Jack Kay Jr.

Last updated

Jack Kay Jr.
Personal information
Born (1964-07-14) July 14, 1964 (age 60)
Montreal, Canada
Sporting nationalityFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Career
Turned professional1987
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Canadian Tour
PGA Tour of Australasia
Asia Golf Circuit
Professional wins2
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour of Australasia1
Other1
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament CUT: 1986
PGA Championship DNP
U.S. Open CUT: 1991
The Open Championship DNP

Jack Kay Jr. (born July 14, 1964) is a Canadian professional golfer. Kay had a sterling amateur career. He made the semifinals of the 1985 U.S. Amateur, defeating Scott Verplank in the quarterfinals, and led Canada to its first victory at the Eisenhower Trophy the following year. He had difficulties transitioning to the career of a touring professional, earning full-time status on the PGA Tour for only one season. He had a little more success overseas, winning the 1991 Singapore Open on the Asia Golf Circuit and the 1994 Alfred Dunhill Masters on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Contents

Early life

Kay was born in Montreal on July 14, 1964. [1] [2] His father, Jack Kay Sr., was a club professional. He primarily worked at Rosedale Golf Club in Toronto. [3] In the winter, he was also Director of Golf at the Lyford Cay Club in Nassau, Bahamas. [3] He worked at Lyford Cay from 1958 to 1995. [4] Kay grew up in Don Mills, then a neighborhood within North York, a suburb of Toronto. [5] [6]

Amateur career

Kay played out of Donalda Golf Club growing up. [3] [7] Among players from Ontario, he was considered the best amateur in his age group. [3] He won the 1982 Ontario Boys Championship held at Brampton Golf Club. [7] He also won the Canadian Junior Championship in 1982. [6] [8] Kay attended Furman University in the United States for college. He played on the golf team. He was Most Valuable Player on the golf team in 1985. [9]

In August 1985, he played at the U.S. Amateur. He won his first three matches. In the quarterfinals, he faced Scott Verplank, recent winner of a PGA Tour event. Verplank took a took a 2 up lead after five holes. Then there was a rain delay. After the delay, Kay came back and won the next two holes to even the competition. [6] The match remained all-square after 17 holes. The match was then delayed due to darkness. The two came back the next day, Saturday, to complete the match. [10] On the 18th and final hole, both missed the green. Kay hit his pitch to two feet. Verplank mishit his chip shot, landing 35 feet from the hole. He two-putted for bogey. Kay made his par putt for the win. [6] "I'm in shock," Kay stated immediately after the win, defeating the heavily favored Verplank. [5] "If I can play with Verplank, I can play with anyone." [6] Later in the day, he faced Sam Randolph in the semi-finals. Kay bogeyed the 3rd and 4th holes to fall two down. Later on the front nine, Kay got within one but could not get closer. Kay then bogeyed the 12th and Randolph birdied the 13th to move 3 up. [9] Randolph won it with a par on the 15th, 4 and 3. [9] [5]

In 1986, Kay also had much success. His good play at the U.S. Amateur earned him an invitation to the 1986 Masters Tournament. [11] He opened poorly with an 80 (+8). [12] He played better in the second round, shooting a 74 (+2), but missed the cut by five shots. [13] That year, he had much success representing Furman University in college events. Kay won the Furman Intercollegiate individual title that year, shooting a tournament record 203 (−13). He also led Furman towards winning the team component of the same event, defeating Wake Forest University by 11 strokes. He led Furman to three additional team titles in the year. [14] Later in 1986, he finished runner-up at the Canadian Amateur Championship to Brent Franklin. In October, he played in the Eisenhower Trophy at Lagunita Country Club in Caracas, Venezuela. The Canadian team won by three strokes over the United States. [15]

Professional career

Kay turned pro in 1987. [1] He made it onto the PGA Tour during 1988 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He finished in a tie for ninth against several dozen competitors. [16] At the beginning of the 1989 season, Kay made the cut in four of his first five events, all on the West Coast swing. He had much more trouble after that, however, making the cut in only 5 of the 23 remaining events. He recorded one top-25 during the year, a T-25 at the Independent Insurance Agent Open. [17] Kay did not play full-time on the PGA Tour again. [17]

For the remainder of his career as a touring professional, Kay primarily played overseas. In 1990, he had some highlights. In January, he recorded a high finish at the Coca-Cola Classic on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Playing against a full-field with a number of big names, Kay finished in a tie for ninth. He defeated major championship winners Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer, and Craig Stadler by several shots. [18] In March, he recorded another high result, finishing in a tie for fourth at the Singapore Open on the Asia Golf Circuit. [19]

