By Pete Wlodkowski, for amateurgolf.com

Jim Knoll of Sunnyvale, California, a reinstated amateur who played the PGA Tour in the late 70’s for three years, won the 2008 San Francisco City Championship after hanging out last year with the big dogs at Whistling Straits at the US Senior Open. He beat quite a few too.

“I qualified last year and played Prairie Dunes, so to make it two years in a row was great,” said Knoll, in a phone interview.

“Whistling Straits was phenomenal. It was better than it looked on TV. There was never a letup.”

Knoll was paired with Mark James the third day and Mike Reid the last day. Reid and Knoll, who are the same age (55) go back to college golf when Reid played at BYU and Knoll was at San Jose State.

His performance in the tournament got him an exemption into the US Senior Amateur, being played the first week in September at Flint Hills National, a tremendous venue in Wichita, Kansas. Knoll made it to the second round of match play, where he fell to Logan Jackson of North Carolina.

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JIM KNOLL: Facts and Playing Resume

Birthdate: August 11, 1952

Birthplace: San Francisco, Calif.

Age: 54 Ht: 5'11" Wt: 170

Home: Sunnyvale, Calif.

College: San Jose State

Player Notes: This is Knoll's second U.S. Senior Open out of four attempts … he played in last year's U.S. Senior Open at Prairie Dunes … played in the 1975 U.S. Open as an amateur … played in the 1977 U.S. Open as a professional … played in the 1985 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur … won the 2003 and 2004 San Mateo County Championship … won the 1982 Northern California Public Links … runner-up at the 2005 Northern California Public Links … runner-up at the 1999 and 2003 Northern California Masters … qualified for the PGA Tour twice bust lost his card after one year each time … most memorable golf experience was making an eagle at PGA Tour Q-school to earn his card the first time … lowest 18-hole round is 63, shot at Pasatiempo Golf Club in 1975 … has recorded two holes-in-one … was named 1975 NCAA third-team All-American … salesperson for Tully-Wihr Company … married to wife Terry … has two sons, Nicholas and Kevin.