Brian Gay
Encyclopedia
Joseph Brian Gay is an American professional golfer
who currently plays on the PGA Tour
.
, Gay was born in Fort Worth, Texas
, but was raised primarily at Fort Rucker
, Alabama
, where his father was a U.S. Army
noncomissioned officer involved in flight operations. His father was also a member of the All-Army golf team in his spare time. As an only child, Gay spent much of his youth at the Fort Rucker golf course, first at the practice area, then on the course. Encouraged by a group of military retirees he often played with, he dominated the local tournament scene as a tween.
to attend the University of Florida
, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander
's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1991 to 1994. During his time as a Gator golfer, the team won four consecutive Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championships (1991–1994), and the 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
. As a collegian, he was the SEC Freshman of the Year (1991), a five-time individual medalist, two-time SEC individual champion (1992, 1994), three-time first-team All-SEC selection (1992–1994), and two-time All-American (1992, 1993). Gay was later into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
in 2009. He won the event by ten strokes, finishing at 20-under par. The ten stroke victory is one of the biggest wins in the PGA Tour's history. His best position on the year-end money list is 13th in 2009. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings
.
Gay was not exempt to play in the 2009 U.S. Open
heading into the St. Jude Classic. He was one of seven golfers who could earn the last spot in the U.S. Open by winning the St. Jude Classic, using the "Winners of multiple PGA Tour events since the last Open" exemption. Gay went on to win by five strokes over David Toms
and Bryce Molder
for his second wire-to-wire win of the season.
Gay was mentioned frequently in Bud, Sweat and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour by Alan Shipnuck, which profiled Rich Beem
's rookie year on the PGA Tour. Steve Duplantis
, who became Gay's caddy following a split with Beem, was chronicled as well in Shipnuck's book.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who currently plays on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Early years
A military bratMilitary brat
A military brat describes people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent serve full-time in the armed forces, and can also refer to the unique subculture and lifestyle of American military brats, the term refers to both current and former children of such families.Lifestyle: The...
, Gay was born in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, but was raised primarily at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, where his father was a U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
noncomissioned officer involved in flight operations. His father was also a member of the All-Army golf team in his spare time. As an only child, Gay spent much of his youth at the Fort Rucker golf course, first at the practice area, then on the course. Encouraged by a group of military retirees he often played with, he dominated the local tournament scene as a tween.
College career
Gay's success as a teenager led to his receiving an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander
Buddy Alexander
Stewart Murray "Buddy" Alexander is an American college golf coach and former amateur golfer. Alexander is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's golf team of the University of Florida...
's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1991 to 1994. During his time as a Gator golfer, the team won four consecutive Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championships (1991–1994), and the 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
. As a collegian, he was the SEC Freshman of the Year (1991), a five-time individual medalist, two-time SEC individual champion (1992, 1994), three-time first-team All-SEC selection (1992–1994), and two-time All-American (1992, 1993). Gay was later into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.
Professional career
Gay turned pro in 1994 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999. He picked up his first win on tour at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun in 2008, with his second win coming at the Verizon HeritageVerizon Heritage
The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
in 2009. He won the event by ten strokes, finishing at 20-under par. The ten stroke victory is one of the biggest wins in the PGA Tour's history. His best position on the year-end money list is 13th in 2009. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
.
Gay was not exempt to play in the 2009 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
heading into the St. Jude Classic. He was one of seven golfers who could earn the last spot in the U.S. Open by winning the St. Jude Classic, using the "Winners of multiple PGA Tour events since the last Open" exemption. Gay went on to win by five strokes over David Toms
David Toms
David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship...
and Bryce Molder
Bryce Molder
Bryce Wade Molder is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Molder was born in Harrison, Arkansas and attended public school in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Conway, Arkansas...
for his second wire-to-wire win of the season.
Gay was mentioned frequently in Bud, Sweat and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour by Alan Shipnuck, which profiled Rich Beem
Rich Beem
Richard Michael Beem is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Beem was born in Phoenix, Arizona, grew up in El Paso, Texas, and played golf at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico....
's rookie year on the PGA Tour. Steve Duplantis
Steve Duplantis
Steve Duplantis was a pro golf caddy. He worked with several golfers until his death.-Career and personal life:Duplantis was born in Brampton in Canada...
, who became Gay's caddy following a split with Beem, was chronicled as well in Shipnuck's book.
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 24, 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun | 2 strokes |  Steve MarinoSteve Marino Stephen Paul Marino, Jr. is an American professional golfer, a member of the PGA Tour since 2007.-Early life, education, early golf:... |
|
| 2 | Apr 19, 2009 2009 PGA Tour The 2009 PGA Tour season ran from January 8 to November 15. The season consisted of 46 official money events, one of which was canceled. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.... |
Verizon Heritage Verizon Heritage The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina... |
10 strokes | Briny Baird Briny Baird Michael Jancey "Briny" Baird is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.Baird was born in Miami Beach, Florida. He played varsity golf in the 7th grade at Miami Country Day... ,  Luke DonaldLuke Donald Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he... |
|
| 3 | Jun 14, 2009 2009 PGA Tour The 2009 PGA Tour season ran from January 8 to November 15. The season consisted of 46 official money events, one of which was canceled. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.... |
St. Jude Classic | 5 strokes | Bryce Molder Bryce Molder Bryce Wade Molder is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Molder was born in Harrison, Arkansas and attended public school in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Conway, Arkansas... , David TomsDavid Toms David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | DNP | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | T22 | T53 | T51 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T20 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | T63 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T65 | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
See also
- 1999 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates1999 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduatesThis is a list of the 40 players who earned their 2000 PGA Tour card through Q School in 1999.*Players in yellow were 2000 PGA Tour rookies.-2000 Results:T = Tied...
- 2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 34 players who earned their 2004 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2003.*Players in yellow are 2004 PGA Tour rookies.-2004 Results:T = Tied...
- List of Florida Gators golfers
- List of University of Florida alumni