In February 1991, he played the Singapore Open again. He opened with the lead. He entered the final round one back of Wayne Riley. Kay made four birdies on the front nine to move in front. He held a two stroke lead on the final hole and made a safe par for the win. He stated after the tournament, "It is the biggest moment of my career and hopefully the turning point too." Kay earned US$66,640, the biggest check of his career. [20] He also qualified for the 1991 U.S. Open held that summer at Hazeltine National Golf Club. He did not play very well, however, missing the cut. [17] His second round 83 tied for the worst score of the day. [21] Much later in the year, he played in the Australian Open. He finished in a tie for 10th. [22]

In early 1992, he played the Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He finished in a tie for seventh. [23] In 1993, he again played extensively in Australia, recording a number of top-25s but no top-10s. [24]

In late 1994, he played the Alfred Dunhill Masters on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The event was held at Bali Golf and Country Club in Nusa Dua, Indonesia. Kay was at 205 (−8) after three rounds. He played with Nick Faldo and Patrick Burke during the final round. Kay was one-under through the first 11 holes of the final round but was six shots behind leader Faldo. On the 12th hole, however, the leaderboard changed "drastically." Faldo was notified that he removed a piece of coral from a bunker the previous day, unknowingly breaking the rules. He was immediately disqualified. Kay suddenly had a four stroke lead. He double-bogeyed the next hole, the 13th, however, to lose strokes to the field. Kay later stated, "It was confusing. We were down to a two-some and we lost rhythm and were talking about what happened." However, he parred the remaining five holes to defeat Burke by one. It was his first professional win since his 1991 win in Singapore. After the round, however, Kay stated, "There is definitely no way I would have wanted to win like that. As far as I am concerned I finished second but I won." [25]

Kay struggled for the remainder of his career. [26] He missed the cut in the majority of his events in Australia during the 1995–96 season. [27] [28] He has not played an official tour event since 1997. [29]

During his career he was also a member of the Canadian Tour. [30] He was inducted into the Furman University's Hall of Fame in 2000. [14]

Personal life

As of 2002, Kay was married to Christy. [4] She occasionally served as his caddie. [20] Kay also has two sisters. [4]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (2)

Asia Golf Circuit wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Feb 24, 1991 Epson Singapore Open −8 (67-72-72-69=280)2 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Riley

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Nov 6, 1994 Alfred Dunhill Masters −7 (73-66-66-72=277)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Burke

Results in major championships

!Tournament198619871988198919901991
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open CUT

Note: Kay only played in the Masters and U.S. Open

  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
Sources: [13] [17]

Team appearances

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Norman</span> Australian golfer (born 1955)

Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian former professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 88 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championship in 1986 and 1993. Norman also earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up eight times in majors throughout his career. In a reference to his blond hair, size, aggressive golf style and his birthplace's native coastal animal, Norman's nickname is "the Great White Shark", which he earned after his play at the 1981 Masters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Els</span> South African professional golfer

Theodore Ernest Els is a South African professional golfer. A former World No. 1, he is nicknamed "The Big Easy" due to his physical stature along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victories are four major championships: the U.S. Open in 1994 at Oakmont and in 1997 at Congressional, and The Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield and in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. He is one of six golfers to twice win both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Faldo</span> English professional golfer (born 1957)

Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his dedication to the game, and was ranked No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for a total of 97 weeks. His 41 professional wins include 30 victories on the European Tour and six major championships: three Open Championships and three Masters.

Curtis Northrup Strange is an American professional golfer and TV color commentator. He is the winner of consecutive U.S. Open titles and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between their debut in 1986 and 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Leonard</span> American professional golfer

Justin Charles Garrett Leonard is an American professional golfer. He has twelve career wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1997 Open Championship. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He is one of only 5 players to win the U.S. Amateur, the NCAA Individual Championship and a major golf tournament.

Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins Jr. is an American professional golfer. He won 21 tournaments on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1977 PGA Championship. He ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 86 weeks from the ranking's debut in 1986 to 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Allenby</span> Australian professional golfer

Robert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.

Scott Rachal Verplank is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Clark (golfer)</span> South African professional golfer

Timothy Henry Clark is a South African professional golfer who formerly played on the PGA Tour. His biggest win was The Players Championship in 2010, which was also his first PGA Tour win.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cook (golfer)</span> American professional golfer

John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who won eleven times on the PGA Tour and was a member of the Ryder Cup team in 1993. He was ranked in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking for 45 weeks in 1992 and 1993. Cook currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and is a studio analyst on Golf Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoff Ogilvy</span> Australian professional golfer

Geoff Charles Ogilvy is an Australian professional golfer. He won the 2006 U.S. Open and has also won three World Golf Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RBC Heritage</span> Golf tournament held in South Carolina, United States

The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic or simply The Heritage, is a PGA Tour event in South Carolina, first played 55 years ago in 1969. It is currently played in mid-April, the week after The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodger Davis</span> Australian professional golfer

Rodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.

