Nothing beats getting together with your brother(s) and enjoying a round of golf on a beautiful (or even a not-so-beautiful) day – especially when both of your scorecards are clean and your swings are on point. The only thing that would make those outings sweeter is if you were both competing on the PGA Tour.
Considering roughly 67 million people play golf around the world (26 million in the United States), it takes some extreme skill to be one of the few hundred that get the opportunity to play on the PGA Tour every year. Not only that, but then you have to go on to win at least one of the 47 PGA Tour events each year.
It’s hard enough for one sibling to make it to the PGA Tour and appear in an event, let alone win an event on the PGA Tour, but to have two or more brothers all find success on the PGA Tour is rare. At that point, hats off to the parents because they’re obviously doing something right – they’re the real MVPs, after all.
Throughout the history of the PGA Tour, which dates back to 1916, there have only been 12 instances where two or more brothers have each collected a win on the PGA Tour. While it’s not uncommon to see brothers play on the tour, a very strong majority of those brothers will never get to experience winning.
It’s something we hope to see from several sets of brothers playing on the PGA Tour today – for example, Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick. While Matt has already secured two wins on the tour, his younger brother hasn’t – though he did just secure his first professional win on the Challenge Tour on August 6.
Wesley Bryan and George Bryan are two other popular brothers who play professional golf today. While Wesley secured his first and only win on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage in 2017, his older brother has only competed in 2 PGA Tour events and 6 Korn Ferry events – missing the cut in all six of those events.
While we await the next set of brothers to win on the PGA Tour, let’s take a look back at the 12 instances where two or more brothers each won on the PGA Tour!
Between 1896 and 1914, seven Turnesa brothers were born – all of whom went on to play professional golf and four of whom went on to win at the professional level. Phil Turnesa, who was the oldest of the brothers and was a home pro at Elmwood Country Club, earned his first and only PGA Tour win in 1932.
Joe Turnesa was the third-oldest and the most successful brother – having won 14 times on the PGA Tour between 1924 and 1933. Eight of those wins came in a four-year span between 1924 and 1927. He never won a major title, but was runner-up at the 1926 U.S. Open and 1927 PGA Championship.
Mike Turnesa was the fourth-oldest brother and secured six wins of his own on the PGA Tour – including three wins in 1932. He never won a major, but was runner-up at the 1948 PGA Championship. He and his grandson, Marc Turnesa, are the only grandfather-grandson duo to both secure a win on the PGA Tour.
Jim Turnesa was the second-youngest brother and only had two wins on the PGA Tour, but had 11 total wins as a professional. He won the Reading Open in 1951 and was the only Turnesa brother to win a major championship in his career – beating Chick Harbert by one stroke at the 1952 PGA Championship.
— UoD Archives & RM (@UoD_Archives_RM) July 22, 2023
Willie Smith, Alex Smith, and Macdonald Smith were members of a famous Scottish golf family who rose to prominence in the early 1900s. Between the three of them, they’ve won a total of 40 events as a professional – some of which came before the PGA Tour was the PGA Tour we know and love today.
Alex was the eldest of the three brothers and the only one to win more than one major championship. He had eight wins as a professional, but his two biggest wins came at the U.S. Open in 1906 and 1910. He had 11 top-5 finishes at the U.S. Open between 1898 and 1921, and was runner-up on three occasions.
Willie was the next oldest of the three, but the least successful in terms of professional wins – he had just three during his pro career. His biggest win came at the 1899 U.S. Open – making him the first Smith brother to win a major. He also won the 1899 Western Open (inaugural) and 1900 California State Open.
Macdonald was the younger of the three brothers, but was by far the most successful – having secured 29 wins as a professional (25 of which on the PGA Tour). While he never won a major, he was in a three-way playoff at the 1910 U.S. Open – he finished third and his brother, Alex, ended up winning it.
3. Tom Kerrigan and George Kerrigan
There are 9⃣8⃣ days until @TheMasters starts. The most relations in any Masters came in the very first edition with brothers Al and Abe Espinosa, George and Tom Kerrigan and Joe, Mike and Willie Turnesa all playing in the 1934 inaugural. pic.twitter.com/gwgTZ9fO7Y
Tom Kerrigan was born in 1895 and learned to play golf as a caddie in his youth. He spent the majority of his career as a club professional at Siwanoy Country Club and was best known for his long drives. He ended his career with four wins on the PGA Tour – including the 1920 Westchester Open by six strokes.
