Mike Colandro
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Michael Violette Colandro (May 27, 1953 – August 9, 2015) was an American professional
golfer Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
. Colandro played briefly on the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
in 1979 and 1980 but did not have much success. In 1981, he started to play on the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
. Despite multiple personal tragedies, a rancorous relationship with rules officials, and a precarious exemption status he was able to play 16 consecutive seasons on the Australian tour, culminating with his only official tour victory, the 1987
Air New Zealand Shell Open The Air New Zealand Shell Open was a golf tournament held in New Zealand between 1975 and 1994. The event was the New Zealand Airlines Classic in 1975 and 1976 and the New Zealand Airlines Open in 1977. The Grange hosted the first and final editio ...
. In 1995, he largely retired as a touring professional. He still worked in the golf industry, however, as a swing instructor, creator of golf-related DVDs-CDs, and charity fundraiser, while also working on a self-published autobiography, ''Almost an Aussie''.


Early life

Colandro was born in 1953. He was of Italian descent. Colandro was from
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
. Colandro's father, Al, was an assistant pro at Wampanoag Country Club in
West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The population was 64,083 at the 20 ...
. He also had a brother, Albert, and a sister, Maryann. Albert occasionally served as Colandro's caddy as an adult. Colandro was afflicted with Diabetes type II throughout his life. In his youth, Colandro started his golf career as a caddy. He was a caddy at Rockledge Golf Club in West Hartford and some other clubs in the area. In his spare time, Colandro would play these courses as well. In general, however, Colandro largely honed his skills at Goodwin Park Golf Course in
Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
. Colandro grew up in
Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, t ...
. During the 1968–69 school year, as a freshman at
Newington High School Newington High School is a public high school located in Newington, Connecticut, on Route 173/Willard Avenue. Its address is 605 Willard Avenue. All students in the town of Newington seeking a public high school education attend Newington High S ...
, Colandro began playing for the golf team. He immediately began as a "starter." During his sophomore year, however, Colandro could not play on the golf team due to "double sessions at school." In the summer of 1970, Colandro received media attention for the first time. In July, he played the Connecticut State Golf Association Junior Championship at Watertown Golf Club in
Watertown, Connecticut Watertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The population was 22,105 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Waterbury. The urban center of the town is the Wat ...
. Colandro won his first two matches of the event and reached the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals he played William Reklaitis of Rockledge Golf Club. Colandro was 2 up at the turn and remained two holes up with two to play. However, Reklaitis won the 17th and 18th holes, including a birdie at the last, to send it to extra holes. Colandro, though, birdied the first extra hole to win the match. In the semifinals he played "tournament medalist" Paul Maloney. Colandro quickly fell behind, 3 down at the turn. Colandro birdied the 10th hole to get closer but Maloney won a number of holes in the middle of the back nine to assure the win. Maloney won it 3 & 2. Later in the year, in September, Colandro played the Hartford District Amateur. At the end of regulation, Colandro was tied with five other players for the lead. They played an 18-hole playoff to determine the champion. Colando won it. He was believed to be the youngest-ever winner of the event. Colandro graduated from Newington High School in 1972.


Amateur career

Shortly after graduating high school, Colandro attended
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
. He was on the golf team. The team included future PGA Tour pros Howard Twitty,
Bob Gilder Robert Bryan Gilder (born December 31, 1950) is an American professional golfer. He won six tournaments on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour, where he has ten wins since joining in 2001 Senior PGA Tour, 2001. Early life and ...
, and
Tom Purtzer Thomas Warren Purtzer (born December 5, 1951) is an American professional golfer. Purtzer won a number of tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. Early life and amateur career Purtzer was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended A ...
. Colandro was there from 1972 to 1974. But in late 1974 "there was a falling-out with the coach" and Colandro dropped out of school. Colandro soon started working as a caddy on the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
at the beginning of the 1975 season. He worked for
Marty Fleckman Martin Alan Fleckman (born April 23, 1944) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s. Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Fleckman credits Byron Nelson, Carl Lohren, and Jim Hardy with teaching him how to play ...
and Rick Rhodes. In the summer he returned to Connecticut and played in some notable events. In July he played the New England Public Links. He opened with a 71, one of only two players to match par, and take the joint lead. In addition, his Goodwin Park team was in second place. Colandro shot a one-under-par 70 in the second round to win medalist honors. As a team, Goodwin Park finished in second place, two back of the host team, Hubbard Heights. In August he played the Hartford District Amateur, the event he won five years previous. Colandro was considered one of the favorites. Like in 1970, he won the event. In September he played the Manchester Open, a professional event. He shot an even-par 72 to achieve low amateur honors. Champion
Wayne Levi Wayne John Levi (born February 22, 1952) is an American professional golfer. Early life Levi was born in Little Falls (city), New York, Little Falls, New York and attended high school in Herkimer, New York. He enrolled at Oswego State University ...
and runner-up Don Bierkan were among the few professionals to defeat him. During the year he also won the Victor Riccio Tournament. He was generally regarded as one of the best amateur golfers in Connecticut during this era.


Professional career


Early career and PGA Tour

In October 1975, Colandro turned professional. Colandro attempted to qualify for the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
at Fall 1975 PGA Tour Qualifying School. However, he was unsuccessful. Colandro remained in Florida for the winter and played on the state's mini-tours. For the next two summers Colandro worked as a driving range in
Ellington, Connecticut Ellington is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. Ellington was incorporated in May 1786, from East Windsor. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 16,426. History Ori ...
. Colandro again attempted to make it onto the PGA Tour at Fall 1977 PGA Tour Qualifying School but was again unsuccessful. Colandro was, in his words, at a "crossroads" in his life and decided to move to
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
where his aunt lived. He ultimately got a job as an assistant pro at Sahara Country Club. In early 1979 he started playing the local mini-tours. In mid-May he again began another attempt to earn playing privileges for the PGA Tour. The Western regionals for the Spring 1979 PGA Tour Qualifying School were held at the
PGA West Stadium Course PGA West is a set of 6 golf courses located in La Quinta, California. The PGA West Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye and is viewed as the sequel to the TPC at Sawgrass. It was inspired by the Scottish links-style courses and at one point ...
in
Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothil ...
. Colando shot 292 (+4) to finish in a tie for 25th place and earn rights to play in final qualifying by two stokes. In June, he played the finals at Pinehurst No. 6 in North Carolina. Over the course of the 72 hole tournament, Colandro shot 295 to earn rights to play on the PGA Tour. Colandro soon started playing on the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
. His first event was the Danny Thomas-Memphis Classic in late June. Colandro shot rounds of 75 (+3) and 73 (+1) to miss the cut. Two weeks he played the
Greater Milwaukee Open The Greater Milwaukee Open was a regular golf tournament in Wisconsin on the PGA Tour. For 42 years, it was played annually in the Milwaukee area, the final sixteen editions in the north suburb of Brown Deer at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course. ...
. He opened with a 68 to put him within two of the lead. However, he shot an 80 to miss the cut by a wide margin. A month later Colandro missed the cut at his hometown event, the Greater Hartford Open, by one stroke. Colandro continued to miss cuts. However, at his last event of the year, the San Antonio Texas Open, he shot a 67 (−3) to make his first cut. Colandro earned $497.50, his first check on the PGA Tour. Due to his poor play over the course of the year, however, Colandro had to return to the
PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament The annual PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, also known as Qualifying School or Q-School, was historically the main method by which golfers earned PGA Tour playing privileges, commonly known as a Tour card. From 2013 to 2022, Q-School granted privil ...
. He easily made it through regionals and then played the finals again at Pinehurst. At the Fall 1980 PGA Tour Qualifying School he opened with rounds of 76-76-72 to put him within one of the cut-off figure. However, "still struggling somewhat with a new swing," Colandro shot an 84 to ultimately miss the cut-off by a wide margin. Although a "non-card-carrying member" of the
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
in 1980, Colandro was still able to compete in up to 10 tournaments during the year. At the beginning of the 1980 season, Colandro attempted to qualify for the
Phoenix Open The Phoenix Open (branded as the WM Phoenix Open for sponsorship reasons) is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in early February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. The tournament was originally the Ariz ...
and
Bing Crosby National Pro-Am The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually at Pebble Beach, California, near Carmel. The tournament is usually held during the month of February on two different courses, currently Pebble Beach ...
but failed. He managed to get into the
Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational The Farmers Insurance Open is an annual professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in San Diego, California. Founded in 1952, the tournament has been held at Torrey Pines Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in La Jolla, since 1968. T ...
but missed the cut. However, later in the West Coast swing, at the
Hawaiian Open The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup, FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, since the event's modern-day inception as the ...
, Colandro had more success. He opened the tournament with rounds of 72-70-69. In the final round he was paired with
Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Since embarking on a professional career in ...
and Bill Calfee. On Sunday, Colandro shot four-under-par over the first 10 holes to put him at nine-under-par for the tournament. It was the best aggregate score he had in any tournament in his career to that point. He was anxious and conferred with playing partner Palmer on what to do. Palmer advised him to not be complacent and push forward and achieve a better score. Colandro, however, had a "struggling finish," double-bogeying the 13th hole and ultimately recording a 71 (−1). At 282 (−6) he finished in a tie for 42nd. Despite the disappointing close, it was his best result of his PGA Tour career so far. A month later, Colandro opened well at the
Doral-Eastern Open The Doral Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in the southeastern United States. It was played annually for 45 seasons, from 1962 to 2006, on the "Blue Monster" course at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida, a subu ...
. He shot a first round 71 to put him near the top ten. However, he shot a second round 79 to miss the cut. For the remainder of the year Colandro did not have much success, failing to make the cut in any of his subsequent PGA Tour events, including his hometown event, the Greater Hartford Open.


