Fulton Allem

Fulton Peter "Fulty" Allem (born September 15, 1957 in Kroonstad, Orange Free State, South Africa) is a South African professional golfer.

The middle child of five children and the grandson of a Lebanese hawker, Allem had a privileged upbringing. His family had the largest corn farm in the southern hemisphere by the time he came into the world. Allem started playing golf at the age of 7 with encouragement from his father. Golf legend and fellow South African, Gary Player, whom Allem has always known as Uncle Gary, had a large influence on his early career.

Allem did not attend college and turned pro in 1976. He spent the early part of his career playing mostly in South Africa. He won 11 times on the Sunshine Tour between 1985 and 1991. An impressive second-place finish in the 1987 NEC World Series of Golf convinced him to join the PGA Tour. Allem's first win on the PGA Tour was at the 1991 Independent Insurance Agent Open (now known as the Shell Houston Open).

Allem's best year in professional golf was 1993 when he won twice on the PGA Tour and finished ninth on the money list. He won the prestigous Southwestern Bell Colonial and NEC World Series of Golf that year.

Since his big year in 1993, Allem has been plagued by a host of medical ailments. First it was plantar fasciatis in his right foot, then his left.In 1994, he suffered a herniated disc in his lower back. In 1998, he developed pericarditis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the sack surrounding the heart. In 2003, the were problems with vertebrae in his cervical spine. These conditions have limited his playing time and adversely affected his play.

Allem had one of the more colorful personalities during his years on the Tour – sometimes brash, volatile and flamboyant . He could be a difficult playing partner, but there are also many who will say that he had a heart of gold. GolfDigest.com - Flaming out

Today, he lives in Central Florida with his wife and daughter.

Professional wins

PGA Tour
*1991 Independent Insurance Agent Open
*1993 Southwestern Bell Colonial, NEC World Series of Golf

Sunshine Tour
*1986 Minolta Match Play Championship, Palaborwa Classic, South African PGA Championship
*1987 Palaborwa Classic, South African PGA Championship
*1988 Palaborwa Classic
*1989 Minolta Match Play Championship
*1990 Lexington PGA Championship, Twee Jongezellen Masters, Goodyear Classic
*1991 ICL International

Other
*1985 Million Dollar Challenge (South Africa - unofficial money event)
*1988 Million Dollar Challenge (South Africa - unofficial money event)

References

External links

*Profile on PGA Tour's official site
*Profile on Sunshine Tour's official site