His younger brother, George Kerrigan, was born in 1899 and learned to play golf as a caddie at the Wollaston Golf Club. He won the Florida Open and St. Augustine Open in 1922 – both of which are the equivalent of PGA Tour events today. He was also the winner of the Massachusetts Open in 1922.
Neither of the two brothers won a major championship, but Tom Kerrigan had a top-ten finish at the 1915 U.S. Open and a third-place finish at the 1921 The Open Championship. George Kerrigan played in five majors (three U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship, and a Masters) but didn’t have much success.
4. Al Espinosa and Abe Espinosa
Happy #CincodeMayo, today we honor two of golf's early Hispanic-American brothers, Abe & Al Espinosa, who achieved success on the PGA Tour. pic.twitter.com/ft8ZKFOhUD
Abe Espinosa was born in 1889 and was a club professional in Oakland, Chicago, and Louisiana. He secured three wins on the PGA Tour – the 1928 Western Open, 1928 Chicago Open Championship, and 1931 Texas Open – and also won the 1931 Illinois PGA Championship (not an official PGA Tour event).
His younger brother, Al Espinosa, was born in 1891 and had a much more successful career than Abe. He retired with 20 wins as a professional – nine of which came on the PGA Tour. He won the Ohio Open in back-to-back years in 1932 and 1933. He also won the Mexican Open (non-PGA Tour) four times.
Neither of the Espinosa brothers won a major championship, but both came close. Abe had two top-five finishes at the PGA Championship and a 7th-place finish at the U.S. Open. Al was a runner-up at the 1928 PGA Championship and was the runner-up at the U.S. Open the following year (in 1929).
Ray Mangrum was born in 1910 and began his career in the 1920s as a club professional in Dallas – he later became the head professional at Cliff-Dale Country Club. He secured seven wins as a professional – five of which came on the PGA Tour and the other two came at the Pennsylvania Open Championship.
His younger brother, Lloyd Mangrum, served as his assistant at Cliff-Dale Country Club before embarking on an iconic PGA Tour career that included 36 wins – he currently ranks No. 14 in all-time wins. He won seven events during the 1948 season and a total of 20 events between 1948 and 1951.
Ray Mangrum never won a major championship, but had top-ten finishes at the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, and U.S. Open. On the other hand, Lloyd Mangrum won the 1946 U.S. Open and was a two-time runner-up at the Masters (1940 and 1949). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
6. Jay Hebert and Lionel Hebert
Jay Herbert, who won the 1960 PGA Championship just three years after his brother, Lionel, won the Wanamaker Trophy – strange but true. pic.twitter.com/ITsZcXLDSu
Jay Hebert was born in 1923 who spent several years as a member of the United States’ Marine Corps before playing college golf at LSU. He went on to play professionally and secured 10 wins as a pro – seven of which came on the PGA Tour (he almost had 8, but lost in a playoff at the 1956 Western Open).
His younger brother, Lionel Hebert, was born in 1928 and played college golf at Southwestern Louisiana and Louisiana State before turning professional in 1950. He went on to win five times on the PGA Tour between 1957 and 1966, and almost made it six before losing the 1956 St. Petersburg Open in a playoff.
Jay Hebert never competed in The Open, but won the 1960 PGA Championship and had top-ten finishes at the Masters (four times) and U.S. Open (twice). Lionel was also a PGA Championship winner (in 1957) and had four top-ten finishes at the Masters. Lionel also played on Team USA at the 1957 Ryder Cup.
Dave Hill was born in 1937 and played college golf at the University of Detroit before turning professional in 1958. He retired with 25 wins as a professional – including 13 wins on the PGA Tour and six on PGA Tour Champions. He was a two-time winner at the Memphis Open and Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.
His younger brother, Mike Hill, was born in 1939 and played college golf at Arizona State University before turning professional in 1967. He retired with 27 wins as a professional – three on the PGA Tour and 18 on the PGA Tour Champions. His first PGA Tour win was at the Doral-Eastern Open in 1970.
Neither brother won a major title during their career, but Dave Hill had two top-ten finishes at the Masters, was runner-up at the 1970 U.S. Open, and had three top-ten finishes at the PGA Championship – tied-3rd in 1974. Mike Hill never finished inside the top-ten, but was tied-11th at the 1974 PGA Championship.