PGA Tour of Australia

In 1981, Colandro decided to play in Australia. It was his first year playing the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
. Colandro formed a company, the MC Company, to help fund his tour of Australia. In October, he played the
New South Wales PGA Championship The New South Wales PGA Championship was a professional golf tournament played in New South Wales, Australia between 1923 and 2015. History The inaugural event was held in 1923 and was won by Fred Popplewell with a score of 311. Dan Soutar had ...
. He finished in solo ninth place. Two weeks later he played the West Lakes Classic. He opened with a 72 to put himself near the top ten. He finished in a tie for 14th. The following week he played the New South Wales Open. He opened with even-par rounds of 73 to put himself near the lead. However, on the weekend he followed with rounds of 76 to finish outside of the top ten. By early November, Colandro had played in six events and made the cut in all of them. He finished his first season in Australia ranked inside the top 50 on the Order of Merit. In February 1982, Colandro played the
Australian Masters The Australian Masters was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia held in Victoria, Australia from 1979 to 2015. History The tournament is the brainchild of schoolteacher David Inglis. The Australian Masters was intended to ...
. He shot three-under-par for the first two days to put him in joint second place, three back of
Bob Shearer Robert Alan Shearer (25 May 1948 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect. Early life and amateur career Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur, having been a jo ...
's lead. However, in the third round he shot a 78 and "dropped out of the reckoning." He finished in a tie for 21st. Later in the year he started playing some events on the
Asia Golf Circuit The Asia Golf Circuit was the principal men's professional golf tour in Southeast Asia from the early 1960s through to the mid-late 1990s. The tour was founded in 1961 as the Far East Circuit. The first series of five tournaments was held in 196 ...
. Shortly thereafter, Colandro returned to the United States. In late June 1982, Colandro played the
Massachusetts Open The Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament. The brothers Donald Ross and Alex Ross had much success early in the tournament's history, winning the first eight events between them. In the mid-1910s, the Massachusetts G ...
. The event was held at Longmeadow Country Club in
Longmeadow, Massachusetts Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,853 at the 2020 census. History Longmeadow was first settled in 1644, and officially incorporated October 17, 1783. The town was originally farmland wit ...
. In the second round he shot an even-par 70 to become a "challenger" to leader
Dana Quigley Dana C. Quigley (born April 14, 1947) is an American professional golfer. Early life Quigley was born in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1969. Professional career In 1971, Quigley turned profess ...
, finishing the round in solo second place. However, he "soared" to a two-over-par 72 in the third round to "slip into a second place tie" with
Bob Menne Robert Menne (February 19, 1942 – June 2, 2023) was an American professional golfer. He played on the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour, and the European Seniors Tour. Early life and amateur career Menne was born and raised in Gardner, Massach ...
. In late July, Colandro began play at the Miller High Life-Greater Bangor Open. After two rounds Colandro was at 142 (+2), three back of leader
Jeff Sluman Jeffrey George Sluman (born September 11, 1957) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous professional golf tournaments including six PGA Tour victories. Early life and amateur career Sluman was born and reared in Rochester, New Yo ...
. However, he was unable to break par in the final round, shooting a 72 (+2), to finish at 214 (+4), in a tie for fifth place. He won $700. In August, Colandro attempted to qualify for his hometown event, Sammy Davis Jr. - Greater Hartford Open. However, he was not successful. In the early 1980s, Colandro continued to play in Australia. He had his first high finishes in Australia during this era. In late November 1982, he played the
New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...
. He opened with rounds of 73 and 71 to put himself at even-par, in fifth place. However, Colandro shot a third round 75 to shoot himself out of contention. However, he shot a final round 71 (−1) for solo third place. Colandro's round was one of only four sub-par rounds for the day. In October 1983, he had much success at the National Panasonic New South Wales Open. He did not play particularly well at the beginning of the tournament, however, opening with rounds of 72 (+1) and 78 (+7). However, in the third round he shot a 67 (−4). This turned out of be joint best round of the tournament with
Greg Norman Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as List of World Number One male golfers, world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA ...
who also shot 67 that round. In the final round he shot a 72 (+1) to finish in a tie for 8th. In early November, Colandro played in a pro-am at
Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a 36-hole Golf Club (establishment), golf club in Australia, located in Black Rock, Victoria, Black Rock, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, a suburb in southeastern Melbourne. Its West and East courses are respectivel ...
, shooting a 69, finishing in a tie for fourth. The next week Colandro played the
Victorian PGA Championship The Victorian PGA Championship is a golf tournament played in Victoria, Australia. It has been part of the PGA Tour of Australasia each season since 2009. It is the oldest of the state professional championships, having been first held in 1922. ...
. After two rounds he was at 143 (−1). On Friday night of the tournament, he learned his father died. He continued to play, however, stating that "his father would have wanted him to play." On Saturday, during the third round, he shot a 68 (−4) to put him only three shots off of the lead. Colandro ultimately finished in solo fourth place, four back of champion Vaughan Somers. As of February 1984, Colandro had returned to the United States. During this era, Colandro was a teaching pro at Laurel View Golf Club in
Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut), Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecti ...
. Early in the year, he played the PGA Club Pro Series at Plantation Club Resort in
Crystal River, Florida Crystal River is a city in Citrus County, Florida, Citrus County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,396 in the 2020 census, up from 3,108 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Homosassa Springs, Florida Citrus County, Florida, Metrop ...
. Colandro finished at six-under-par 138, in a tie for sixth place, four back of champion Kirk Hanefeld. In the spring he began playing on the Tournament Players Series, satellite tour of the PGA Tour. In early June, he attempted to qualify for the 1984 U.S. Open. The event proper was going to held at
Winged Foot Golf Club Winged Foot Golf Club is a private golf club in the Northeastern United States, located in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. The club was founded in 1921, by a group largely made up of members of The New York Athleti ...
at
Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ), is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2 ...
. The final qualifying event was held in New Jersey. Colandro played well for most of the event and was on the mark to qualify. However, he shot a 40 on the final nine to miss qualifying by a shot. A few days later, Colandro started playing the two-round Hellawell Cadillac-Oldsmobile Pro-am. The event was held at Pittsfield Country Club in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...
. Colandro opened with a 68 (−2) to take a two-stroke lead. Fran Marello, a friend of Colandro's from his junior golf days in Connecticut, "put on a little pressure," shooting a final round 69 (−1). However, Colandro "nailed down the victory" at the 16th hole, hitting a wedge shot to three feet to assure birdie. With his 67 (−3), he won by four strokes over Marello. In addition, Colandro's pro-am team also won the group competition. In July, Colandro successfully earned entry into the 1984 British Open. The event was held at
St Andrews Golf Club St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members' golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, having been established in 1843. The club does no ...
in
Saint Andrews, Scotland St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...
. However, he missed the cut. The following week, Colandro played the Miller High Life-Greater Bangor Open again. The event was held at Bangor Municipal Golf Course. At the par-70 course, Colandro shot rounds of 67 and 70 to put him in a tie for second, four back of the lead held by Fran Marrello. In the final round, Colandro played in the final group with Marrello and Chip Hall. Over the course of the front nine, however, he shot two-over-par to fall into a tie for third. He ultimately shot a 74 (+4) to finish in a tie for 5th place. In late 1984, Colandro returned to Australia. Early in the 1984–85 season he recorded a number of top finishes that put him at the edge of the top ten. In late October, he played the New South Wales Open. He shot a third round 71 (−2) to move near the top ten. He shot an even-par 73 the following day to finish T-7. In the first week of November he played the
Australian PGA Championship The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour fro ...
. He shot three rounds in the low 70s to put himself in the top ten entering the final round. He finished in a tie for 11th. Four days later he opened with a 69 at the
Victorian PGA Championship The Victorian PGA Championship is a golf tournament played in Victoria, Australia. It has been part of the PGA Tour of Australasia each season since 2009. It is the oldest of the state professional championships, having been first held in 1922. ...
