Mark O'Meara
Mark O'Meara | |||||||||
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![]() O'Meara in 2005 | |||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Full name | Mark Francis O'Meara | ||||||||
Born | Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S. | January 13, 1957||||||||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st) | ||||||||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||||||||
Residence | Southern Highlands, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||
Spouse |
Alicia Lauria O'Meara
(m. 1980; div. 2009)Meredith O'Meara | ||||||||
Children | 3 | ||||||||
Career | |||||||||
College | Long Beach State University | ||||||||
Turned professional | 1980 | ||||||||
Current tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions | ||||||||
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour | ||||||||
Professional wins | 34 | ||||||||
Highest ranking | 2 (September 6, 1998)[1] | ||||||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||||||
PGA Tour | 16 | ||||||||
European Tour | 5 | ||||||||
Japan Golf Tour | 2 | ||||||||
PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 | ||||||||
PGA Tour Champions | 3 | ||||||||
Other | 9 | ||||||||
Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |||||||||
Masters Tournament | Won: 1998 | ||||||||
PGA Championship | T4: 1998 | ||||||||
U.S. Open | T3: 1988 | ||||||||
The Open Championship | Won: 1998 | ||||||||
Achievements and awards | |||||||||
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Mark Francis O'Meara (born January 13, 1957) is an American professional golfer. He was a tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He spent nearly 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from their debut in 1986 to 2000.[2] He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.[3]
Early years
[edit]O'Meara was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, but grew up in southern California, specifically in Mission Viejo. He took up golf at age 13, sneaking on to the nearby Mission Viejo Country Club. O'Meara later became an employee of the club and played on his high school golf team. He was an All-American at Long Beach State,[4] and won the U.S. Amateur in 1979, defeating defending champion John Cook, 8 and 7, in the final.[5][6][7][8] He also won the California State Amateur Championship that year.
O'Meara was a former resident of Orlando, Florida and once lived in the same neighborhood as Tiger Woods. The two became good friends and frequently golfed together during this time. Today, O'Meara resides in Southern Highlands, Nevada.[9]
Professional career
[edit]After graduating with a degree in marketing in 1980, O'Meara turned professional and would win 16 events on the PGA Tour, beginning with the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1984, and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am five times. His best year as a professional golfer came relatively late in his career – in 1998 at age 41 – when he won two majors: The Masters and the British Open. O'Meara's victory in The Masters came during his 15th attempt. O'Meara attributed this resurgence partly to the inspiration of working with Tiger Woods, the new superstar of the game at the time, with whom O'Meara had become good friends.[10] In the same year, he won the Cisco World Match Play Championship and reached a career best of second in the Official World Golf Ranking.
O'Meara is known for competing outside the United States more often than most leading American golfers, and has won tournaments in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. A man with a genial demeanor, he is one of the most popular figures in international golf. In the new millennium his form took a downturn and he began to struggle with injuries, but in 2004 he won an official tour event for the first time since 1998, taking the Dubai Desert Classic title, which despite being played in the Middle East is a European Tour event.
After the European Tour tournament Lancome Trophy at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, 30 km west of Paris, France in September 1997, which was won by O'Meara, he was involved in a controversy. Runner-up was Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden. A television viewer in Sweden observed that, on the 15th green in the final round, O'Meara, facing a two and a half foot putt, had replaced his ball half an inch closer to the hole than had been indicated by his marker. Sandelin wrote to O'Meara in March 1998, sent a video recording of the incident and asked for an explanation. O'Meara insisted he had not intended to gain any advantage and sought advice from the PGA and European Tours, who informed him that the tournament was over and the result stood. Sandelin went public with the story and demanded that O'Meara should hand back the trophy and the prize money.[11] O'Meara admitted in April 1998, he may, without intention, have broken the rules of golf on his way to winning the 1997 Lancome Trophy.[12]
Champions Tour
[edit]In 2007, O'Meara began play on the Champions Tour; he had many top-10 finishes in his first three seasons including several runner-up finishes, but no wins. In 2010, he broke through with a win in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf with Nick Price, followed by his first senior major victory in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. O'Meara was sidelined by a rib injury for several months starting in April 2012; he missed the majors on both tours and did not compete until August.[13][14]
O'Meara has begun to develop a golf course design practice and enjoys fishing in his off time. He is currently a brand ambassador for Pacific Links International. In March 2019, O'Meara won the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona. He shot a final round seven-under 66, to win by four shots. This win ended an eight-year win drought on the PGA Tour Champions.