Don Massengale was born in 1937 and played college golf at Texas Christian University (TCU) before turning professional in 1960. He retired with eight wins as a professional – including two wins on the PGA Tour (Bing Crosby National Pro-Am and the Canadian Open) and two more on the PGA Tour Champions.
His younger brother, Rik Massengale, was born in 1947 and played college golf at the University of Texas before turning professional in 1969. He retired with three wins as a pro – all of which coming on the PGA Tour. He won the Tallahassee Open, Greater Hartford Open, and Bob Hope Desert Classic.
Neither brother won a major championship, but Don Massengale came close as the runner-up at the 1967 PGA Championship – he lost in a playoff. Rik Massengale also came close to a major win, finishing in a tie for third place at the 1977 Masters Tournament. Don passed away in 2007, but Rik is still alive today.
Joe Inman was born in 1947 and played golf at Wake Forest University before turning professional in 1972. He retired with five professional wins to his name – including one win on the PGA Tour and three wins on the PGA Tour Champions. His lone PGA Tour win was by one stroke at the 1976 Kemper Open.
His younger brother, John Inman, was born in 1962 and played college golf at the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He had two wins during his PGA Tour career – winning the Providen Classic by one stroke in Aug. 1987 and the Buick Southern Open in a playoff in Oct. 1993.
As far as major championships go, Joe Inman had the more successful career – though neither of the two brothers ever won. Joe had one top-ten finish (tied-9th) at the 1978 Masters Tournament and four top-20 finishes at the U.S. Open. John, on the other hand, had just one top-15 finish at the U.S. Open.
10. Danny Edwards and David Edwards
Three of our finest – Scott Verplank, David Edwards and Danny Edwards –– will be inducted into the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame Nov. 21 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
Danny Edwards was born in 1951 and played college golf at Oklahoma State University before turning professional in 1973. He earned nine wins as a professional – five of which came on the PGA Tour. He was a two-time winner of the Greater Greensboro Open and did so five years apart (1977 and 1982).
His younger brother, David Edwards, was born in 1956 and played college golf at Oklahoma State University (like his brother) before turning professional in 1978. He earned seven wins as a professional – four of which came on the PGA Tour. His highest ever world ranking was No. 25 on May 30, 1993.
While neither brother won a major championship, they both have on top-five major finish in their careers. Danny finished tied-5th at the 1974 The Open Championship, while David finished tied-3rd at the 1984 Masters Tournament. It’s also the only time the brothers finished in the top-10 in a major championship.
11. Tom Byrum and Curt Byrum
“I’m excited to be back in my home state playing golf.”
Curt Byrum was born in 1958 and played college golf at the University of New Mexico before turning professional in 1982. He has five pro wins in his career – including one win on the PGA Tour at the 1989 Hardee’s Golf Classic. His highest world ranking was No. 64, which he achieved on May 8, 1988.
His younger brother, Tom Byrum,was born in 1960 and played college golf at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University before turning pro in 1984. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and has one win in his PGA Tour career – the 1989 Kemper Open by five strokes in 1989.
While neither brother won a major championship in their careers, Tom Byrum has two top-ten finishes to his name. He finished in sole ninth place at the 1997 PGA Championship and was tied-8th place at the 2002 U.S. Open. His older brother’s best major finish came at the 1987 PGA Championship (tied-14th).
Brad Bryant was born in 1954 and played college golf at the University of New Mexico before turning professional in 1976. He currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions and has six wins during his pro career – including one win on the PGA Tour at the 1995 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic.
Bart Bryant was born in 1962 and played college golf at New Mexico State University before turning professional in 1986. He had eight wins in his pro career, including three wins on the PGA Tour and two on the PGA Tour Champions. One of his PGA Tour wins came during the 2005 The Tour Championship.
Neither brother had much success at the major level. Brad’s best finish was tied-13th at the 1995 U.S. Open, while Bart’s best finish was tied-23rd at the 2005 The Open Championship. Bart Brant tragically passed away on May 31, 2022 at the age of 59 after being involved in a fatal car accident in Florida.
Who Are the Best Father-Son Duos in PGA Tour History?
Now that we’ve marveled at some of the greatest sibling success stories on the PGA Tour, it only feels right to highlight some of the best father-son duos in PGA Tour history. It’s something that has happened 10 times in the history of the PGA Tour – which means it’s even more rare than two brothers winning.