to put himself in the top ten. He finished in a tie for 10th. The following week he matched "par figures" at the
Australian Open The Australian Open (stylized ΛO) is a tennis tournament organised by Tennis Australia annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Sl ...
to finish in solo 10th place. The following week he was considered among the favorites at the Honeywell Classic. He opened with a 71 (−2) to put him near the top ten. He followed with a 70 (−3) to stay on the leaderboard. He finished in a tie for 11th at 284 (−8). Late in season he seriously contested to win several tournaments. In mid-December, Colandro received much media attention for his play at the
Queensland PGA Championship The Queensland PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament is currently held at Nudgee Golf Club in Nudgee. History The event was founded as the Queensland Professional Championship in 1926. The inaugura ...
. He opened with a 71 (−1), scoring six birdies. He "continued his run of birdies" with four more in the second round. With a 70 (−2) he took the lead. Colandro had a chance to maintain to lead on Saturday. However, he "threw away his chance," missing an "easy" putt on the 16th and then bogeying the 17th hole. He was two behind leaders Peter Fowler and
Ossie Moore Ossie Moore (born 6 July 1958) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life Moore was born in Murwillumbah. Professional career Moore played on the European Tour from 1984 to 1991. His best finish was second at the 1987 PLM Open. Moore ...
. On Sunday, Colandro played in the final group. He was two-over-par through the first 16 holes but was still "in the running" for the championship, one behind leader
Ian Baker-Finch Ian Michael Baker-Finch (born 24 October 1960) is an Australian golfer and sports commentator best known for winning The Open Championship in 1991. Early life Baker-Finch was born in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. He grew up in the same Queens ...
. However, he bogeyed the par-4 17th to lose any hope. He finished in third place. In February, Colandro played well at the
Victorian Open The Victorian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Australia. It was founded in 1957 and is the Victoria state open championship for men. It is run by Golf Victoria and is a Golf Australia national ranking event. The event is held concur ...
. After two rounds he was at 141, in a tie for 5th place. After three rounds he was at 213 (−3), in a tie for third place, only behind leader Baker-Finch and second place holder David Graham. He shot an even-par round of 72 on Sunday to finish in solo fifth place. The following week he played the
Australian Masters The Australian Masters was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia held in Victoria, Australia from 1979 to 2015. History The tournament is the brainchild of schoolteacher David Inglis. The Australian Masters was intended to ...
. After three rounds he was at 221, in a tie for ninth. However, he played poorly in the final round, shooting a 77, to finish in a tie for 18th. In April, Colandro played the three-round Ansett Yarra Yarra Easter Classic. He opened with rounds of 68 and 74 to put him near the lead. In the final round he shot a 72 to finish tied with Robert Stephens at the end of regulation. They finished one ahead of Mark Nash,
Bob Shearer Robert Alan Shearer (25 May 1948 – 9 January 2022) was an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect. Early life and amateur career Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur, having been a jo ...
, and amateur Tim Elliiot. Colandro and Stephens played a sudden-death playoff to decide the championship. The playoff would begin on the 10th hole. On the first playoff hole, Colandro's drive "landed in the trees" and his approach went into a bunker. Stephens, meanwhile, "comfortably" made the green in regulation. Colandro had an 11-metre bunker shot. He stated later, "It was a very hard shot with a capital V-E-R-Y." However, Colandro holed the shot for birdie. Stephens could not match him and Colandro won the tournament. Afterwards Colandro stated, "I didn't expect to hole the ball, I was just hoping to get it up there so I could get it in for par. You just don't get bunker shots like that in. But as soon as I hit it I thought it had a chance." Later in the month, he also won the Bendigo pro-am. Colandro returned to the United States. In the summer, he told the ''
Bangor Daily News The ''Bangor Daily News'' is an American newspaper covering a large portion of central and eastern Maine, published six days per week in Bangor, Maine. The ''Bangor Daily News'' was founded on June 18, 1889; it merged with the ''Bangor Whig an ...
'', "This is a big year for me. I have to be realistic. I've been guilty about not thinking about the future the last few years. I've set a lot of short-term goals, but I've never set long-term goals. I'm at the point where I'm saying you've either got to start winning now, or start looking for other things to do in your life." In early August he played the three-round Miller High Life-Greater Bangor Open. Colandro had an up and down day but birdied the final hole to finish at one-under-par, near the lead. In the second round he shot an even-par 70 to stay close to the lead. In the final round, however, Colandro bogeyed the first two holes to fall out of it. He ultimately shot a 73 (+3) and finished in a tie for solo fourth, nine behind champion Jeff Lewis. As of mid-October 1985, Colandro had returned to Australia. In November, he played the
Victorian PGA Championship The Victorian PGA Championship is a golf tournament played in Victoria, Australia. It has been part of the PGA Tour of Australasia each season since 2009. It is the oldest of the state professional championships, having been first held in 1922. ...
at Warrnambool Golf Club
Warrnambool Warrnambool (; Eastern Maar, Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the Census in Australia#2021, 2021 census, Warrnambool had a populati ...
, Australia. Colandro was one-over-par at the midway point of the tournament. However, in the third round he played excellently, shooting a "scintillating" nine-under-par 63, breaking the course record. He moved into a tie for third place. Colandro stated it was his "best-ever round in competition." However, on Sunday he fired an "ordinary" 74 (+2). He finished in a tie for fourth place. For the remainder of the year, Colandro had much success at minor tournaments. A few days later after his success at Warrnambool, Colandro began preparations to play the
Australian Open The Australian Open (stylized ΛO) is a tennis tournament organised by Tennis Australia annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Sl ...
. In the event's pro-am he shot a one-over-par 73 at the "demanding" Royal Melbourne course, only behind medalists Tom Watson and Mike Cahill and third place holders
Terry Gale Terry R. Gale (born 7 June 1946) is an Australian professional golfer. Professional career Gale had a successful amateur career before turning professional at a relatively advanced age in 1976. From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s he won reg ...
and
Ian Stanley Ian Christopher Stanley (born 28 February 1957) is a British musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a member of Tears for Fears for most of the 1980s, and played a key role in the making of their multi-platinum-selling second studio a ...
. Two weeks later, in late November, he played well at the
U-Bix Classic The U-Bix Classic was a golf tournament held in Australia from 1984 to 1987 at The Federal Golf Club, Canberra. The event was called the Honeywell Classic in 1984. The tournament was held during November in 1984 and 1985, and again in January 198 ...
pro-am, shooting a three-under-par 70, finishing in a tie for third place. In December, he played the two-round Eastwood pro-am at Eastwood Golf Club in
Kilsyth, Victoria Kilsyth () is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district (CBD), located within the City of Maroondah and the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government areas. Kilsyth recorded a population of 11,699 ...
. With consecutive rounds of even-par 72 he won the event by two strokes over Rob McNaughton. He finished 1985 ranked 19th on the Order of Merit, his best performance so far. Despite this success, Colandro was beginning to receive negative press coverage for his antagonistic behavior at golf tournaments. Over the course of the 1985 season, he received a number of "hefty fines" for failing to control his "temper" at tournaments. In addition, Colandro was becoming known for his confrontational behavior with rules officials. According to the ''
Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'', he had "numerous run-ins with officialdom" in the mid-1980s. In early 1986 he had some success at more significant events. In February, he opened with rounds of 71 at the
Victorian Open The Victorian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Australia. It was founded in 1957 and is the Victoria state open championship for men. It is run by Golf Victoria and is a Golf Australia national ranking event. The event is held concur ...
to put himself near the top ten. He closed with rounds of 73 and 69 to finish in a tie for fifth, four back of champion
Ossie Moore Ossie Moore (born 6 July 1958) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life Moore was born in Murwillumbah. Professional career Moore played on the European Tour from 1984 to 1991. His best finish was second at the 1987 PLM Open. Moore ...
