Kirk Triplett
A PGA Tour stalwart known for his signature bucket hat and a remarkably consistent career that yielded victories across three decades.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American professional golfer·Birthday: March 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kirk Triplett carved out a durable and respected career in professional golf not with overpowering drives, but with a methodical, unflappable style. The Washington State University graduate turned professional in 1985 and spent years grinding on mini-tours before finally securing his PGA Tour card. His breakthrough win came at the 2000 Nissan Open, where he outlasted the field at Riviera Country Club. Triplett became a familiar figure on Sundays, known for his calm demeanor and his ever-present bucket hat. After turning 50, he seamlessly transitioned to the PGA Tour Champions, adding multiple senior titles to his resume. His longevity is a testament to a repeatable swing and a quiet competitive fire that burned for over thirty years on tour.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kirk was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kirk Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Kirk's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three PGA Tour events, including the 2000 Nissan Open and the 2006 Chrysler Classic of Tucson.
- Captured multiple victories on the PGA Tour Champions, including the 2018 Hoag Classic.
- Finished in the top-10 of the PGA Tour money list in 2003, a year of exceptional consistency.
- Represented the United States in the 2000 World Cup of Golf alongside Phil Mickelson.
Did You Know?
He is an avid fly fisherman and often incorporates fishing trips into his tournament travel schedule.
Triplett earned a degree in civil engineering from Washington State University.
His son, Alex Triplett, played collegiate golf at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“Fairways and greens. That's the plan, and I'm sticking to it.”