Tom Morris Sr. and Tom Morris Jr. were the first father-son duo to both secure a win – Sr. won the 1861 The Open Championship, while Jr. won The Open Championsip seven years later. Willie Park (who won The Open in 1860) and his son, Willie Park Jr. (who won the 1887 The Open Championship) were next.
The 8 other father-son duos to win are Joe Kirkwood Sr. and Joe Kirkwood, Jack Burke Sr. and Jack Burke Jr, Clayton Heafner and Vance Heafner, Julius Boros and Guy Boros, Al Geiberger and Brent Geiberger, Jay Haas and Bill Haas, Craig Stadler and Kevin Stadler, and Bob Tway and Kevin Tway.
Only 15 Left-Handed Golfers Have Ever Won on the PGA Tour — Who Are They?
Did you know that only about 10% of the world population is left-handed? It’s a statistic that might not come as a surprise to golfers, considering only about 5 to 7 percent of golfers are left-handed and there are only a handful of left-handed golfers on the PGA Tour today – they’re certainly the minority in golf.
You can’t say the same about left-handed athletes in other sports. For example, the NHL estimates that roughly 60-70% of professional hockey players shoot left-handed. And while left-handed baseball players are a minority in the MLB, they still make up 25% of the league – more than twice the global average.
While those numbers are subject to change on a yearly basis, one thing never seems to fail and that’s the lack of left-handed representation on the PGA Tour. Of course, that lack of representation makes it that much more exciting when we finally see a left-handed golfer win – we’re looking at you, Brian Harman.
Which Left-Handed Golfers Have Won on the PGA Tour?
via Shutterstock (Tony Bowler)
In honor of International Lefthanders Day – which is observed annually on August 13 and celebrates the few and proud left-handed individuals in the world – we’re highlighting some of the greatest left-handed golfers to ever step foot on a golf course. They’re the few and the proud, but they deserve recognition.
More specifically, we’re highlighting the 15 – yes, there’s only 15 – left-handed golfers who have won on the PGA Tour since its inception in 1929. They not only defied the odds, but they proved that left-handed golfers can find success on some of golf’s biggest stages – no matter how much people doubt them.
Of the 15 left-handed golfers to win on the PGA Tour, only seven of them have one more than once and only two of them have double-digit wins on the tour. Of course, there’s one left-handed golfer, in particular, who has been in a league of his own with 45 career wins on the PGA Tour – do you know who it is?
Without further ado, let’s put your knowledge to the test and see how many of the 15 left-handed golfers to win on the PGA Tour you can name.
Akshay Bhatia is a 21-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 2019. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came just a few weeks ago at the 2023 Barracuda Championship – he defeated Patrick Rodgers after the first playoff hole to win $684,000. There’s a good chance he wins again in the future.
Bhatia won two silver medals (individual and team) at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games before turning professional the following year. He has five wins as a professional, including a win at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic (Korn Ferry Tour) in January 2022. At just 21, he has his whole career ahead of him.
14. Garrick Higgo – 1 win
Garrick Higgo, the first player since 1988 to win their first regular PGA TOUR start. pic.twitter.com/SV0mwybuLb
Garrick Higgo is a 24-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 2019. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on June 13, 2021 at the Palmetto Championship – a one-time event that replaced the RBC Canadian Open in 2021. Higgo won with a score of -11, beating six other golfers by one stroke.
While Higgo only has one win on the PGA Tour, he has two wins on the Sunshine Tour (where he was named Rookie of the Year in 2019-20) and three wins on the European Tour – including the 2020 Open de Portugal, the 2021 Gran Canaria Lopesan Open, and the 2021 Canary Islands Championship.
Cody Gribble is a 32-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 2013. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on October 30, 2016 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He won $1.422 million and had a score of 268 (-20) – beating Chris Kirk, Luke List, and Greg Owen by four strokes.
Gribble still plays on the PGA Tour (past champion status) and also plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, but his win at Sanderson Farms remains his only win as a pro – not just on the PGA Tour. He has only appeared in four majors and his best finish was tied-21st at the 2014 U.S. Open – he was 14 strokes off the lead.
12. Eric Axley – 1 win
Eric Axley’s PGA Tour career is a proper one.