. In early March he played the Rich River Golf Classic. In the third round he opened with a "stunning run" of four consecutive birdies. He ultimately shot a 68 (−3) finished the round tied with Rodger Davis for second place. He closed with an even-par 71 to finish solo third. It was his last event of the season. Around this time, Colandro was thinking about becoming a member of the Victorian PGA and moving permanently to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia. During this era, he was engaged to Georgia Eames, a model from Melbourne. He was currently in 8th place on the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit. His goals thereafter were to win a "major" tournament on the Australian tour. Shortly after the season ended, however, tragedy struck. On March 10, Colandro was driving a car in Melbourne with his fiancée, Eames. The car "skidded off the road and into a pole." Eames was "killed instantly." Colandro stated a few months later, "She was crushed to death and had to have a closed casket. I should have been crushed to death, too, or mangled at best... They had to pry her out of the car and I got off scot-free." Colandro was "devastated" by her death. Much later, friends stated that the event "took a lot out of Mike." Ten days after the accident, Colandro returned to the United States. During this time he was an assistant professional at the Country Club of Waterbury in
Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...
. In early June, Colandro began his qualifying attempt for the 1986 U.S. Open. The two-round sectional qualify event was held at two different golf courses in
Purchase, New York Purchase is a hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set ...
. There were 27 slots open to advance to the event proper. In the morning round, at Century Country Club, Colandro opened with a one-over-par-71. However, at the afternoon round at Old Oaks Country Club, he "struggled." He was over-par early, made bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes, and then missed a 20-foot par putt at the last. Colandro said he was so "upset" by his finish that, in his own words, he wanted "to throw up all over the place." However, at the last minute Colando got into a 3-for-5 playoff to determine who got the last three slots. With a "routine par 4" on the first playoff hole Colandro moved onto the U.S. Open with Brett Upper and
Peter Oosterhuis Peter Arthur Oosterhuis (3 May 1948 – 2 May 2024) was an English professional golfer and broadcaster. He played on the European circuit from 1969 to 1974, winning 10 tournaments and taking the Harry Vardon Trophy for heading the Order of Merit ...
. The event proper was held at
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in an unincorporated area of the Town of Southampton on Long Island, New York, situated between the Peconic Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1891, it is one of the oldest golf ...
in
Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...
. Colandro opened poorly in the first round with an 80 (+10), including double bogeys on the 10th and 12th holes. Colandro's poor play was due to, in his words, "lost concentration and a couple of poor swings. You can shoot a high number when that happens." He responded with a 76 (+6) and missed the cut by a wide margin. Colandro was not particularly discouraged by the result, however. "It wasn't a bad effort considering that for a few months I didn't really know what my life was about," he said later, referencing the recent death of his fiancée. Late in the summer he won two state opens. In early August, Colandro played the three-round Connecticut Open at Hartford Golf Club. It was his first appearance at the tournament since 1975, when he was an amateur. He shot an opening round 69 (−2) to take the solo lead. Colandro shot over-par in the second round but maintained the lead. In the final round, Colandro played better and expanded his lead to six strokes. However, he played poorly down the stretch, bogeying four of the last six holes, opening doors to "fast closing amateur Cary Sciorra." However, Colandro was able to hold on and defeat Sciorra by one. Roughly a week later, he began play at the Hancock-Lumber Maine Open. The event was held at Springbrook Country Club in
Leeds, Maine Leeds is a New England town, town in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,262 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan St ...
. Colandro "got off slowly," bogeying the par-3 2nd hole. However, he shot three-under-par over the last 10 holes to score a 68 (−3) and take the solo lead. He led by one over
Jim Hallet James Oliver Hallet (born March 30, 1960) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. Early life Hallet was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He was raised in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. He attended Dennis-Yar ...
and
Mark Carnevale Mark Kevin Carnevale (May 21, 1960 – July 22, 2024) was an American professional golfer and commentator for Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio. He won once on the PGA Tour, also being awarded Rookie of the Year in 1992. Early life and amateur career C ...
. In the final round, Colandro was one-over-par through the first 15 holes, with one bogey and 14 pars. He fell into tie for the lead with clubhouse leader Charles Smith. However, Colandro birdied the 16th hole to take the solo lead. He parred in from there to win by one. Colandro intended to leave for Australia on September 28 for "his sixth season on the Australian PGA Tour." In late October, he began play at the
Australian PGA Championship The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour fro ...
at Castle Hill Country Club. On his front nine − played on the back nine − Colandro "was nowhere to be seen," shooting one-over-par. However, on his back nine he recorded six birdies in a row on the way to a 66 (−7). He tied
Greg Norman Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as List of World Number One male golfers, world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA ...
's course record and took a one-stroke lead. "I'm pleased to be leading," he said after the round. "But what I think is even better is hitting six birdies in a row − that's really something." He led by one over Peter Jones and Peter Fowler. In the second round, however, "he struck trouble early." The morning dew caused "his glasses to fog up" and he could not see well for the first four holes. In addition, he had some contention with rules officials. He still managed to shoot a 72 and was only one back of the lead. In the third round he shot a 71 (−2) but fell to a tie for fifth, five back of leader
Greg Norman Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as List of World Number One male golfers, world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA ...
. He closed with an even-par 73 and finished in a tie for 10th place. In early December he played the
New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...
. He opened with a 67 (−3) to put him near the lead. After three rounds he was still in the top ten. He ultimately finished in a tie for 13th place. Shortly thereafter, Colandro went on a "three-week skiing holiday to analyse and overhaul his game." Colandro "took advantage" of this vacation, playing well in early 1987. In late January he began play at the
Tasmanian Open The Tasmanian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Tasmania, Australia. History The Tasmanian amateur championship was first played in 1902 as a 36 hole stroke-play event. From 1910 the stroke-play acted as qualifying for a match-play stage ...
. Despite "severe" winds, Colandro shot a first round 68 (−4) to put himself two back of Peter Fowler's lead. In the second round he recorded a "bold" finish, finishing with four consecutive birdies, to take the solo lead. With rounds of 68 and 67, it was considered "the best start" of his career. In the third round, Colandro had to negotiate "wild winds" which reached up to "60 kilometers per hour." He had a "horrendous start," opening with a double bogey and bogey. However, he "fought his way back into contention" but then "slumped" with a final hole bogey. He shot a 77 (+5) but maintained the lead, this time tied with
Roger Mackay Roger J. Mackay (31 March 1956 – 17 June 2002) was an Australian professional golfer. Early life Mackay was educated at Christ Church Grammar School and graduated from the University of Western Australia. Professional career In 1983, Mackay ...
and
Ian Baker-Finch Ian Michael Baker-Finch (born 24 October 1960) is an Australian golfer and sports commentator best known for winning The Open Championship in 1991. Early life Baker-Finch was born in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. He grew up in the same Queens ...
. After the round he stated, "I've seen worse but it's not often that you shoot 77 and still have the lead." In the final round Colandro had a "patchy day" fell behind Baker-Finch on the front nine. However, Baker-Finch "blew it" with bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes leaving the championship up to Colandro and
Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and founder of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, he went on to sing backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones r ...
. Jones held a one-stroke lead over Colandro but was in trouble on the 15th hole. However, he negotiated a "treacherous" pitch to make par and maintain the lead. However, Colandro recorded a "beautiful birdie" on the par-3, 159-metre 17th hole to tie. On the par-4 final hole Colandro had a one-iron approach to the green. It "brushed over-hanging trees" and landed near the green. Colandro hit a "brave pitch" to within three-metres of the hole. He had a par putt to tie. However, it hit the "right edge of the cup" and lipped out. Colandro finished in solo second. Despite the disappointing finish, Colandro was optimistic. "I am happy with what I did," he said after the round. "I put myself in a position to win and did not choke today. It is my best finish in Australia." Colandro did not have as much success for the remainder of the season, however. He made the cut in
Australian Masters The Australian Masters was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia held in Victoria, Australia from 1979 to 2015. History The tournament is the brainchild of schoolteacher David Inglis. The Australian Masters was intended to ...
but did not record a high result, finishing solo 31st place. He following week he played
Victorian Open The Victorian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Australia. It was founded in 1957 and is the Victoria state open championship for men. It is run by Golf Victoria and is a Golf Australia national ranking event. The event is held concur ...
