Ken Green
Encyclopedia
Kenneth J. Green is an American professional golfer
who has played on the PGA Tour
, the Nationwide Tour
and the Champions Tour
. Green has won eleven tournaments as a pro, including five PGA Tour events.
. He started playing golf
at age 12 in Honduras
, where his father, Martin "Marty" Green, was principal of the American school, and his only choices of sports were golf or soccer. He quit school at 16 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tour player.
for a year. He then received an athletic scholarship
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Buster Bishop
and coach John Darr's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1977 to 1979. Green was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1979.
, and his last was at the Kmart Greater Greensboro Open
in 1989. His best year in professional golf was 1988, when he won two events on the PGA Tour, as well as the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan
. His best finish in a major
was a seventh-place tie at the 1996 U.S. Open
. Green also played on the U.S. team in the 1989 Ryder Cup
.
During his time in professional golf, Green has had a reputation for rebelliousness and a propensity to pull stunts. He has had over two dozen fines levied by the PGA Tour
for his bad boy antics. Some of his antics included sneaking friends into The Masters in the trunk of his car, drinking beer
on the course while playing with Arnold Palmer
at the 1997 Masters, and hitting golf balls through narrow openings in sliding-glass doors. Other fines were for more mundane offenses like swearing on the course, criticizing officials, and signing autographs while playing. His personal problems–divorces, gambling, clinical depression
—led to near financial ruin, and affected his playing time and the quality of his play. In his 40s, Green had difficulty maintaining his PGA Tour playing privileges and was forced to play some on the Nationwide Tour.
He has sometimes played tournament rounds dressed in green from head to toe, shoes included.
. He is the father of two sons, Ken Jr. and Hunter. He is an avid bowler
who once rolled a 300 game.
In 2003, Green was reported to have jumped into a canal in Palm Beach County, Florida
to save his German Shepherd dog
, Nip, from the jaws of an alligator
.
In June 2009, Green was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident when his motor home left the road. Green was in his recreational vehicle traveling on Interstate 20
near Meridian, Mississippi
, when the right front tire blew, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and go down a deep embankment before hitting a tree. The accident killed the passengers: William Green, his brother; Jeanne Hodgin, his girlfriend; and his dog, Nip. Even though his lower right leg was amputated as a result of injuries suffered in the accident, Green vowed to return to competitive golf.
Green's estranged son Hunter died of a drug overdose in Dallas, Texas on January 22, 2010.
PGA Tour playoff record (0-2)
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. 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 has played 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...
, the Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
and the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
. Green has won eleven tournaments as a pro, including five PGA Tour events.
Early years
Green was born in Danbury, ConnecticutDanbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
. He started playing 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....
at age 12 in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, where his father, Martin "Marty" Green, was principal of the American school, and his only choices of sports were golf or soccer. He quit school at 16 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tour player.
College career
He later attended Palm Beach Junior College in Lake Worth, FloridaLake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, which takes its name from the body of water along its eastern border, originally called "Lake Worth", and now generally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. The lake itself was named for General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the last...
for a year. He then received an athletic scholarship
Athletic 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...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Buster Bishop
Buster Bishop
Bernays Emery "Buster" Bishop was an American college golf coach. Bishop was best known for leading the Florida Gators men's golf team of the University of Florida to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I championships in 1968 and 1973.- Early life and education :Bishop was born in...
and coach John Darr'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 1977 to 1979. Green was a second-team All-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) selection in 1979.
Professional career
Green turned pro in 1979 and joined the PGA Tour in 1980. He had five tournament victories on the PGA Tour; all five came in the mid to late 1980s. His first win came in 1985 at the Buick OpenBuick Open
The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship...
, and his last was at the Kmart Greater Greensboro Open
Chrysler Classic of Greensboro
The Wyndham Championship is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. and was originally called the Greater Greensboro Open. In 2007, the event was renamed the Wyndham Championship when Wyndham Hotels & Resorts took over from...
in 1989. His best year in professional golf was 1988, when he won two events on the PGA Tour, as well as the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His best finish in a major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was a seventh-place tie at the 1996 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...
. Green also played on the U.S. team in the 1989 Ryder Cup
1989 Ryder Cup
The 28th Ryder Cup Matches were held at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England . For only the second time, the competition ended in a draw at 14 to 14 points, but the European team retained the Cup since they had won it outright in 1987.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each...
.
