Steve Elkington

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Steve Elkington
PlayersElkington.JPG
Elkington in 2008
Personal information
Full nameStephen John Elkington
Born (1962-12-08) 8 December 1962 (age 60)
Inverell, New South Wales, Australia
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight190 lb (86 kg; 14 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Residence Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Houston, Texas, U.S.
SpouseLisa Elkington
Children2
Career
College University of Houston
Turned professional1985
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
PGA Tour Champions
Professional wins17
Highest ranking 3 (20 April 1997) [1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour10
Asian Tour1
PGA Tour of Australasia1
Other5
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters Tournament T3: 1993
PGA Championship Won: 1995
U.S. Open T21: 1989, 1990
The Open Championship T2: 2002
Achievements and awards
Vardon Trophy 1995

Stephen John Elkington (born 8 December 1962) is an Australian professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions. Formerly on the PGA Tour, he spent more than fifty weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 1995 to 1998. [2] Elkington won a major title at the PGA Championship in 1995, [3] and is a two-time winner of The Players Championship. [4] [5]

Contents

Early years

Born in Inverell, New South Wales, [6] Elkington grew up in Wagga Wagga. [7] He moved to the United States to attend college in Texas at the University of Houston, [6] where he played on the Cougar golf team that won national titles in 1982, 1984, and 1985. [8] Elkington was the first prominent Australian to play college golf in the U.S., and turned professional in 1985. [6]

Professional career

Elkington was the runner-up at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in December 1986 to earn his tour card for 1987. [9] He had ten victories on the PGA Tour, all in the 1990s, and won four events twice. Elkington had ten top-10 finishes in major championships, with the best results at the PGA Championship; he won in 1995 at Riviera, [3] and a tied for second in 2005 at Baltusrol, behind winner Phil Mickelson, [10] [11] which moved him back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a two-time winner of The Players Championship, the PGA Tour's marquee event, with victories in 1991 and 1997. Of the five to win twice at TPC Sawgrass, his span of six years between wins is the shortest.

In addition to his PGA Tour success, Elkington won the 1992 Australian Open and 1996 Honda Invitational on the Asian Tour. [12]

Elkington was a participant in the first four editions of the Presidents Cup, on the International Team in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000. In 1995, he was awarded the Vardon Trophy; this award is given annually by the PGA of America to the tour player with the lowest scoring average.

Elkington's career has been hampered by constant battles with allergies, notably to grass, which caused several absences from tournament play. He has had sinus surgeries, constant infections, and bouts with viral meningitis, as well as searing headaches. [3]

As of 2013, Elkington had sponsorship/endorsement deals with apparel brand Oxford Golf, Insperity, World Golf Tour, Grieve Family Winery, and Par West Custom Golf Shoes. [13]

He turned fifty in late 2012 and made his debut on the Champions Tour in June 2013. [14]

Controversies

In June 2006, playing in a sectional to qualify for the U.S. Open, Elkington tried to wear shoes with metal spikes. When his attempt was rebuffed, he left rather than change to soft-spiked shoes, and argued that since spiked shoes were allowed in the U.S. Open, the following week, that they should be allowed at sectional events. [15]

In December 2013, Elkington was widely condemned for remarks he made on Twitter following a fatal helicopter crash in Glasgow's Clutha pub. He wrote: "Helicopter crashes into Scottish pub... Locals report no beer was spilled." The tweet was quickly deleted but not before being shared by users of the social networking site. The comment provoked a furious backlash from his fellow players and commentators alike. [16]

Two months later in February 2014, Elkington tweeted that openly gay football player Michael Sam was "leading the handbag throw" at the NFL Combine, which multiple sources described as homophobic. [17] [18] [19] He was suspended by the PGA Tour for two weeks and fined $10,000 after his tweet. [20]

Television

In 2014, RFD-TV began airing The Rural Golfer, starring Elkington. [21] The production followed Elkington as he toured the United States, digging up golf stories. In 2015, CBS Sports Network began airing the second season of the show, retitled Secret Golf with Steve Elkington. [22]

Personal

Elkington met his wife, Lisa, while at the University of Houston, and they have two children. [23] The family has residences in both Australia and the U.S., at Sydney and Houston. His son Sam played golf on his high school team in Houston, [24] and played on the golf team at the University of Houston from 2015 to 2020. [25] His daughter works as a ceramics teacher.