. He was near the lead at the midway point of the tournament but shot a third round 80 to fall out of contention. The next week he played the Rich River Classic. Like the previous week he was near the lead in the middle of the tournament − in a tie for third after three rounds − but faded with a Sunday 74 (+2). Largely due to his high finish in Tasmania, however, he finished the beginning of the 1987 year ranked in ninth place on the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
's Order of Merit. Shortly thereafter, Colandro returned to the United States. During this era, he lived in
Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, t ...
. Colandro briefly worked as the head pro at Goodwin Park Golf Course, the course where he learned to play golf. However, he quickly decided it "wasn't for him." In early May, he played the Robert F. Noonan Pro-Am Golf Classic. It was his first American tournament of the year. The event was held at Oronoque Village Country Club in
Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The town is part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut, Greater Bri ...
. Colandro opened the tournament poorly, shooting four-over-par for the first seven holes. However, he shot two-under-par for the remainder of the round to tie Doug Dalziel at the end of regulation. On the first playoff hole with Dalziel, Colandro holed a 70-foot chip shot for birdie to win the event. In August, he attempted to defend in his Connecticut Open championship. In the first round he shot an even-par 71 followed by a second round 72 (+1). During the final round, Colandro played the back nine first. He eagled the par-5 13th on the way to a 32 (−4). He had a two-shot lead at this point. However, he missed short par putts at the 1st, 2nd, and 4th holes to lose the lead. Though he shot one-under-par from there on in he finished one back. He finished the tournament at 212, one-under-par, one behind amateur Kevin Giancola. "I knew I had the tournament won if I hit good shots coming in, and I did that," he said after the round. "But I just got crazy with the putter." Despite the loss, Colandro earned the $4,000 first prize money as Giancola was an amateur. The following week he attempted to defend his Hancock Lumber Maine Open. The event was held at Riverside Municipal Golf Course in
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
. Colandro did not get off to a particularly hot start. His approach shot on the par-5 1st hole "was headed for the water" but then fortuitously "hit a tree and stopped." He "chipped close" for a birdie. He parred the next five holes. Colandro, however, then finished "the front nine with a flourish," birdieing the next three holes. Colandro continued to play flawlessly on the back nine, scoring five birdies against no bogeys, to take command. He was only one off the course record and held a three-shot lead. The second round was much more erratic. Colandro hit his approach into the water on the first hole leading to a double-bogey. He then bogeyed the next two holes. He made three consecutive birdies near the end of the front nine to get back in it. He ultimately shot a one-under-par 71 to hold a one-stroke lead over a number of players. "What a struggle today was!" he said after the round. In the final round Colandro birdied the first two holes "to put some distance between himself and the field right away." However, he bogeyed the 5th hole opening the doors once more. He eagled the par-5 13th, though, to create separation once again. He then birdied the 16th hole to assure the win. Colandro shot a 68 (−4) for a two-shot win over Jeff Lewis, a
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
pro, and South Africa's Wilhelm Winsnes, a
European Tour The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
pro. "I'm really delighted because I played in some tough company and really stood up to it," he said after the event. His final total was 202 (−14). It was his lowest aggregate total in any tournament ever. In addition, it was a wire-to-wire win. He also successfully defended his victory from the previous year. "I'm very proud of my feat," he said. "It's the first professional title I've ever successfully defended." As of October, Colandro returned to Australia. He had the chance to win several tournaments in the 1987–88 season. In early October he played the
Queensland Open The Queensland Open, originally called the Queensland Championships, and also known as the Queensland Lawn Tennis Championships, Queensland Grass Court Championships and the Queensland State Championships, was a tennis tournament played in Bris ...
. He opened with bogey-free rounds of 68 (−4) and 69 (−3) to take a one-stroke lead over Mark Nash. In the third round, Colandro scored a birdie on the final hole to maintain the one-stroke lead, this time over David Graham. However, Colandro "staggered home" with a 77 (+5) in the final round. He finished in a tie for fourth, ten back of champion Graham. Later in the month he began play at the
Australian PGA Championship The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour fro ...
. He opened with rounds of 70 (−3) and 72 (−1) to put him in 10th place. He shot a third round 74 but moved into solo 8th. In the final round, Colandro shot a 69 (−4), the day's best round, to take the clubhouse lead. However, leader
Roger Mackay Roger J. Mackay (31 March 1956 – 17 June 2002) was an Australian professional golfer. Early life Mackay was educated at Christ Church Grammar School and graduated from the University of Western Australia. Professional career In 1983, Mackay ...
parred the last two holes to secure the win. Colandro finished solo second, one back. He earned A$18,360. It was the largest cheque of his career. Colandro was especially proud of the way he played under pressure. "I wasn't really in the position to win this time until the final run, but the way I finished gave me a lot of confidence." During the first week of December, Colandro played the
Air New Zealand Shell Open The Air New Zealand Shell Open was a golf tournament held in New Zealand between 1975 and 1994. The event was the New Zealand Airlines Classic in 1975 and 1976 and the New Zealand Airlines Open in 1977. The Grange hosted the first and final editio ...
. The event was held at Titirangi Golf Course in
Auckland, New Zealand Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
. After two rounds, Colandro was at five-under-par 135, in a tie for third with
Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle (born 9 February 1958) is a Scottish professional golfer. He has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s. ...
and
Rodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis (born 18 May 1951) is an Australian professional golfer. Career Davis was born in Sydney, Australia. In 1974, Davis turned professional and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Europ ...
and two other players, one back of leaders Vaughan Somers and
Wayne Grady Wayne Desmond Grady (born 26 July 1957) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life Grady was born in Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia. Professional career In 1978, Grady turned professional. He began his career on the PGA Tour of Aust ...
. In the third round he shot a 68 (−2) but fell into solo fourth place, three behind leader Lyle and one back of second place holders Grady and Davis. In the final round's first nine holes Colandro scored one birdie against no bogeys to get into contention. Colandro then birdied the 12th hole to briefly take the solo lead. However, all other serious contenders ultimately birdied the hole too. At this point, Colandro was tied for the lead with Lyle and Davis at ten-under-par. Grady and Somers were one shot back. However, "Colandro kept it going to the end, while the others faltered." Lyle in particular struggled, making three consecutive bogeys from the 13th to 15th holes "to drop out of the picture." Grady and Somers also shot three-over-par for the remainder of the tournament to finish well back. Only Davis remained as a serious challenger. Colandro, however, made "crucial pars" at the 14th and 16th holes to maintain the lead. Playing behind Colandro, Davis "couldn't match his rival on the 16th, three-putting for a bogey." Colandro, meanwhile, parred the 17th hole and the "tricky" 18th hole to take the clubhouse lead. Davis needed to birdie the final hole to tie. However, his approach missed the green and it "rolled back down a hill." He responded with a "brilliant chip" but it missed going in "by centimeters." Colandro won the event. With the victory, he won A$33,141, "by far his biggest" of his career. With his final round 67 (−3) he finished at 270 (−10), one ahead of Davis, three ahead of third-place finisher Lyle, and four ahead of Grady and Somers, who finished in a tie for fourth. Colandro dedicated the win to his father. At the presentation ceremony he said, "He was a pro who taught me to play golf and he is up there looking down now." He also stated later in the ceremony, "I think this win would mean more to me than any other player in the field. You look at all the other guys who were challenging and they are exempt to play just about anywhere in the world. I am not exempt to play anywhere." Colandro defeated some of the world's best golfers, in particular Lyle and Davis, who were ranked inside the world's top ten. Largely due to his victory, Colandro reached the top spot of the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
's Order of Merit. He ultimately finished 1987 in 5th place on the Order of Merit. Colandro "also was in the title-chase for several other tournaments" later in the season. In February, Colandro played the
Victorian Open The Victorian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Australia. It was founded in 1957 and is the Victoria state open championship for men. It is run by Golf Victoria and is a Golf Australia national ranking event. The event is held concur ...
. He was in solo 11th place, five back, at the midway point of the tournament. He then shot a two-under-par 70 in the third round to move into joint second, two behind leader