Awards and recognition
[edit]Following his two major wins in 1998, O'Meara received that year's BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, an award given to a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport in a year.[15] He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.[3]
Amateur wins
[edit]Professional wins (34)
[edit]PGA Tour wins (16)
[edit]Legend |
---|
Major championships (2) |
Other PGA Tour (14) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sep 16, 1984 | Greater Milwaukee Open | 67-68-69-68=272 | −16 | 5 strokes | ![]() |
2 | Feb 3, 1985 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | 70-72-68-73=283 | −5 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | Feb 10, 1985 | Hawaiian Open | 67-66-65-69=267 | −21 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
4 | Jan 29, 1989 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2) | 66-68-73-70=277 | −11 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
5 | Feb 4, 1990 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (3) | 67-73-69-72=281 | −7 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
6 | Oct 7, 1990 | H.E.B. Texas Open | 64-68-66-63=261 | −19 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
7 | Oct 19, 1991 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | 66-66-71-64=267 | −21 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
8 | Feb 2, 1992 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (4) | 69-68-68-70=275 | −13 | Playoff | ![]() |
9 | Mar 12, 1995 | Honda Classic | 68-65-71-71=275 | −9 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
10 | Sep 10, 1995 | Bell Canadian Open | 72-67-68-67=274 | −14 | Playoff | ![]() |
11 | Jan 7, 1996 | Mercedes Championships | 68-69-66-68=271 | −17 | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
12 | Apr 28, 1996 | Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic | 75-68-62-69=274 | −14 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
13 | Feb 2, 1997 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (5) | 67-67-67-67=268 | −20 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
14 | Feb 9, 1997 | Buick Invitational | 67-66-71-71=275 | −13 | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
15 | Apr 12, 1998 | Masters Tournament | 74-70-68-67=279 | −9 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
16 | Jul 19, 1998 | The Open Championship | 72-68-72-68=280 | E | Playoff | ![]() |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–4)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1981 | Tallahassee Open | ![]() ![]() |
Eichelberger won with birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 1983 | Phoenix Open | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Gilder won with birdie on eighth extra hole Miller and O'Meara eliminated by birdie on second hole |
3 | 1991 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
4 | 1992 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Cook won with eagle on fourth extra hole Fehr eliminated by birdie on second hole Kite and O'Meara eliminated by birdie on first hole |
5 | 1992 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am | ![]() |
Won with par on first extra hole |
6 | 1995 | Bell Canadian Open | ![]() |
Won with par on first extra hole |
7 | 1998 | The Open Championship | ![]() |
Won four-hole aggregate playoff; O'Meara: −1 (4-4-5-4=17), Watts: +1 (5-4-5-5=19) |
European Tour wins (5)
[edit]Legend |
---|
Major championships (2) |
Other European Tour (3) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aug 23, 1987 | Lawrence Batley International | 71-64-70-66=271 | −17 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
2 | Sep 14, 1997 | Trophée Lancôme | 69-67-66-69=271 | −13 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
3 | Apr 12, 1998 | Masters Tournament | 74-70-68-67=279 | −9 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
4 | Jul 19, 1998 | The Open Championship | 72-68-72-68=280 | E | Playoff | ![]() |
5 | Mar 7, 2004 | Dubai Desert Classic | 70-64-68-69=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
European Tour playoff record (1–0)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1998 | The Open Championship | ![]() |
Won four-hole aggregate playoff; O'Meara: −1 (4-4-5-4=17), Watts: +1 (5-4-5-5=19) |
PGA of Japan Tour wins (2)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 12, 1985 | Fujisankei Classic | 67-67-66-73=273 | −11 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
2 | Oct 4, 1992 | Tokai Classic | 66-68-72-71=277 | −11 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
PGA Tour of Australia wins (1)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Feb 23, 1986 | Australian Masters | 74-66-71-73=284 | −8 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
South American Tour wins (1)
[edit]- 1994 Argentine Open
Other wins (8)
[edit]No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nov 16, 1985 | Isuzu Kapalua International | 67-70-70-68=275 | −13 | Playoff | ![]() |
2 | Nov 19, 1989 | RMCC Invitational (with ![]() |
66-62-62=190 | −26 | 6 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | Aug 23, 1994 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with ![]() |
