J. B. Holmes
Encyclopedia
John Bradley "J.B." Holmes (born April 26, 1982) is an American
professional golf
er.
, the seat of Taylor County
, in central Kentucky
. Holmes began to play on the varsity golf team at Taylor County High School in Campbellsville when he was in the third grade. He suffered a mild form of dyslexia
when in school. Holmes childhood friend, Brandon Parsons, is his caddy.
While in high school he played on the Pepsi Junior Golf Tour. He attended the University of Kentucky
, helping to achieve SEC Title while there, and represented the United States in the 2005 Walker Cup
before turning professional later that year.
Qualifying Tournament
. He tied for tenth in his first PGA Tour start at the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii
and in February that year he won the FBR Open
, making him the fastest golfer to reach $1,000,000 in career earnings on the PGA Tour. It was his fifth tournament as a professional and his fourth on the PGA Tour.
After this victory his form fell away, and this continued in 2007 when he made only 2 top ten finishes and ended the year in 118th place on the money list.
On February 3, 2008, Holmes won the FBR Open for the second Tour win of his career and also captured the tournament title for the second time in three years. Starting the final round with a four shot lead, on the 18th tee he was one shot behind Phil Mickelson
. Holmes birdied the 18th to force a play-off and then defeated Mickelson on the first playoff hole (the 18th) by making a six-foot birdie putt after a 359 yard drive. This victory took Holmes to 62nd in the Official World Golf Rankings
and in April 2008 he reached the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time.
and Bubba Watson
, is known for hitting the ball long distances, in excess of 300 yards (312.7 yards, ranking him number 2 in driving distance, only 6 yards behind the leader, Watson). As such, he plays courses by routinely hitting his driver
as far as he can, reminiscent of John Daly
's "Grip it and Rip It" philosophy, and using his distance advantage to put him closer to the green and in position for a wedge or short iron to the green. While the style of play is not new, many critics have complained that J.B. Holmes's style has ushered in a new wave of golfers dedicated to smashing the ball as far as they can, assisted by the newer golf equipment offered by golf club companies and hacking the ball out of the rough onto the green, effectively eliminating the equalizing effect that the sport of golf usually affords shorter, accurate hitters.
, Holmes defeated Europe's Søren Hansen
2&1 during Sunday's singles matches to bring the United States within one point of clinching the Ryder Cup. Jim Furyk
would later defeat Miguel Ángel Jiménez
on the 17th hole to clinch the Ryder Cup. Holmes and another Ryder Cup teammate, Kenny Perry
, were named Kentuckians of the Year for 2008 by Kentucky Monthly
magazine.
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Early life
Holmes was born in CampbellsvilleCampbellsville, Kentucky
Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University...
, the seat of Taylor County
Taylor County, Kentucky
Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county...
, in central Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Holmes began to play on the varsity golf team at Taylor County High School in Campbellsville when he was in the third grade. He suffered a mild form of dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
when in school. Holmes childhood friend, Brandon Parsons, is his caddy.
While in high school he played on the Pepsi Junior Golf Tour. He attended the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, helping to achieve SEC Title while there, and represented the United States in the 2005 Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
before turning professional later that year.
PGA Tour
Holmes won the 2005 PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
Qualifying Tournament
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
. He tied for tenth in his first PGA Tour start at the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii
Sony Open in Hawaii
The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held...
and in February that year he won the FBR Open
FBR Open
The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament, a part of the PGA Tour, held at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January...
, making him the fastest golfer to reach $1,000,000 in career earnings on the PGA Tour. It was his fifth tournament as a professional and his fourth on the PGA Tour.
After this victory his form fell away, and this continued in 2007 when he made only 2 top ten finishes and ended the year in 118th place on the money list.
On February 3, 2008, Holmes won the FBR Open for the second Tour win of his career and also captured the tournament title for the second time in three years. Starting the final round with a four shot lead, on the 18th tee he was one shot behind Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
. Holmes birdied the 18th to force a play-off and then defeated Mickelson on the first playoff hole (the 18th) by making a six-foot birdie putt after a 359 yard drive. This victory took Holmes to 62nd in 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...
and in April 2008 he reached the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time.
Style of play
Holmes, along with fellow 2006 rookies such as Camilo VillegasCamilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child...
and Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson
Gerry "Bubba" Watson is an American professional golfer. Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers on tour and is known for his tremendous length. The longest driver on the PGA Tour, in 2007 he had an average drive of 315.2 yards and is capable of generating a ball speed of 194 mph, being...