Peter McWhinney Peter J. McWhinney (born 25 July 1956) is an Australian professional golfer. Professional career McWhinney played in the 1983 Queensland PGA Championship. During the second round he shot a 67 (−5) to equal the course record. He was at 143 ( ...
. Colandro remained two back of the lead entering the final nine. However, a "disastrous" triple-bogey on the par-5 14th hole ended his chances. With a 76 (+4), he finished in a tie for fifth. The following week he played the
Australian Masters The Australian Masters was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia held in Victoria, Australia from 1979 to 2015. History The tournament is the brainchild of schoolteacher David Inglis. The Australian Masters was intended to ...
. After three rounds he was near the lead, in a tie for 8th place. However, he played poorly in the final round and finished in 31st place. He had fallen to 8th place on the Order of Merit at this point. The following week he played the ESP Open at
Royal Canberra Golf Club The Canberra Golf Club, later known as the Royal Canberra Golf Club, was formed in 1926. Its original grounds were behind the Hotel Canberra on the river flats on both sides of the Molonglo River. History The club's Club House was on a site ...
. Colandro opened with a 68 (−4) to put himself in a tie for 4th place. He "advanced strongly" in the second round, with a 69 (−3), to move closer to Greg Norman's lead. In the third round he was paired with Norman and
Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer (; born 27 August 1957) is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, he became the sport's first number one ranked playe ...
. Norman was the top ranked golfer in the world while Langer was #3. Colandro was ranked #145. Colandro later described the experience to the ''
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
''. "I played with Greg Norman and Bernhard Langer, and it was like being in the final group of a PGA Tour event," he said. "There were 10,000−12,000 people following us, and 50 people with every other group. I was a bit in awe and shot a 74, but it's the kind of thing you have to use as a positive experience." He came back with a final round 70 (−2) to finish in a tie for seventh. Shortly after the event, Colandro completed his eighth season in Australia. At this point, he was in 7th place on the Order of Merit. He had won over A$50,000 for the first half of the year. Colandro also played a few events on the
Asia Golf Circuit The Asia Golf Circuit was the principal men's professional golf tour in Southeast Asia from the early 1960s through to the mid-late 1990s. The tour was founded in 1961 as the Far East Circuit. The first series of five tournaments was held in 196 ...
after the Australian season concluded. He did not have a great experience in Asia, however. He missed the cut at the Singapore Open and
Dunlop International Open The Kirin Open was a golf tournament in Japan. It was founded in 1972 as the season ending event on the Asia Golf Circuit, replacing the Yomiuri International which had been cancelled when sponsors decided to discontinue the event. It was also a fi ...
. Despite opening well at the Indonesia Open, he finished in a tie for 41st. He also contracted a stomach virus while in Asia. Shortly thereafter, Colandro returned to the United States. During this era, he lived in
Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, t ...
. In the summer, Colandro hoped to receive sponsors exemption into
PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...
events like the
Kemper Open The Kemper Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006. Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coas ...
and
Westchester Classic The FedEx St. Jude Championship, founded as the Westchester Classic in 1967, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The Championship has a partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with the hospital serving as the tour ...
. He was hoping to receive a number of exemptions into PGA Tour tournaments after his win in New Zealand. However, he did not get into either the Kemper event or Westchester event or many other PGA Tour events. He later stated that he was "let down by my home country." Colandro also attempted to qualify for the 1988 U.S. Open. At sectional qualifying, he shot consecutive rounds of 75 to miss qualifying by several shots. However, Colandro earned entry into a number of
European Tour The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
events. In May, he earned a sponsor's exemption into the Italian Open. It was his first trip to the country of his ancestors. Colandro opened with a 68. However, he followed with a 76 to miss the cut. A month later, in June, Colandro received an exemption into the Monte Carlo Open. However, he missed the cut again. Shortly thereafter, Colandro attempted to qualify for the 1988 British Open. However, he failed at the qualifying rounds. In late July, however, he did manage to get into a PGA Tour event, his hometown event, the Canon-Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open. However, he shot consecutive rounds of 72 (+1) to miss the cut by four shots. Shortly after the summer ended, Colandro stated, "I've had a rough year but I'm looking forward to getting back into some form and some money." During the first week of October, Colandro returned to Australia. He remained in the top ten of the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
's Order of Merit. However, his play did not significantly improve. His first tournament in Australia was the
Queensland Open The Queensland Open, originally called the Queensland Championships, and also known as the Queensland Lawn Tennis Championships, Queensland Grass Court Championships and the Queensland State Championships, was a tennis tournament played in Bris ...
. He shot a first round 69 to open near the top ten. However, he shot a second round 75 to fall behind and faded from there. The following week he played the
Tasmanian Open The Tasmanian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Tasmania, Australia. History The Tasmanian amateur championship was first played in 1902 as a 36 hole stroke-play event. From 1910 the stroke-play acted as qualifying for a match-play stage ...
. Colandro opened with three consecutive over-par rounds but shot a 70 in the final round to finish in the top ten. The following week he played the New South Wales Open. After two rounds he was just outside of the top ten. However, he shot over-par on the weekend and did not seriously contend for the championship. In early December he played the
Bicentennial Classic The Johnnie Walker Australian Classic was a golf tournament held in Australia from 1988 to 1992. It was first played as the Bicentennial Classic to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary. From 1989 it was sponsored by United Distillers, using their ...
. At the star-studded field, he opened with a 67 (−5) to end the first round in a tie for second place with Jumbo Ozaki, one behind leader
Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament ...
. However, in the second round Colandro triple-bogeyed the 8th hole to fall from contention. He ultimately finished in the bottom half of the field. The following week he played the
Air New Zealand Shell Open The Air New Zealand Shell Open was a golf tournament held in New Zealand between 1975 and 1994. The event was the New Zealand Airlines Classic in 1975 and 1976 and the New Zealand Airlines Open in 1977. The Grange hosted the first and final editio ...
in defense of his championship. However, he missed the cut. Despite the poor finish to the year, Colandro finished in 8th place on the
PGA Tour of Australia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
's Order of Merit. Colandro's poor play continued through 1989. Through the first two months of the year he did not record anything better than a tie for 21st in a stroke play event. In March, though, he began to have more success. Colandro recorded consecutive top-15 performances at the
Nedlands Masters The Nedlands Masters was a professional golf tournament in Australia, held at the Nedlands Golf Club in Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia. It was first played in 1947, again in 1950, and then annually from 1962. Like the Masters Tournament, the w ...
and Joondalup Classic. In May, he then recorded a top ten at the two-round South Australian PGA Championship. At the end of the first half of the 1989 season, Colandro was in 38th place on the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit. He had earned roughly $22,000 so far. During this era, Colandro started doing "corporate outings" in Australia which were quite lucrative. His high performance on Australia's Order of Merit from the previous year automatically qualified him for the Canadian Tour. Starting in June, Colandro intended to play in Canada for five straight weeks. In July, Colandro would attempt to qualify for the Greater Hartford Open and the
1989 Open Championship The 1989 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 118th Open Championship, held from 20 to 23 July at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. Mark Calcavecchia won his only major championship in a playoff over Greg ...
. He also intended to play in the Dutch Open, an event which he had already received a sponsor's exemption. He failed at getting into either the Hartford event or British Open. In late July, however, Colandro played the
KLM Dutch Open The Dutch Open, now again called the KLM Open, is an annual golf tournament played in the Netherlands, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the Tour was inaugurated in 1972. History and sponsorship Founded in 1912, the tourn ...
. He shot a second round 67 to move into contention, near the top ten. However, he played poorly thereafter and finished in a tie for 40th. Later in the summer he was invited to play the Japan Open. After two rounds he was again near the top ten, in a tie for 15th place. However, like his experience in Holland, he fell back on the weekend and finished in a tie for 37th. In October 1989, the Australian golf season started again. Due to his good play the previous few years he was considered one of the favorites at many events. Colandro played in the first event of the season, the