63-62=125 | −17 | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
4 | Oct 18, 1998 | Cisco World Match Play Championship | 1 up | ![]() | ||
5 | Nov 29, 1998 | Skins Game | $405,000 | $10,000 | ![]() | |
6 | Nov 21, 1999 | World Cup of Golf (with ![]() |
140-133-130-142=545 | −23 | 5 strokes | ![]() |
7 | Aug 8, 2000 | Fred Meyer Challenge (2) (with ![]() |
64-61=125 | −19 | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
8 | Dec 1, 2002 | Skins Game (2) | $405,000 | $105,000 | ![]() |
Other playoff record (3–0)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1985 | Isuzu Kapalua International | ![]() |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
2 | 1994 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Won with par on second extra hole |
3 | 2000 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
PGA Tour Champions wins (3)
[edit]Legend |
---|
PGA Tour Champions major championships (1) |
Other Champions Tour (2) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Apr 25, 2010 | Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf (with ![]() |
62-64-62=188 | −28 | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
2 | Oct 10, 2010 | Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship | 68-68-69-68=273 | −7 | Playoff | ![]() |
3 | Mar 3, 2019 | Cologuard Classic | 66-70-66=202 | −17 | 4 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PGA Tour Champions playoff record (2–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2010 | Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf (with ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Won with par on second extra hole |
2 | 2010 | Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship | ![]() |
Won with par on first extra hole |
3 | 2011 | Songdo IBD Championship | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blake won with birdie on fifth extra hole O'Meara and Senior eliminated by par on third hole |
4 | 2012 | Boeing Classic | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Major championships
[edit]Wins (2)
[edit]Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | To par | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Masters Tournament | 2 shot deficit | 74-70-68-67=279 | −9 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
1998 | The Open Championship | 2 shot deficit | 72-68-72-68=280 | E | Playoff1 | ![]() |
1Defeated Brian Watts in 4-hole playoff: O'Meara (4-4-5-4=17), Watts (5-4-5-5=19)
Results timeline
[edit]Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | 24 | 48 | T24 | T39 | T11 | ||||
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | 58 | T7 | T15 | T41 | CUT | T3 | CUT | |
The Open Championship | T47 | T3 | T43 | T66 | 27 | T42 | ||||
PGA Championship | T70 | CUT | T25 | T28 | CUT | CUT | T9 | CUT |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | T27 | T4 | T21 | T15 | T31 | T18 | T30 | 1 | T31 |
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T16 | T36 | T32 | CUT | |
The Open Championship | T48 | T3 | T12 | CUT | T49 | T33 | T38 | 1 | CUT | |
PGA Championship | T19 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T6 | T26 | T13 | T4 | T57 |
Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | T20 | CUT | T8 | T27 | T31 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
U.S. Open | T51 | CUT | T18 | T35 | CUT | |||||
The Open Championship | T26 | T42 | T22 | T65 | T30 | CUT | T63 | T60 | CUT | T70 |
PGA Championship | T46 | T22 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T22 | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
U.S. Open | |||||||||
The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T58 | T78 | T63 | CUT | |||
PGA Championship |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
[edit]Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 19 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 11 |
The Open Championship | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 24 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 12 |
Totals | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 110 | 66 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 11 (1995 Masters – 1999 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1998 Open Championship – 1998 PGA)
Results in The Players Championship
[edit]Tournament | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | T26 | T77 | T49 | T5 | T17 | T33 | 3 | CUT | CUT |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | WD | CUT | T9 | 5 | CUT | CUT | T29 | T70 | T42 | T6 |
Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Players Championship | T9 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
---|---|---|
The Players Championship | 74 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships
[edit]Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Match Play | R64 | R32 | ||||
Championship | NT1 | |||||
Invitational | T25 | T27 | T72 |
1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
Senior major championships
[edit]Wins (1)
[edit]Year | Championship | Winning score | To par | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship | 68-68-69-68=273 | −7 | Playoff | ![]() |
Results timeline
[edit]Results not in chronological order before 2022.
Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Tradition | T14 | T31 | T11 | T38 | T12 | T36 | T35 | T38 | T17 | T40 | T13 | NT | 72 | T54 | |||
Senior PGA Championship | T12 | T24 | T14 | 4 | T18 | 4 | T45 | T14 | T46 | T38 | NT | T57 | |||||
U.S. Senior Open | T11 | CUT | T6 | CUT | 2 | 19 | T38 | WD | CUT | CUT | CUT | T38 | NT | T52 | T41 | T51 | |
Senior Players Championship | T31 | T32 | T9 | 1 | 5 | T39 | T6 | WD | T36 | 70 | T72 | WD | 66 | ||||
Senior British Open Championship | T2 | T34 | T25 | T39 | T26 | WD | T18 | NT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
U.S. national team appearances
[edit]Professional
- Alfred Dunhill Cup: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1996 (winners), 1997, 1998, 1999
- Ryder Cup: 1985, 1989 (tie), 1991 (winners), 1997, 1999 (winners)
- Nissan Cup: 1985 (winners)
- Presidents Cup: 1996 (winners), 1998
- World Cup: 1999 (winners)
- UBS Cup: 2001 (winners), 2002 (winners), 2003 (tie)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Week 36 1998 Ending 6 Sep 1998" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
- ^ "69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking" (PDF). Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ a b McAllister, Mike (October 15, 2014). "Class of 2015 Hall of Famers receive surprise calls". PGA Tour.
- ^ Foster, Chris (March 9, 2007). "O'Meara Comes Home For Toshiba Classic". Long Beach State.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
- ^ "Ohio State's Cook makes Am finals". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. September 2, 1979. p. 5C.
- ^ "O'Meara dethrones Cook, easily wins U.S. Amateur". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. September 3, 1979. p. 32.
- ^ "U.S. Amateur Results: 1895 to Present". USGA. February 15, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ Chmiel, David (August 18, 2015). "Mark O'Meara: U.S. Amateur Victory Provided Crucial Confidence". USGA. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ Wargo, Buck (June 5, 2020). "Golf champ Mark O'Meara buys Southern Highlands home". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ^ An Interview with: Mark O'Meara Archived October 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Glover, Tim (June 20, 1999). "Golf: First Night - Jarmo Sandelin: The maverick of the fairways Europe's newest Ryder Cup player will test the team ethic". Independent.
- ^ "O'Meara admits to possible misplacing". The Irish Times. April 30, 1998.
- ^ "O'Meara withdraws from Masters before 1st round". April 5, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
- ^ "Former champ Mark O'Meara to miss British Open". July 10, 2012.[dead link]
- ^ "Owen nets BBC sports award". BBC. December 14, 1998. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Mark O'Meara at the PGA Tour official site
- Mark O'Meara at the European Tour official site
- Mark O'Meara at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- Mark O'Meara at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- The official Mark O'Meara Design web site
- American male golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- PGA Tour Champions golfers
- Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
- Winners of men's major golf championships
- Winners of senior major golf championships
- World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
- Golfers from North Carolina
- Golfers from California
- Golfers from Texas
- BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year winners
- California State University, Long Beach alumni
- Mission Viejo High School alumni
- Sportspeople from Goldsboro, North Carolina
- 1957 births
- Living people