorded more than 45 top-10 finishes, including six runner-up results.

The defining moment of his major-championship record came at the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he tied for sixth — among the best showings by any New York player of his era. He also posted a tie for 19th at the 1992 Masters, a tie for 23rd at the 1991 PGA Championship, and a tie for 39th at the 1990 British Open, before continuing his career on the PGA Tour Champions beginning in 2008.

Hulbert's contributions to the game extended well beyond his playing days. He served as Director of Golf at East Tennessee State, joined CBS Sports as its PGA Tour rules analyst for broadcasts, and worked as a Ryder Cup captain's assistant in 2002. His achievements earned him induction into the ETSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002 and a place on the Southern Conference 75th Anniversary Team.

A Twin Tiers original, a three-time PGA Tour winner, and a champion on his home turf in Endicott, Mike Hulbert represents the very best of Southern Tier golf — and takes his rightful place in the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame.

Mike Hulbert's Career Highlights

• Runner-up, NYS Men's Amateur Championship (1979)
• College golf at East Tennessee State University
• Winner, Southern Conference Individual Championship (1980)
• 2x All-American (1979, 1980)
• Turned professional in 1981; PGA Tour member (1985–2007)
• 3 PGA Tour victories:
  • FedEx St. Jude Classic (1986) — one stroke over Joey Sindelar
  • B.C. Open (1989) — playoff over Bob Estes, in Endicott, N.Y.
  • Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic (1991) — first-playoff-hole win over Kenny Knox
• Winner, Kapalua International (1991)
• 592 PGA Tour events played; 45+ top-10 finishes; 6 runner-up finishes
• PGA Tour Champions member (beginning 2008)
• U.S. Open: T6 (1992, Pebble Beach)
• Masters: T19 (1992)
• PGA Championship: T23 (1991) [confirm vs. T-7 at 1986 PGA]
• British Open: T39 (1990)
• Director of Golf, East Tennessee State
• CBS Sports PGA Tour rules analyst
• Ryder Cup captain's assistant (2002)
• Inducted, ETSU Athletics Hall of Fame (2002)
• Member, Southern Conference 75th Anniversary Team