Tasmanian Open The Tasmanian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Tasmania, Australia. History The Tasmanian amateur championship was first played in 1902 as a 36 hole stroke-play event. From 1910 the stroke-play acted as qualifying for a match-play stage ...
. He was considered one of the favorites by the ''
Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
''. He was the highest ranked player in the field. In the opening round he shot a 70 to put himself in a tie of 12th place, three back. He finished in a tie for 7th place. In early November he seriously contended for the
New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...
. He was one back of
Frank Nobilo Frank Ivan Joseph Nobilo (born 14 May 1960) is a New Zealand former professional golfer. Nobilo had a successful playing career, winning 14 pro tournaments around the world. He was at his peak during the mid-1990s when he also produced strong ...
's lead entering the final round. However, he played very poorly on Sunday, ultimately finishing in a tie for 17th place. The following week he played the
Australian PGA Championship The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour fro ...
. He was considered one of the favorites alongside
Wayne Grady Wayne Desmond Grady (born 26 July 1957) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life Grady was born in Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia. Professional career In 1978, Grady turned professional. He began his career on the PGA Tour of Aust ...
,
Rodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis (born 18 May 1951) is an Australian professional golfer. Career Davis was born in Sydney, Australia. In 1974, Davis turned professional and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Europ ...
, David Graham, and
Brett Ogle Brett James Ogle (born 14 July 1964) is an Australian professional golfer. Early life and amateur career Ogle was born in Paddington, New South Wales. He was adopted at six weeks of age and was brought up in the town of Goulburn. He took up th ...
. He opened with a 70 to put him two shots back. However, he ended up in a tie for 54th place. The following week he played the New South Wales Open at
The Lakes Golf Club The Lakes Golf Club is an Australian golf course, located in the Sydney suburb of Eastlakes, New South Wales, Eastlakes in New South Wales. Founded in 1928, this private golf course is approximately a 10-minute drive from Sydney central busines ...
. He was two back of the lead after two rounds. After the third round he was "still in contention at five under." In final round he had an "undulating" performance, scoring four birdies against four bogeys, but "a late charge" gave him solo third place. For the remainder of the 1989–90 season, however, Colandro did not have much success at regular events on the Australian tour. He did win two minor tournaments, however. In late December, Colandro played the two-round Jack Newton Celebrity Classic. The event was held at Twantin-Noosa Golf Club in
Noosa Heads Noosa Heads is a coastal town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. It is a popular holiday destination. In the , the suburb of Noosa Heads had a population of 5,120 people. Geography ...
,
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. He shot an opening round 68 (−4) to put him two shots behind leader Jeff Woodland. Early in the second round, at the par-3 3rd hole, he "provided the best shot of the day," a 6-iron tee shot that went into the cup. It was only the second hole-in-one of his career. This helped him take the lead. However, he bogeyed the par-4 15th hole to fall into a tie with Woodland. He ultimately finished in a tie with Woodland to share the championship. Also, late in 1989–90 season he won the Western Australian PGA Championship. In August 1990, Colandro played the Tunxis Invitational Pro-am at Chippanee Golf Club in
Bristol, Connecticut Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. The ...
. In the final round, Colandro was at five-under-par for the tournament after 15 holes. On the 16th hole he made a 20-foot birdie putt. He said later, "After the 16th hole, I thought I was two shots ahead. It was that putt that made me think I was going to win." However, playing ahead, competitor Don Robertson holed out an 8-iron from the rough on the 18th hole. With the eagle, he was now tied with Colandro. Colandro "almost avoided the playoff" but narrowly missed birdie putts on the 17th and 18th holes. The sudden-death playoff began on the first hole. Colandro hit his drive in the rough tree a grove of trees while his competitor hit his drive in the middle of the fairway. "With no way out," Colandro somehow "floated an 8-iron over a wall of pine trees and onto the green." Robertson, who missed the green, made bogey and Colandro two-putted for the win. In late 1990, he returned to Australia. It was his "10th consecutive annual appearance on the Australian circuit." In October, he played the
Queensland PGA Championship The Queensland PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The tournament is currently held at Nudgee Golf Club in Nudgee. History The event was founded as the Queensland Professional Championship in 1926. The inaugura ...
at Gainsborough Greens Golf Course in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Australia. Colandro was even-par at the midway point of the tournament but then closed with rounds of 68 (−4) and 67 (−5) to finish solo second. He finished four behind the champion Terry Price. The remainder of the season would be far more up and down, however. Two weeks later he played the New South Wales Open. He was near the top ten after the second round and but failed to seriously contend on the weekend, finishing in tie for 17th place. He made the cut in three of his next four events but failed to place inside the top 25 in any of them. At the end of the year, at the Coolum Classic, he was in the top ten after two rounds but finished in a tie for 14th place. In early 1991 his play was similarly erratic. He missed the cut in two of his first three events though recorded a top-25 at the Sanctuary Cove Classic. In February, he played the Australian Match Play Championship at
Kingston Heath Golf Club Kingston Heath Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in Australia, located in Cheltenham, Victoria, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. The course is situated on the Melbourne Sandbelt, sandbelt region in the southeast suburbs of Mel ...
. In the first round he beat
Peter Lonard Peter Lawrence Lonard (born 17 July 1967) is an Australian professional golfer who has played mainly on the U.S.-based PGA Tour. Early life Lonard was born at Epping, Sydney. Professional career Lonard turned professional in 1989 and began ...
but lost to Tod Power in the second round. Later in February he played the
Tasmanian Open The Tasmanian Open is an annual golf tournament held in Tasmania, Australia. History The Tasmanian amateur championship was first played in 1902 as a 36 hole stroke-play event. From 1910 the stroke-play acted as qualifying for a match-play stage ...
at
Royal Hobart Golf Club The Royal Hobart Golf Club is a golf club in Seven Mile Beach, Tasmania, Australia, near Hobart. It hosted the Australian Open (golf), Australian Open in 1971 when American Jack Nicklaus was the winner. It also hosted the Tasmanian Open (1968, ...
. He took the lead with an opening round 65. However, he fell back significantly with rounds of 75 and 79. In the final round, though, he shot a 68 to finish in a tie for 8th. Two weeks later he played the
New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...
at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Course. In the first round he opened with a 68 to put him near the lead. However, he shot a 74 in the second round to fall into a tie for 14th. He closed well, however, with a third round 71 to move into a tie for 11th place and ultimately finished the tournament in the top ten. A few days later, Colandro played the Bridge pro-am, another event in New Zealand. Colandro shot rounds of 67 and 71 to win the event by one over
Simon Owen Simon Owen (born 10 December 1950) is a professional golfer from New Zealand. Early life Owen was born in Wanganui. Professional career He turned professional in 1971 and has won several tournaments in Australasia. He played on the European To ...
and Ken Dukes. During this era, Colandro started seeing a sports psychologist in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia "to help control his temper." Colandro finally felt he had his temper under control "giving credit to 15 minutes of daily meditation." Shortly thereafter, Colandro returned to the United States. During this era, he lived in
Canton, Massachusetts Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about southwest of Downtown Boston. History The area that is present ...
. During the final week of July he went on a winning streak. On July 24, Colandro began play at the two-round Tunxis Invitational Pro-Am, the event he won the previous year. He successfully defended his championship. A few days later, Colandro began play at the Greater Bangor Open. The event was three-rounds long and held at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course. At the par-69 course, Colandro shot even-par rounds the first two rounds to position himself in a tie for fourth place, three back of the lead. In the final round, the leaders struggled early while Colandro birdied four of the first 12 holes to take the lead. With his 67 (−2), he would go on to win it by two. The following Monday, he started play at the three-round Connecticut Open. The event was held at Brooklawn Country Club in
Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Connecticut, Trumbull, Easton, Connecticut, Easton, Weston, Connecticut, W ...
. Colandro opened two shots behind the lead. The second and third rounds were played over the course of one day, July 30. In the second round, Colandro recorded a bogey-free 68 (−3) to move two strokes in front. In the final round he continued with flawless play, failing to make a bogey during the first 15 holes. With a final round 71 (E), he ended up winning the tournament by seven shots.