202 starts, 1 Win Beat Justin Rose, Anthony Kim and Dean Wilson by 3 shots to win the 2006 Texas Open at LaCantera
Eric Axley is a 49-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1997. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came at the 2006 Valero Texas Open (La Cantera Golf Club). He earned $720,000 for the win and had a score of 265 (-15) – beating Anthony Kim, Justin Rose, and Dean Wilson by 3 strokes.
Axley doesn’t compete on the PGA Tour anymore, but has since moved on to the Korn Ferry Tour – where he won the 2005 Rex Hospital Open and 2018 North Mississippi Classic. And while he has only made the cut in two of his eight major appearances, his best finish was tied-9th at the 2008 U.S. Open.
— Barracuda Championship (@CudaChamp) July 4, 2016
Greg Chalmers is a 49-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1995. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on July 3, 2016 at the Barracuda Championship – he was 42 years old. He earned $576,000 for the win and finished with a score of 43 points – defeating Gary Woodland by six points.
Chalmers has 11 wins as a professional, including five wins on the PGA Tour Australasia, two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, and one win on the Challenge Tour. His highest world ranking was No. 53 in September 2012 and his best major finish was tied-4th at the 2000 PGA Championship – he lost by six strokes.
Ernie Gonzalez was a left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1983 and passed away in 2020. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on October 12, 1986 at the Pensacola Open – he defeated Joey Sindelar by one stroke with a score of 128 (-14). The tournament was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.
When Gonzalez won that tournament, he became the first left-handed golfer to win on the PGA Tour since Bob Charles in 1974. He was good friends with Phil Mickelson – the greatest left-handed golfer of all-time – and was 59 years old when he died after suffering from complications to Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Russ Cochran – 1 win
Congrats to Russ Cochran for being named to the @UKAthletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018. He was an All-SEC selection for the Cats and a champion on the PGA Tour. Very well-deserved honor for Russ.
Russ Cochran is a 64-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1979 and he currently competes on the PGA Tour Champions. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on July 7, 1991 at the Centel Western Open – he finished with a score of 275 (-13) and beat Greg Norman by two strokes.
Aside from his one win on the PGA Tour, Cochran has five wins on the PGA Tour Champions and 11 wins total since turning professional. His highest world ranking was No. 64 in June 1992 and he has two top-10 major finishes to his name – both at the PGA Championship (tied-10th in 1984 and tied-7th in 1992).
8. Sam Adams – 1 win
Shout-out to Boone, NC, golf legend & former @PGATOUR player Sam Adams who won the 1973 Quad Cities Golf Classic (now the John Deere Classic) 50 years ago! Sam, the first 🇺🇸 left-hander to win on the PGA Tour, will hit the ceremonial first tee shot Thurs at 6:30am! pic.twitter.com/0Maz5eu5DE
— Carolinas Golf Assoc (@CGAgolf1909) July 5, 2023
Sam Adams is a 77-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1969, but doesn’t compete anymore. His first and only win on the PGA Tour came on September 30, 1973 at the Quad Cities Open – where he finished with a 268 (-16) and defeated Dwight Nevil and Kermit Zarley by three strokes.
With his win, Adams became the first American lefty to win on the PGA Tour – he almost achieved it sooner as the runner-up at the 1972 Canadian Open. Aside from his lone win on Tour, he also won the 1975 North Carolina Open and 2000 Tennessee PGA Championship. He still plays, but not professionally.
Ted Potter Jr. is a 39-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 2002 and still competes on the PGA Tour – he only made the cut in three of his eight appearances this season. He has two career wins on the Tour, including the 2012 Greenbrier Classic and the 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Potter Jr. has more than 19 wins since turning professional – including two on the Korn Ferry Tour, two on the Nationwide Tour, and 12 on the NGA Hooters Tour. He hasn’t had much success in majors and only made the cut in two of his eight appearances – his best finish was tied-60 at The Open Championship.
6. Brian Harman – 3 wins
Brian Harman claims The Open Championship!
He becomes the first U.S.-born golfer to win the tournament by at least six strokes since Tiger Woods in 2000 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WZMDYJD7IX
Brian Harman is a 36-year-old left-handed golfer who turned pro in 2009 and still competes on the PGA Tour. He has three wins on the PGA Tour – including the biggest win of his career at the 2023 The Open Championship. It was his first major win and best major finish since being tied-2 at the 2017 U.S. Open.
Harman made history with the win, becoming just the fourth PGA Tour golfer to win a major. His win also came on the same day Akshay Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship – marking the first time two left-handed golfers won on the same day. If he keeps playing like this, he’ll likely win again on the Tour.