During his time in professional golf, Green has had a reputation for rebelliousness and a propensity to pull stunts. He has had over two dozen fines levied by 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...
for his bad boy antics. Some of his antics included sneaking friends into The Masters in the trunk of his car, drinking beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
on the course while playing with Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
at the 1997 Masters, and hitting golf balls through narrow openings in sliding-glass doors. Other fines were for more mundane offenses like swearing on the course, criticizing officials, and signing autographs while playing. His personal problems–divorces, gambling, clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
—led to near financial ruin, and affected his playing time and the quality of his play. In his 40s, Green had difficulty maintaining his PGA Tour playing privileges and was forced to play some on the Nationwide Tour.
He has sometimes played tournament rounds dressed in green from head to toe, shoes included.
Personal life
Green lives in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. He is the father of two sons, Ken Jr. and Hunter. He is an avid bowler
Bowler (ten-pin)
A bowler is someone participating in the sport of bowling, either as an amateur or professional. In American ten-pin bowling, a bowler is most commonly a member of a team of three to six people...
who once rolled a 300 game.
In 2003, Green was reported to have jumped into a canal in Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
to save his German Shepherd dog
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
, Nip, from the jaws of an alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
.
In June 2009, Green was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident when his motor home left the road. Green was in his recreational vehicle traveling on Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
near Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, when the right front tire blew, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and go down a deep embankment before hitting a tree. The accident killed the passengers: William Green, his brother; Jeanne Hodgin, his girlfriend; and his dog, Nip. Even though his lower right leg was amputated as a result of injuries suffered in the accident, Green vowed to return to competitive golf.
Green's estranged son Hunter died of a drug overdose in Dallas, Texas on January 22, 2010.
PGA Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 18, 1985 1985 PGA Tour The 1985 PGA Tour season was played from January 10 to October 27. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Curtis Strange and Lanny Wadkins won the most tournaments, three, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed... |
Buick Open Buick Open The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship... |
4 strokes |  Wayne GradyWayne Grady Wayne Desmond Grady is an Australian professional golfer.Grady was born in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1978. He is best known for winning the PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors, in 1990. He was also runner up at The Open Championship in 1989, losing in a playoff against Greg... |
|
| 2 | Aug 18, 1986 1986 PGA Tour The 1986 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Bob Tway won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
The International The International (golf) The International was a professional golf tournament played from 1986 to 2006 at the Castle Pines Golf Club at Castle Pines Village in Castle Rock, Colorado. It had the distinction of being one of two PGA Tour events not conducted at traditional stroke play, the only other exception is the match... |
3 points |  Bernhard LangerBernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
|
| 3 | Sep 4, 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Canadian Open | 1 stroke |  Bill Glasson, 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... |
|
| 4 | Sep 11, 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Greater Milwaukee Open | 6 strokes | Mark Calcavecchia Mark Calcavecchia Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,... , Jim Gallagher, Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr. James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in... , Donnie HammondDonnie Hammond Donald William Hammond is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Champions Tour.... , Dan PohlDan Pohl Danny Joe Pohl is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Pohl was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. He attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he was a member of the school's golf team... |
|
| 5 | Apr 23, 1989 1989 PGA Tour The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
KMart Greater Greensboro Open | 2 strokes | John Huston |
PGA Tour playoff record (0-2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
KMart Greater Greensboro Open | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic |  Seve Ballesteros,  David FrostDavid Frost (golfer) David Laurence Frost is a South African professional golfer who has more than twenty professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents.... , Greg NormanGreg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
Ballesteros won with birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (6)
- 1985 King Hassan Open (Morocco), Connecticut OpenConnecticut OpenThis article is about the Connecticut Open; for information on the former Nationwide Tour event the New Haven Open, see New Haven Open.The Connecticut Open is the Connecticut state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Connecticut State Golf...
- 1987 Spalding Invitational
- 1988 Dunlop Phoenix (Japan Golf TourJapan Golf TourThe Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
) - 1990 Hong Kong OpenHong Kong Open (golf)The Hong Kong Open is a golf tournament which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. It was founded in 1959 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 2001...
- 1992 Connecticut OpenConnecticut OpenThis article is about the Connecticut Open; for information on the former Nationwide Tour event the New Haven Open, see New Haven Open.The Connecticut Open is the Connecticut state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Connecticut State Golf...
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 44 | CUT | DNP | T11 |
| 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 | T26 | CUT | T60 | WD | T31 | T32 | T46 |
| 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 | T29 | DNP | T61 |
| 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 | T26 | CUT | CUT | WD |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | T35 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| 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 | WD | CUT | DNP | CUT | DNP | T7 | 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... |
CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T49 | 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 | T16 | WD | WD | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
See also
- 2002 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2002 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 38 players who earned their 2003 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2002.*Players in yellow were 2003 PGA Tour rookies.-2003 Results:T = Tied...
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
- List of Florida Gators golfers