Rod Curl

{{short description|American professional golfer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Rod Curl

| image =

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| fullname = Rodney Dean Curl

| nickname = Little Beaver[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20064265,00.html The Indian with the Clubs Is Rod Curl, Top Pro Golfer]

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|1|9}}

| birth_place = Redding, California

| death_date =

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| height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}

| weight = {{convert|160|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}

| nationality = {{USA}}

| residence = Jupiter, Florida

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| college =

| yearpro = 1968

| retired =

| tour =

| extour = PGA Tour
Pro Golf Tour

| prowins = 3

| pgawins = 1

| otherwins = 2

| majorwins =

| masters = T15: 1975

| usopen = T30: 1978

| open = CUT: 1975

| pga = T20: 1980

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Rodney Dean Curl (born January 9, 1943) is an American professional golfer best known for being the first full-blooded Native American to win a PGA Tour event.

Born in Redding, California, Curl is a Wintu Indian.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JQg0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6367%2C4177577 |newspaper=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Curl refuses to fold, beats Nicklaus in Colonial |date=May 20, 1974 |page=10}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A0YfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ftEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3068%2C3918026 |newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |location=(Florida)|agency=Associated Press |last=Grimsley |first=Will |title=Rod Curl only playing for himself |date=April 10, 1975 |page=1C }} Before taking up golf at age 19, he was an outstanding baseball player at Central Valley High School in Shasta County, California.[http://www.shastacosportshof.org/hof.htm Biographical information from Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame]

Curl joined the PGA Tour in 1969 and played regularly through 1978. He had 42 top-10 finishes in official PGA Tour events including one win and a half-dozen second and third-place finishes. In 1974, he won the Colonial National Invitation in Fort Worth by one stroke after runner-up Jack Nicklaus bogeyed the 17th hole and a birdied the last.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/20/archives/rod-curl-wins-golf-by-stroke-curl-takes-golf-by-shot-over-nicklaus.html?_r=0 |newspaper=New York Times |last=Radosta |first=John S. |title=Rod Curl wins golf by stroke |date=May 20, 1974|page=41}}[http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r021/news200404051327146749815SVRT5XRRZ2 PGATOUR.com - Bank of America Colonial]{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4lgtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ftoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2371%2C821645|newspaper=Beaver County Times |location=(Pennsylvania)|agency=UPI |last=Rabun |first=Mike |title=Dream come true for Rod Curl |date=May 20, 1974|page=C-3 }}

Curl played in a limited number of Senior Tour events after reaching the age of 50 in 1993. He lives in Jupiter, Florida and is a corporate instructor with VIP Golf Academy.