Tim Clark (golfer)

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Tim Clark
2009 US Open - Tim Clark (3648634699).jpg
Clark at the 2009 U.S. Open
Personal information
Full nameTimothy Henry Clark
NicknamePenguin [1]
Born (1975-12-17) 17 December 1975 (age 48)
Durban, South Africa
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Residence Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
SpouseCandice
Children2
Career
College North Carolina State University
Turned professional1998
Former tour(s) European Tour
PGA Tour
Sunshine Tour
Professional wins12
Highest ranking 14 (16 April 2006) [2]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour2
European Tour3
Sunshine Tour2
PGA Tour of Australasia1
Korn Ferry Tour2
Other2
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament 2nd: 2006
PGA Championship 3rd: 2003
U.S. Open T3: 2005
The Open Championship T23: 2005
Achievements and awards
Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit winner
2001–02

Timothy Henry Clark (born 17 December 1975) 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.

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Clark was born in Durban, South Africa. He took up golf at the age of three and was taught to play by his father. He attended North Carolina State University in the United States, where he had a successful college golf career, winning ACC Player of the Year in 1997. During this time he won the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links to qualify for his first major, the 1998 Masters Tournament. [3]

Professional career

Clark turned professional in 1998, and initially played on the second tier U.S. professional tour, which was then known as the Nike Tour, where he won two tournaments in 2000 to gain membership of the main PGA Tour for 2001. His 2001 campaign was cut short by a wrist injury after just three events. He made a comeback in 2002, and had the benefit of a major medical exemption which enabled him to enter enough events to comfortably regain full exemption for 2003. He captured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2010 Players Championship, becoming only the second golfer to make the Players his first Tour victory. He has had three European Tour victories. He finished sole second at the 2006 Masters Tournament and sole or tied third at the 2003 PGA Championship and the 2005 U.S. Open.

Clark was a member of the International Team, captained by fellow South African Gary Player in two of three appearances, in the 2003, 2005 and 2009 Presidents Cup. Player dubbed him the team's "bull dog" in reference to his dogged determination and refusal to give in or let go. In 2005 he reached the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time. He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 2001/02 season. He has played Gary Player's annual charity event in South Africa to help raise funds for needy children and personally paid for a little girl's cochlear ear implant so that she could hear after winning the event in 2005. In Australia for a three-tournament swing, he won the 2008 Australian Open in a playoff with Mathew Goggin when they were both tied at 9-under-par. Neither seemed to have a chance with four holes to play when David Smail led at 12-under only to double-bogey the next two holes. [4]

In May 2009, Clark nearly had his first PGA Tour victory in hand at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, but he bogeyed the 18th hole to force a playoff. On the first hole of that playoff, he missed a 7-footer which would have given him the victory. Then, on the second playoff hole, he and Steve Marino lost to Steve Stricker. In May 2010, Clark picked up his first PGA Tour title in his 206th start, after eight runner-up finishes, at the 2010 Players Championship. Clark came from three behind with a final round 67 to win by a stroke over Robert Allenby. At the time, Clark was the highest-earning player without a win, earning $14.7 million and having eight runner-up finishes. [1]

On 11 August 2013, in the final round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Clark made a hole-in-one on the 220-yard, par-3 11th hole. On 27 July 2014, Clark won the RBC Canadian Open, finishing one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk. This was his second PGA Tour title and first victory in more than four years. He birdied five out of the last eight holes to come from three strokes back in the final round. The win moved Clark back inside the world's top 100. [5]

A left elbow injury hampered Clark for much of 2015 and 2016. Clark last played the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge and has a career money list exemption available. His career earnings are over $23.9 million.