Professional wins (17)

PGA Tour wins (10)

Legend
Major championships (1)
Players Championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (7)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
122 Apr 1990 KMart Greater Greensboro Open 74-71-71-66=282−62 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Mike Reid, Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Sluman
231 Mar 1991 The Players Championship 66-70-72-68=276−121 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller
312 Jan 1992 Infiniti Tournament of Champions 69-71-67-72=279−9Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon
42 Oct 1994 Buick Southern Open 66-66-68=200*−165 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Rintoul
58 Jan 1995 Mercedes Championships (2)69-71-71-67=278−10Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Lietzke
613 Aug 1995 PGA Championship 68-67-68-64=267−17Playoff Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie
79 Mar 1997 Doral-Ryder Open 70-66-70-69=275−132 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Larry Nelson, Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Nick Price
830 Mar 1997 The Players Championship (2)66-69-68-69=272−167 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Scott Hoch
94 Oct 1998 Buick Challenge (2)66-70-66-65=267−21Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Fred Funk
107 Mar 1999 Doral-Ryder Open (2)72-70-69-64=275−131 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Greg Kraft

*Note: The 1994 Buick Southern Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

PGA Tour playoff record (4–4)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1992 Infiniti Tournament of Champions Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon Won with birdie on first extra hole
21992 Buick Open Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon, Flag of the United States.svg Dan Forsman Forsman won with par on second extra hole
Faxon eliminated by par on first hole
31992 H.E.B. Texas Open Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Nick Price Lost to par on second extra hole
4 1993 KMart Greater Greensboro Open Flag of the United States.svg Rocco Mediate Lost to birdie on fourth extra hole
5 1995 Mercedes Championships Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Lietzke Won with birdie on second extra hole
61995 PGA Championship Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie Won with birdie on first extra hole
7 1998 Buick Challenge Flag of the United States.svg Fred Funk Won with par on first extra hole
8 2002 The Open Championship Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stuart Appleby, Flag of South Africa.svg Ernie Els,
Flag of France.svg Thomas Levet 		Els won with par on first extra hole after four-hole aggregate playoff;
Els: E (4-3-5-4=16),
Levet: E (4-2-5-5=16),
Appleby: +1 (4-3-5-5=17),
Elkington: +1 (5-3-4-5=17)

Asian PGA Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner-up
15 May 1996 Honda Invitational 71-73-68-69=281−71 stroke Flag of the Philippines (navy blue).svg Felix Casas

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

Legend
Flagship events (1)
Other PGA Tour of Australasia (0)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runners-up
129 Nov 1992 Australian Open 69-68-69-74=280−82 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter McWhinney, Flag of the United States.svg Duffy Waldorf

Other wins (5)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runners-up
124 Aug 1993 Fred Meyer Challenge
(with Flag of the United States.svg Tom Purtzer)		63-63=128−161 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Fred Couples and Flag of the United States.svg Davis Love III,
Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon and Flag of the United States.svg Rick Fehr,
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Gallagher Jr. and Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Lietzke
221 Nov 1993 Franklin Funds Shark Shootout
(with Flag of the United States.svg Raymond Floyd)		62-64-62=188−281 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia and Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon,
Flag of the United States.svg Hale Irwin and Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Lietzke,
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Kite and Flag of the United States.svg Davis Love III,
Flag of the United States.svg Mark O'Meara and Flag of the United States.svg Curtis Strange
319 Nov 1995 Franklin Templeton Shootout (2)
(with Flag of the United States.svg Mark Calcavecchia)		64-61-59=184−321 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Chip Beck and Flag of the United States.svg Lee Janzen
414 Dec 1997 Diners Club Matches
(with Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Maggert)		2 and 1 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Lehman and Flag of the United States.svg Duffy Waldorf
515 Nov 1998 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (3)
(with Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman)		67-64-58=189−27Playoff Flag of the United States.svg John Cook and Flag of the United States.svg Peter Jacobsen

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
11998 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout
(with Flag of Australia (converted).svg Greg Norman)		 Flag of the United States.svg John Cook and Flag of the United States.svg Peter Jacobsen Won with birdie on third extra hole

Major championships

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1995 PGA Championship 6 shot deficit−17 (68-67-68-64=267)Playoff1 Flag of Scotland.svg Colin Montgomerie

1Defeated Montgomerie with birdie on first extra hole.