5. Steve Flesch – 4 wins
PLAYER PROFILE: @Steve_Flesch made his @ChampionsTour debut in May 2017 & has since racked up 13 top-10 finishes, including a win in 2018 and 3rd place in 2019 at the #AllyChallenge. Fun fact: Flesch learned to play golf right-handed, but later switched to his natural left side. pic.twitter.com/0LrRGCnY5H
Steve Flesch is a 56-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1990 – he still competes on the PGA Tour (where he has 4 career wins) and PGA Tour Champions (where he has 3 career wins). He also has one win on the Korn Ferry Tour, one on the Asia Golf Circuit, and won the Kentucky Open twice.
His first win on the PGA Tour came on May 4, 2003 at the HP Classic of New Orleans and his second win came on May 23, 2004 at the Bank of America Colonial. He added two more PGA Tour wins in 2007 – winning the Reno-Tahoe Open on August 5th and Turning Stone Resort Championship on September 23.
Bob Charles is an 87-year-old former left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1960 and earned himself six wins on the PGA Tour between 1963 and 1974. He’s one of four left-handed golfers to win a major championship – defeating Phil Rodgers in a 36-hole playoff at the 1963 The Open Championship.
Charles won one other event in 1963 – the Houston Classic just three months prior to his major win. His four other wins on the PGA Tour came at the 1965 Tucson Open Invitational, 1967 Atlanta Classic, 1968 Canadian Open, and 1974 Greater Greensboro Open. He also has 25 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.
3. Mike Weir – 8 wins
#OTD in 2003 Canadian Mike Weir wins the Masters, the first Canadian and the first left-hander to win the tournament. #golfpic.twitter.com/LhTI2ydJYB
Mike Weir is a 53-year-old left-handed golfer who turned professional in 1992 and still competes on the PGA Tour (where he has eight wins) and PGA Tour Champions (where he has one win). His biggest win came at the 2003 Masters Tournament (his sixth win on the PGA Tour and first major win of his career).
He had two other wins in 2003 – the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Nissan Open (a win he defended the following year). He also has wins at the 1999 Air Canada Championship, the 2000 WGC-American Express Championship, the 2001 The Tour Championship, and the 2007 Fry’s Electronics Open.
2. Bubba Watson – 12 wins
Bubba Watson once said he'd retire if he ever got to 10 #PGATour wins, but the 12-time champ isn't retiring anytime soon.
Bubba Watson is a 44-year-old left-handed golfer who turned pro in 2002 and currently competes on the LIV Golf. He joined the PGA Tour in 2006 and ended up winning 12 times between 2010 and 2018 – including three wins in 2014 and three more in 2018. He’s a two-time winner at the Masters (2012, 2014).
In addition to his two major wins, Watson is a three-time winner at the Genesis Open and a three-time winner at the Travelers Championship. His four other wins came at the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open, 2011 Zurich Classic, 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions, and 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
— Boris Santos Gómez Úzqueda (@BorisSGomezU) May 24, 2021
Phil Mickelson is a 53-year-old left-handed golfer who turned pro in 1992 and currently competes on the LIV Golf tour. He joined the PGA Tour right out of college thanks to his win at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open – making him one of a few golfers to ever win on the PGA Tour as an amateur. Quite impressive!
His 45 wins on the PGA Tour between 1991 and 2021 currently ranks tied-8th all-time. He’s a six-time major winner, two-time World Golf Championships winner, two-time The Tour Championship winner, 2007 The Players Championship winner, and 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship. There aren’t many better!
Has a PGA Tour Event Ever Had a Left-Handed Winner and Runner-Up?
Left-handed golfers make up the few and proud on the PGA Tour and are almost always overshadowed by their right-handed counterparts, but the 15 golfers listed above helped re-write that narrative. With that said, you might be wondering if there has ever been a lefty winner and runner-up in the same event.
There has been! In fact, there have been three such instances – the first coming at the 2005 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which saw Phil Mickelson win and Mike Weir earn second place. What should come as no surprise, Mickelson was a part of the other two such instances in 2011 and 2018.
The 2011 Farmers Insurance Open saw Bubba Watson win and Phil Mickelson place second, while the 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am saw Ted Porter Jr. win and Mickelson place second. Considering it has been five years since it happened last, one has to wonder when it’ll happen again – if it’ll happen again…
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