Professional wins (12)

PGA Tour wins (2)

Legend
Players Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (1)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
19 May 2010 The Players Championship −16 (68-71-66-67=272)1 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robert Allenby
227 Jul 2014 RBC Canadian Open −17 (67-67-64-65=263)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jim Furyk

PGA Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Flag of the United States.svg Steve Marino, Flag of the United States.svg Steve Stricker Stricker won with birdie on second extra hole
2 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions Flag of the United States.svg Bubba Watson Lost to birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
113 Jan 2002 Bell's South African Open 1−19 (66-70-68-65=269)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Steve Webster
223 Jan 2005 South African Airways Open 1 (2)−15 (68-71-68-66=273)6 strokes Flag of France.svg Grégory Havret, Flag of South Africa.svg Charl Schwartzel
310 Jul 2005 Barclays Scottish Open −19 (67-66-65-67=265)2 strokes Ulster Banner.svg Darren Clarke, Flag of the Netherlands.svg Maarten Lafeber

1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2003 South African Airways Open Flag of South Africa.svg Trevor Immelman Lost to birdie on first extra hole
2 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions Flag of the United States.svg Bubba Watson Lost to birdie on first extra hole

Sunshine Tour wins (2)

Legend
Flagship events (2)
Other Sunshine Tour (0)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
113 Jan 2002 Bell's South African Open 1−19 (66-70-68-65=269)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Steve Webster
223 Jan 2005 South African Airways Open 1 (2)−15 (68-71-68-66=273)6 strokes Flag of France.svg Grégory Havret, Flag of South Africa.svg Charl Schwartzel

1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2003 South African Airways Open Flag of South Africa.svg Trevor Immelman Lost to birdie on first extra hole

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

Legend
Flagship events (1)
Other PGA Tour of Australasia (0)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
114 Dec 2008 Australian Open −9 (70-73-69-67=279)Playoff Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mathew Goggin

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2008 Australian Open Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mathew Goggin Won with par on first extra hole

Buy.com Tour wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
112 Aug 2000 Buy.com Fort Smith Classic −16 (67-66-65-66=264)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Lee Rinker
217 Sep 2000 Buy.com Boise Open −15 (66-67-69-67=269)6 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Burke, Flag of the United States.svg Steve Haskins

Canadian Tour wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
116 Aug 1998 New Brunswick Open −27 (63-67-67-64=261)1 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg David McKenzie
223 Aug 1998 CPGA Championship −16 (71-70-62-69=272)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Chris Tidland

Other wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runners-up
127 Nov 2005 Nelson Mandela Invitational
(with Flag of South Africa.svg Vincent Tshabalala)
−17 (63-64=127)4 strokes Flag of South Africa.svg Trevor Immelman and Flag of South Africa.svg Gary Player
220 Jun 2006 CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic
(with Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Nick Price)
−19 (61-62=123)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon and Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mike Weir

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
12006 CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic
(with Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Nick Price)
Flag of the United States.svg Brad Faxon and Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mike Weir Won with birdie on second extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament19981999
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament T13CUTT392T13CUTT13
U.S. Open CUTT13T3CUTT17T48T40
The Open Championship CUTCUTT23T56CUTCUT
PGA Championship T533CUTT17T24CUTT55T16
Tournament201020112012201320142015
Masters Tournament CUTCUTCUTT11CUT
U.S. Open T12CUTCUT
The Open Championship CUTCUTT44
PGA Championship T39T11T68CUTCUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

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

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 010115136
U.S. Open 001114106
The Open Championship 00000193
PGA Championship 001115139
Totals01233154524

The Players Championship

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
2010 The Players Championship 3 shot deficit−16 (68-71-66-67=272)1 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robert Allenby

Results timeline

Tournament200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
The Players Championship T21CUTCUTCUTT68CUTT91WDT25CUTCUT
  Win
  Top 10

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

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
Match Play R64R64R64R32R64R16R16R16
Championship 62T18T26T63T1227T22T60
Invitational T64T48T5174T6T20T29T58T50
Champions T252
  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Sobel, Jason (9 May 2010). "Clark prevails for maiden victory". ESPN .
  2. "Week 15 2006 Ending 16 Apr 2006" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  3. "Past Champions – 1997: Tim Clark". USGA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  4. "Tim Clark wins Australian Open in Sydney". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 December 2008.
  5. Marchesan, John (27 July 2014). "Tim Clark defeats Jim Furyk". The Globe and Mail.