Results timeline

Tournament198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999
Masters Tournament T22T37T3CUTT5CUTT1230T11
U.S. Open T21T21T55CUTT33T36T40T24CUTT51
The Open Championship CUTT44T34T48T67T6CUTCUTWDCUT
PGA Championship T31T41CUTT32T18T14T71T3T453
Tournament200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011
Masters Tournament T52CUT
U.S. Open T33CUT
The Open Championship T60CUTT2WDCUT
PGA Championship WDT48T2CUTT39CUTT5CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 001225118
U.S. Open 000003129
The Open Championship 010122157
PGA Championship 1125681913
Totals123810185737

The Players Championship

Wins (2)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
1991 The Players Championship 4 shot deficit−12 (66-70-72-68=276)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller
1997 The Players Championship (2)2 shot lead−16 (66-69-68-69=272)7 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Scott Hoch

Results timeline

Tournament1987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The Players Championship CUTT54CUTT161CUTT16T51WDT191T38
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The Players Championship T63CUTT26T6T12T32CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

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

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament19992000200120022003200420052006
Match Play R64R64R64
Championship T34NT1WD
Invitational 39T23T49

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament

Results in senior major championships

Tournament20132014
The Tradition T19T9
Senior PGA Championship WD
Senior Players Championship T24
U.S. Senior Open T6T49
Senior British Open Championship T11
  Top 10
  Did not play

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

Team appearances

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Week 16 1997 Ending 20 Apr 1997" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  2. ↑ 69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking
  3. 1 2 3 Reilly, Rick (21 August 1995). "Nothing to sneeze at". Sports Illustrated. p. 34.
  4. ↑ Garrity, John (8 April 1991). "From shadows to glory". Sports Illustrated. p. 28.
  5. ↑ Reilly, Rick (7 April 1997). "Show of shows". Sports Illustrated. p. 70.
  6. 1 2 3 "Profile on PGA Tour's official site" . Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Steve Elkington profile". Sporting Hall of Fame. Museum of the Riverina . Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (25 May 2016). "University of Houston looks to return to golf glory". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "PGA Qualifying". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. 9 December 1986. p. B4.
  10. ↑ "Biographical information from PGA Tour's official site" . Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Golf Major Championships" . Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Sports Shorts". Associated Press. 6 May 1996. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  13. ↑ Emmett, James (16 May 2013). "Golf veteran Elkington nails a new deal for a new era - Sports Personal Endorsement news -". SportsPro. SportsPro Media. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  14. ↑ Crenshaw Jr., Solomon (5 June 2013). "Rookie Steve Elkington says there's a lot of shot-making on the Champions Tour". al.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Steve (6 June 2006). "Elkington's metal spikes raise clatter". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  16. ↑ McEwan, Michael (2 December 2013). "Elkington blasted for Glasgow helicopter tweet". bunkered . Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  17. ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (25 February 2014). "Professional Golfer Steve Elkington Really Thinks He Nailed This Michael Sam Gay Joke". New York . Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  18. ↑ Schilken, Chuck (25 February 2014). "Golfer Steve Elkington tweets homophobic joke about Michael Sam". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  19. ↑ Uribarri, Jaime (25 February 2014). "Golfer Steve Elkington writes homophobic tweet about Michael Sam". New York Daily News . Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  20. ↑ McDowell, Coleman (6 July 2015). "Steve Elkington Confirms He Was Suspended Over Michael Sam Tweet". Golf.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  21. ↑ Sherman, Ed (24 July 2014). "No handicaps for these players: Steve Elkington show finds true winners in golf". www.shermanreport.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  22. ↑ Bastable, Alan (23 July 2015). "Steve Elkington: The Golf Magazine Interview". Golf.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Verdi, Bob (17 May 2004). "A Throwback from the Outback". ESPN. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  24. ↑ Stone, Peter (9 June 2012). "Son takes his turn with the master stroke". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  25. ↑ "Sam Elkington Bio – Men's Golf". University of Houston Official Athletic Site. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
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