The Doral Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in the southeastern United States. It was played annually for 45 seasons, from 1962 to 2006, on the "Blue Monster" course at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida, a suburb west of Miami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Open Championship</span> Golf tournament

The 2007 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 136th Open Championship, played from 19–22 July at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland. Pádraig Harrington defeated Sergio García in a playoff to take the title and his first major championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Masters Tournament</span> American golf tournament held in 2003

The 2003 Masters Tournament was the 67th Masters Tournament, held April 11–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Mike Weir won his only major title in a one-hole playoff over Len Mattiace. He was the first Canadian male to win a major, and also the first left-handed player to win the Masters. He is also the only Canadian to win the tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Masters Tournament</span> Golf tournament

The 1989 Masters Tournament was the 53rd Masters Tournament, held April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

The 2003 Open Championship was a men's major golf championship and the 132nd Open Championship, held from 17 to 20 July at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Ben Curtis won his only major title, one stroke ahead of runners-up Thomas Bjørn and Vijay Singh. Bjørn had led in the final round by two shots with three holes to play, but needed three attempts to play out of a greenside bunker on the 16th hole. Playing in his first major championship and number 396 in the world rankings, Curtis became the first debut winner at The Open since Tom Watson in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collin Morikawa</span> American professional golfer (born 1997)

Collin Morikawa is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He began his PGA Tour career with 22 consecutive made cuts, second only to Tiger Woods' 25-cut streak. Morikawa has six PGA Tour wins – including two major championships, the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, winning both in his debut. In May 2018, Morikawa spent three weeks as the top-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He also became the first American to win the Race to Dubai on the European Tour.

Patrick Burke is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1990s. His best result on the tour was when he tied for third place in the 1996 B.C. Open. He won twice on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 1994.

References

  1. 1 2 "Jack Kay, Jr". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Playing at Home". Maclean's . April 10, 1989.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hickey, Paul (May 13, 2020). "Golfing on ultra exclusive links". The Peterborough Examiner .
  4. 1 2 3 "Jack Kay Sr. Obituary (2002)". The Globe and Mail. August 6, 2002. Retrieved December 12, 2020– via legacy.com.
  5. 1 2 3 McDermott, Barry (September 9, 1985). "Sam Played It Again, Minus Bogeys". Sports Illustrated. pp. 20–21. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Love, Ian (August 31, 1985). "Jack Kay made par on the final hole this..." UPI. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ontario Junior Boys'". Golf Ontario. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Canadian Junior Boys Championship – Past Champions". Golf Canada. February 23, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 "Golf Roundup: Randolph Gets 2nd Shot, but Not Against Verplank". Los Angeles Times. September 1, 1985. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Rain Delays Amateur". The New York Times. August 31, 1985. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  11. ↑ Kunda, John (March 9, 1986). "Olympics are on his mind". The Morning Call. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Ken Green, Kratzert putt to Masters lead". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. April 11, 1986. p. C-2. Retrieved December 15, 2020– via newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 "Ballesteros leads offshore attack". Edmonton Journal. Associated Press. April 12, 1986. p. G3. Retrieved December 15, 2020– via Google News Archive.
  14. 1 2 3 "Jack M. Kay, Jr. (2000)". Furman Athletics Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  15. ↑ "World Amateur Team Results: 1958 to Present". USGA.
  16. ↑ Gould, David (1999). Q-School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 284–286. ISBN   978-0312203559.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Jack Kay Jr". PGA Tour. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  18. ↑ "1990 Coca-Cola Classic". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  19. ↑ "1990 Singapore Open". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  20. 1 2 "Consistent Kay Hits the Jackpot". New Straits Times. February 25, 1991. p. F27. Retrieved December 15, 2020– via Google News Archive.
  21. ↑ Markus, Don (June 15, 1991). "For second time in 4 years, injury sends Norman home early U.S Open". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ "1991 Australian Open". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  23. ↑ "1992 Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  24. ↑ "1993 Jack Kay Jr". Official World Golf Ranking.
  25. ↑ "Faldo squanders Dunhill lead with dramatic disqualification". The Canberra Times . Vol. 70, no. 21753. Australian Capital Territory. November 7, 1994. p. 24. Retrieved April 30, 2017– via National Library of Australia.
  26. ↑ "Todd takes on Japanese PGA after success on Asian Tour". The Financial Post. April 24, 1996. p. 47. Retrieved December 12, 2020– via newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Jack Kay Jr. 1995 season". Official World Golf Ranking.
  28. ↑ "Jack Kay Jr. 1996 season". Official World Golf Ranking.
  29. ↑ "Jack Kay Jr". Official World Golf Ranking.
  30. ↑ "July 14, 2012: Golf on this day..." Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.