, is known for hitting the ball long distances, in excess of 300 yards (312.7 yards, ranking him number 2 in driving distance, only 6 yards behind the leader, Watson). As such, he plays courses by routinely hitting his driver
Golf club (equipment)
A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
as far as he can, reminiscent of John Daly
John Daly (golfer)
John Patrick Daly is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Daly is known primarily for his driving distance off the tee , his non-country club appearance and attitude, and his rough-and-tumble personal life. Daly remains one of the most popular and intriguing figures on the PGA Tour...
's "Grip it and Rip It" philosophy, and using his distance advantage to put him closer to the green and in position for a wedge or short iron to the green. While the style of play is not new, many critics have complained that J.B. Holmes's style has ushered in a new wave of golfers dedicated to smashing the ball as far as they can, assisted by the newer golf equipment offered by golf club companies and hacking the ball out of the rough onto the green, effectively eliminating the equalizing effect that the sport of golf usually affords shorter, accurate hitters.
2008 Ryder Cup
In the 2008 Ryder Cup2008 Ryder Cup
The 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
, Holmes defeated Europe's Søren Hansen
Søren Hansen
Søren Hansen is a Danish professional golfer.Hansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He won the 1997 Danish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and turned professional later that year....
2&1 during Sunday's singles matches to bring the United States within one point of clinching the Ryder Cup. Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
would later defeat Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Miguel Angel Jiménez
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:...
on the 17th hole to clinch the Ryder Cup. Holmes and another Ryder Cup teammate, Kenny Perry
Kenny Perry
James Kenneth Perry is an American professional golfer who currently plays on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, for which he became eligible following his 50th birthday.-Early years:...
, were named Kentuckians of the Year for 2008 by Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly is a general interest regional magazine about the U.S. state of Kentucky and Kentuckians. Founded in 1998 by Stephen M. Vest, publisher, Michael Embry, editor, and business manager Kay Vest, it featured actor George Clooney on its first cover and has featured such Kentucky...
magazine.
PGA Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 5, 2006 2006 PGA Tour The 2006 PGA Tour was the last season of the PGA Tour before the major reorganization of the season brought about by the introduction of the FedEx Cup in 2007. After being challenged by Phil Mickelson in the first half of the year, when Mickelson won his second straight major at the Masters and was... |
FBR Open FBR Open The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament, a part of the PGA Tour, held at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January... |
7 strokes |  J. J. Henry, Steve LowerySteve Lowery Stephen Brent Lowery is an American professional golfer.Lowery was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He has PGA Tour victories in 1994, 2000 and 2008. All three of his victories on the PGA Tour have come in playoffs.... , Ryan PalmerRyan Palmer Ryan Palmer is a chess player of Jamaican origin; he was the Jamaican National Champion in 1992. During the academic years of 2004-2007, he taught mathematics at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire, and now has moved to the United States, to pursue further studies... , Scott VerplankScott Verplank Scott Rachal Verplank is an American professional golfer.Verplank was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He was a leading member of the W.T. White High School Golf Team and a regular at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas... ,  Camilo VillegasCamilo Villegas Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child... |
|
| 2 | Feb 3, 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... |
FBR Open FBR Open The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament, a part of the PGA Tour, held at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January... |
Playoff | Phil Mickelson Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
PGA Tour playoff record (1-1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | FBR Open FBR Open The Waste Management Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament, a part of the PGA Tour, held at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January... |
Phil Mickelson Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2009 | Shell Houston Open Shell Houston Open The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament... |
 Paul CaseyPaul Casey Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009 he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankings.... |
Lost to bogey on first extra hole |
Other wins (3)
- 2003 Kentucky OpenKentucky OpenThe Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association...
(as an amateur) - 2004 Kentucky OpenKentucky OpenThe Kentucky Open is the Kentucky state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Kentucky Golf Association...
(as an amateur) - 2010 CVS Caremark Charity Classic (with Ricky BarnesRicky BarnesRichard Kyle Barnes is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Barnes was born in Stockton, California. He played college golf at the University of Arizona...
)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T25 | 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 | T48 | DNP | CUT | T27 |
| 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 | CUT | DNP | CUT | 69 |
| 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 | T37 | DNP | T29 | WD |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 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... |
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... |
T14 | 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... |
T24 | WD |
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur- Walker CupWalker CupThe Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
: 20052005 Walker CupThe 40th Walker Cup Match was held between August 13 and August 14, 2005 at the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. Team United States won 12½ to 11½.-Format:...
(winner)
Professional
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
: 20082008 Ryder CupThe 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
(winner)