Andy North

Last updated

Andy North
Personal information
Full nameAndrew Stewart North
Born (1950-03-09) March 9, 1950 (age 73)
Thorp, Wisconsin
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Sporting nationalityFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Residence Madison, Wisconsin
Career
College University of Florida
Turned professional1972
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins15
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour3
PGA Tour Champions1
Other11
Best results in major championships
(wins: 2)
Masters Tournament T12: 1979
PGA Championship 4th: 1975
U.S. Open Won: 1978, 1985
The Open Championship T39: 1990

Andrew Stewart North (born March 9, 1950) is an American professional golfer who had three wins on the PGA Tour, including the U.S. Open twice. Since 1992, he has served as a golf analyst for ESPN.

Contents

Early life

North was born in Thorp, Wisconsin, and raised in Monona, Wisconsin.

He attended Monona Grove High School, graduating in 1968. While still in high school, he lost in the final match of the Wisconsin State Amateur Match Play Championship at Merrill Hills Country Club. Two years later, he won the 1969 Wisconsin State Amateur Championship at Westmoor Country Club in Brookfield, Wisconsin by defeating Archie Dadian in the match play final.

Amateur career

North accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played for coach Buster Bishop's Florida Gators men's golf team from 1969 to 1972. [1] He was a three-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, [1] and an All-American in 1970, 1971 and 1972. [2] North graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1972 and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as "Gator Great." [3]

Professional career

North turned professional in 1972. He had a moderately successful career on the PGA Tour made remarkable by the fact that two of his three wins on tour were in the U.S. Open. The first PGA Tour win of North's career came at the 1977 American Express Westchester Classic. The following year he won the 1978 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. He moved into the lead after the second round, and was one shot ahead going into Sunday, but an erratic final round left him needing to make a five on the last hole to take the championship. He struggled at the 18th hole finding the rough twice and then landing in a greenside bunker. However, he made a four-foot putt to win by one stroke over J. C. Snead and Dave Stockton.

At the 1985 U.S. Open, on the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, North found himself two shots behind Chen Tze-chung of Taiwan going into the final round, but three shots clear of the rest of the field. Chen moved into a four-shot lead early, but threw the tournament wide open by shooting a quadruple bogey eight on the fifth hole. The lead swung between North, Chen, Denis Watson, Payne Stewart, [4] and Dave Barr. However, North went into the last hole with a two-shot lead, and his bogey five was enough to give him a second major championship. [5]

North played on the 1985 Ryder Cup team. In 1990, he won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Since turning 50 in 2000, North has played intermittently on the Champions Tour. His best finish at this level is a win at the 2008 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.

Broadcasting career

In 1992, North joined ESPN as an on-course reporter. [6] In 2004, he was promoted to the lead on-course reporter for ESPN and ABC Sports. He also has been the lead analyst on ESPN's golf studio shows with host Scott Van Pelt since 2003. According to ESPN, his preview shows for major championships have been so in-depth that Tour players have been known to watch them to help with course strategy. From 2003 to 2014, North concluded his U.S. Open preview show by dressing up in a doctor's outfit and using an often modified formula to pick the winner of the tournament. North eliminates groups of players who he believes will not win by writing them on large white placards which he then tosses over the edge of the set. In addition, North occasionally serves as a substitute analyst for Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball radio broadcast. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Amateur wins

Professional wins (15)

PGA Tour wins (3)

Legend
Major championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (1)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Aug 21, 1977 American Express Westchester Classic 66-70-65-71=272−122 strokes Flag of the United States.svg George Archer
2Jun 18, 1978 U.S. Open 70-70-71-74=285+11 stroke Flag of the United States.svg J. C. Snead, Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton
3Jun 16, 1985 U.S. Open (2)70-65-70-74=279−11 stroke Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dave Barr, Flag of the Republic of China.svg Chen Tze-chung,
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Denis Watson

South American wins (1)

Other wins (5)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Dec 3, 1978 World Cup
(with Flag of the United States.svg John Mahaffey)
141-144-138-141=564−1210 strokesFlag of Australia (converted).svg  AustraliaWayne Grady and Greg Norman
2Aug 7, 1979 PGA Grand Slam of Golf 73+3Shared title with Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player
3May 28, 1990 PGA Grand Slam of Golf (2)70−24 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Craig Stadler
4Jul 31, 1990 Jerry Ford Invitational 68-65=133−10Shared title with Flag of the United States.svg Jim Gallagher Jr. and Flag of the United States.svg Donnie Hammond
5Jun 28, 2005 ING Par-3 Shootout $350,000$260,000 Flag of the United States.svg Gary McCord

Champions Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runners-up
1Apr 27, 2008 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
(with Flag of the United States.svg Tom Watson)
59-62-64=185−311 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Sluman and Flag of the United States.svg Craig Stadler

Champions Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2001 Emerald Coast Classic Flag of the United States.svg Mike McCullough Lost to par on first extra hole

Other senior wins (5)

Major championships

Wins (2)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunners-up
1978 U.S. Open 1 shot lead+1 (70-70-71-74= 285)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg J. C. Snead, Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton
1985 U.S. Open (2)2 shot deficit−1 (70-65-70-74=279)1 stroke Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dave Barr, Flag of the Republic of China.svg Chen Tze-chung,
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Denis Watson

Results timeline

Tournament197419751976197719781979
Masters Tournament T37T24T32T12
U.S. Open T12T14CUT1T11
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship T394T49CUTT42CUT
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament T24CUTCUTT30T41CUTT36CUT
U.S. Open T8T43T22T10CUT167CUTCUTCUT
The Open Championship T45T47
PGA Championship T15T11T70CUTCUTCUTCUTCUTT58
Tournament199019911992199319941995
Masters Tournament T27
U.S. Open T51T37CUTCUTCUTCUT
The Open Championship T39
PGA Championship
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 000003139
U.S. Open 2002482112
The Open Championship 00000043
PGA Championship 000113158
Totals20035145332

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament1974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995
The Players Championship T49T34CUTCUTT4T20CUTT69T32CUTCUTT55CUTT5471CUTCUTT27CUTCUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 34, 39, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  2. 2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide Archived March 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 36 (2008). Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  3. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  4. McDermott, Barry (June 24, 1985). "A Blast From The Past". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  5. Hard-luck Andy North scrambles to U.S. Open title
  6. "Andy North - ESPN Press Room U.S."