Late career and rules controversies

As of late October 1991, Colandro had returned to Australia. During the 1991–92 season, he received most of his media attention for his performance at the Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup held in January. Colandro played excellently in the first round and "battled for the lead" before settling for joint third place, one back. He outplayed a number of star golfers in the first round, including
Greg Norman Gregory John Norman (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as List of World Number One male golfers, world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA ...
,
Chip Beck Charles Henry "Chip" Beck (born September 12, 1956) is an American professional golfer. He has four victories on the PGA Tour and twenty runner-up finishes. He spent 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 198 ...
, and
Isao Aoki is a Japanese professional golfer. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. Early life Aoki was born in Abiko, Chiba, Japan. He was introduced to golf while caddying at the Abiko Golf Club as a schoolboy. Professional career I ...
. In the second round he shot an even-par 72 to remain near the lead, two back of leader
Roger Mackay Roger J. Mackay (31 March 1956 – 17 June 2002) was an Australian professional golfer. Early life Mackay was educated at Christ Church Grammar School and graduated from the University of Western Australia. Professional career In 1983, Mackay ...
, in joint fourth place. By the 7th hole of the third round, he was in the lead. Two holes later, on the 9th green, Colandro missed a birdie putt. Frustrated about the missed putt, Colandro "bent his putter in anger" and then tapped in. Colandro "immediately told a PGA official, asking him if he would be allowed to continue." However, the rules official, Trevor Herden, told him that he was disqualified. Colandro's playing partner,
Craig Parry Craig David Parry (born 12 January 1966) is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2 ...
, stated afterwards, "He had a rush of blood and tapped the ball into the hole. It happened so quickly I didn't have time to call out a warning." The disqualification was considered "stunning." Colandro immediately "rushed off the course" while "refusing requests by officials to speak to media." For the remainder of the 1991–92 season, other than a top 5 at the Pyramid Australian Masters, Colandro did not produce many highlights at significant Australian events. However, Colandro also had much success a pro-ams late in the season. In March, he began play in the Toshiba-Prime series, a notable pro-am circuit in Australia. He was considered one of the top draws along with
Kel Nagle Kelvin David George Nagle AM (21 December 1920 – 29 January 2015) was an Australian professional golfer best known for winning The Open Championship in 1960. He won at least one tournament each year from 1949 to 1975. Early life Nagle was ...
. In April, he played the L.J. Hooker Pro-am golf event. He finished in joint third place at 144 (−2), four behind champion Brad Andrews. In 1992, he also won the Postsea pro-am, sharing the title with Australia's Bradley Hughes and England's Ben Jackson. He soon returned to North America. In late May, he began play at the Payless Open on the Canadian Tour. It was a four-round event at Royal Colwood Golf Club in
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...
. In the pro-am's second round he a 65, the best round among professionals that day. Soon thereafter, Colandro played the tournament proper. After three rounds, he was in 12th place, five shots behind leader
Pat Bates Patrick Alfred Bates (born July 26, 1969) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and who served as the head men's golf coach at the University of Central Oklahoma from 2011 to 2016. Early life and amateur career Bat ...
. In the final round, Colandro shot a 65 (−5) to tie Bates and Canada's Mike Pero for the lead at the end of regulation. They played a sudden-death playoff to determine the champion. Pero bogeyed the second playoff hole to eliminate himself. On the fifth playoff hole, Bates hit his drive out of bounds which led to double-bogey. Colando won it with a par. It was his first victory in a four-round tournament since 1988. Roughly a month later he began play the
Canadian PGA Championship The PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada, an organization founded in 1911 at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2 ...
. He finished in a tie for fourth place. Near the end of the season, after eight events, Colandro was in sixth place on the Canadian Order of Merit. He had earned roughly $28,000 so far. As of October 1992, Colandro had returned to Australia. In November, he played the
Australian PGA Championship The Australian PGA Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It is the home tournament of the Australian PGA. Since 2000 it has been held in the South East Queensland region. The tournament was part of the OneAsia Tour fro ...
. The event was held at Concord Golf Course in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
. Aided by "perfect scoring conditions," Colandro was seven-under-par over the first 16 holes. He was on track to equal or break Concord's course record of 64. However, Colandro "collapsed spectacularly with a bogey and a triple bogey on the last two holes." Despite this setback, after three rounds Colandro was still in contention, in a tie for third. However, he played poorly during the final day and ultimately finished in a tie for 14th. In late April, Colandro began play at the three-round South Australian PGA Championship. Colandro finished at 204, in solo second place, two behind champion Mark Officer. In June 1993, attempted to defend his Payless Open championship in Canada. However, he missed the cut. Later in the month, he played the 1993 U.S. Open. The event was at
Baltusrol Golf Club The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in the eastern United States, located in Springfield, New Jersey, about west of New York City. It was founded in 1895 by Louis Keller. In 1985, Baltusrol became the first club to have ...
in Springfield, New Jersey. Although the course was playing relatively easy, Colandro shot an opening round 78 (+8). Colandro had five three-putts. However, he played much better in the second round, shooting a 67 (−3), though he missed the cut by a shot. Despite missing the cut, Colandro was proud of his performance. "I felt after shooting the 67 that I belonged with the best of them," he said. In November 1993, Colandro returned to Australia. It was his 12th straight season on the
PGA Tour of Australasia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
. Early in the season, he again seriously speculated about moving permanently to Australia. "I'm a bloody Aussie now," he said. "I might as well live here." Early in the season he recorded a few top-25s but was never close to contending. In mid-December he played the Coolum Classic. He received much media attention at this event. Colandro opened with a 67 (−5) to tie for the lead. The rest of the tournament, however, was far more unsteady. In the second round, on the 10th hole, Colandro missed a putt. In frustration, he banged his putter against a sprinkler head and cart path modifying the putter's shape. In addition, he had "a run-in with a cameraman at the 14th hole." He subsequently bogeyed three of the last five holes. He still managed to shoot a 71 (−1). He was in a tie for fifth place, now three back of the lead. In the third round he shot an even-par 72 to remain in contention, two behind the leaders. However, he was informed after the round that he was disqualified. Early on Saturday, before the third round, Colandro's caddie, Gerry Meares, spoke to tour operations manager Trevor Herden. He spoke about Colandro slamming his putter into the sprinkler head on Saturday which modified the shape of the putter. Colandro was specifically accused of "changing the (lie) shape of his putter." According to Herden, playing with a "bent putter" was against the rules. "Mike Colandro is accordingly disqualified from the tournament," Herden stated. Herden told the media, "For the last six holes he had to putt on the toe of his putter. He told his caddie he had flattened it. He admitted that he had flattened it but he didn't think it was enough to warrant any penalty." Colandro protested the decision. "It looks as though someone is out to get me," he said. But actually it really was that Colandro never learnt his lesson from the first time. Colandro specifically breached rule 4–2, "Playing Characteristics Changed." The situation was remarkable similar to his disqualification from the Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup the previous year. In each example, Colandro violated the exact same rule, was near the lead in the tournament, and was disqualified by the same rules official, Herden. On January 6 it was announced that an "independent committee" would hold a "tribunal" about the matter to debate "possible disciplinary action" against Colandro. The last time the
PGA Tour of Australasia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
held an independent hearing was the previous year over Colandro's rule violation at the Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup event. The hearing was held on January 17 at
Kingston Heath Golf Club Kingston Heath Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in Australia, located in Cheltenham, Victoria, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. The course is situated on the Melbourne Sandbelt, sandbelt region in the southeast suburbs of Mel ...
. The hearing specifically concerned Colandro potentially "breaching the players' code of conduct." Colandro's caddy, Gerry Meares, stated that Colandro "knew the putter was altered and asked him not to say anything." It was a "marathon" session lasting more than five hours. At the end of the hearing, chairman of the committee, Grant Hattam, a partner with Corrs, Chambers, and Westgarth, stated that Colandro was "cleared" of misconduct. The ''
Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'' reported that "there was not enough evidence to convict Colandro." "Mr. Colandro has received the benefit of the doubt," Hattam said after the event. Colandro also spoke after the decision. "It hasn't been easy to live with and it was a tough time over Christmas," he said. "I feel good at being cleared and I have emerged out of this with my reputation intact. I bear no grudges against anybody." As of 1994, Colandro had returned to live in
Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, t ...
. In late 1994, Colandro returned to Australia. For most of the 1994–95 season, he did not record many high results. At the end of the season, at the
Canon Challenge The Canon Challenge was a golf tournament held in Australia between 1993 and 2001. Prize money was A$250,000 in 1993, A$300,000 in 1994 and $350,000 in 1995. In 2001 Paul Gow set an Australasian tour record with a first-round score of 60. Winne ...
, he briefly received attention for his play, positioning himself in 6th place at the end of the first round. However, he faded over the remainder of the tournament and finished T-38. Colandro did not play on the
PGA Tour of Australasia The PGA Tour of Australasia, currently titled as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tour for men, owned and operated by the PGA of Australia. Official events on the tour count for World Golf ...
after 1995. He played on the tour for 16 years. He still occasionally played in local New England events. However, around the year 2000, he retired as a touring professional. Colandro still worked in the golf industry, however. He worked as a swing instructor, created a golf-related DVD-CD video, and conducted a number of golf shows. In 2005, he helped start a charity golf event, the Gulf Relief Rock n' Roll Event. The purpose of the event was to raise money for victims of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
. The event was held at Gillette Ridge Golf Club in
Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and an inner-ring suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 53,105, an increase of 5,790 (+12.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...
. During this era, he also was working on an autobiography. It was self-published in 2012 with the title ''Almost an Aussie''. Colandro promoted this book at several libraries across Connecticut and Florida. According to the ''
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
'', Colandro won more than 50 professional tournaments across the world. Many local pros stated he was one of the best golfers ever from the area. Local club professional Jim Becker stated, "He was the best chipper and bunker player I've ever seen." Goodwin Park Golf Course club professional Jim Goshdigian said that Colandro "accomplished more worldwide than any other player in Goodwin Park GC history." During his career, he held the course records at several Australian golf courses and at Bairnsdale Golf Course and Indian Hills Golf Course in Connecticut.


Personal life

In 1988, Colandro was engaged to Evelyn Fitzpatrick of
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. He intended to get married on September 16, 1989. In 1993, he got divorced. Colandro was known for his "colorful" personality. For his golfing attire, he wore old-fashioned knickers and plus fours. He emulated
Payne Stewart William Payne Stewart (January 30, 1957 – October 25, 1999) was an American professional golfer who won 11 PGA Tour events, including three major championships, the last of which came just a few months before his death in an airplane acciden ...
who also wore the outfit.


Death

By 2013, Colandro had serious health issues. He told the ''Hartford Courant'', "I'm legally blind, on dialysis three times a week and have neuropathy in my feet." In the fall of 2014, he moved to
Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale and 36 miles north of Miami. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part ...
with his brother Albert. His mother had a home in Pompano Beach. On August 9, 2015, Colandro died. Colandro's brother stated that he "likely had a heart attack." His funeral was held on August 22 at St. Henry's Catholic Church in Pompano Beach. In 2020, Jim Becker won the Connecticut Senior Open. He dedicated the win to his "longtime friend" Colandro.


Amateur wins

*1970 Hartford District Amateur *1975 Hartford District Amateur


Professional wins (11)


PGA Tour of Australia wins (1)


Canadian Tour wins (1)


Other wins (9)

*1975 Victor Riccio Tournament *1985 Ansett Yarra Yarra Easter Classic *1986 Connecticut Open, Hancock-Lumber Maine Open *1987 Hancock-Lumber Maine Open *1989 Jack Newton Celebrity Classic (tie with Jeff Woodland) *1990 Western Australia PGA Championship *1991 Connecticut Open, Greater Bangor Open


Results in major championships

''Note: Colandro did not play in the
Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the ...
or the
PGA Championship The PGA Championship (often referred to as the US PGA Championship or USPGA outside the United States) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. The PGA is one of the four men's major golf champi ...
.''
CUT = missed the half-way cut Source:


See also

* Spring 1979 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colandro, Mike American male golfers PGA Tour golfers PGA Tour of Australasia golfers 1953 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen