Russ Cochran
Encyclopedia
Russell Earl Cochran is an American
professional golfer
on the Champions Tour
who has played on the PGA Tour
and the Nationwide Tour
. He is one of eight left-handed players to win a PGA Tour event.
Cochran was born, raised and has lived most of his life in Paducah, Kentucky
. He grew up playing on Paxton Park Public Golf Course in Paducah, as did fellow PGA Tour player Kenny Perry
, who came along a couple years later. After graduating from St. Mary High School
in Paducah, he attended the University of Kentucky
and was a member of the golf
team. He turned pro in 1979 and joined the PGA Tour in 1982.
Cochran has about 60 top-10 finishes in official PGA Tour events including a victory at the 1991 Centel Western Open when he made up seven shots over eight holes to beat Greg Norman
. His career year was 1991, when in addition to his win at the Western Open, he had two second-place finishes—including a playoff loss to Craig Stadler
at the Tour Championship – and a third and finished 10th on the money list. His best finish in a major
was a tie for seventh at the 1992 PGA Championship
. Cochran set the Valhalla Golf Club
course record (65) in the third round of the 1996 PGA Championship
which stood until broken (63) in the same tournament four years later by José María Olazábal
. He played some on the Nationwide Tour in his mid-to-late 40s in preparation for the Champions Tour. His best Nationwide finish was a tie for third at the 2003 Chitimacha Louisiana Open
.
Cochran debuted on the Champions Tour with a tie for seventh at the Allianz Championship
on February 15, 2009, at Boca Raton, Florida
. He finished third at the U.S. Senior Open on August 2, 2009, at Carmel, Indiana
, setting the Crooked Stick Golf Club
course record with a third-round score of 8-under par 64. He ended the year by winning the Rookie of the Year award. In 2010, he earned his first victory on the Champions Tour, defeating Fred Funk
on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff in the Posco E&C Songdo Championship
in South Korea
, and followed that up with another win in the tour's next event, the SAS Championship
in North Carolina
.
Cochran won his maiden senior major championship at the 2011 Senior British Open Championship
at Walton Heath. Cochran finished two strokes ahead of the third round leader Mark Calcavecchia
. He shot a final round 67 which included six birdies in the first ten holes to open up a five stroke advantage. Despite a large charge by Calcavecchia, Cochran parred the last four holes and held on for a two stroke victory. Afterwards Cochran claimed having his son on the bag was a factor in his success. "It feels great, I had my son (Reed) on the bag, I told him I was going to work hard and come away with something good and I think he was the lucky charm."
Cochran and his wife, Jackie, have four children: three sons and a daughter. His oldest son, Ryan, played golf at the University of Florida
and aspires to play professionally like his father.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
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;...
on 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...
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...
and 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...
. He is one of eight left-handed players to win a PGA Tour event.
Cochran was born, raised and has lived most of his life in Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. He grew up playing on Paxton Park Public Golf Course in Paducah, as did fellow PGA Tour player 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:...
, who came along a couple years later. After graduating from St. Mary High School
St. Mary High School (Paducah, Kentucky)
St. Mary High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Paducah, Kentucky. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, and is part of the St. Mary School System, which also includes elementary and middle schools.-Background:...
in Paducah, 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...
and was a member of the 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....
team. He turned pro in 1979 and joined the PGA Tour in 1982.
Cochran has about 60 top-10 finishes in official PGA Tour events including a victory at the 1991 Centel Western Open when he made up seven shots over eight holes to beat Greg Norman
Greg 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...
. His career year was 1991, when in addition to his win at the Western Open, he had two second-place finishes—including a playoff loss to Craig Stadler
Craig Stadler
Craig Robert Stadler is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....
at the Tour Championship – and a third and finished 10th on the money list. 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 tie for seventh at the 1992 PGA Championship
1992 PGA Championship
The 1992 PGA Championship was the 74th PGA Championship held from August 13-16 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Nick Price won his first major championship by three strokes over John Cook, Nick Faldo, Jim Gallagher, Jr., and Gene Sauers....
. Cochran set the Valhalla Golf Club
Valhalla Golf Club
Valhalla Golf Club, located east of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, is a private golf club designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. The course, which sits on a property on Shelbyville Road in the eastern portion of Louisville just outside the Gene Snyder Freeway, was envisioned by local business...
course record (65) in the third round of the 1996 PGA Championship
1996 PGA Championship
The 1996 PGA Championship was the 78th PGA Championship held from August 8-11 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Mark Brooks won his first major championship with a birdie in a sudden death playoff over Kentucky native Kenny Perry.-First round:...
which stood until broken (63) in the same tournament four years later by José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:...
. He played some on the Nationwide Tour in his mid-to-late 40s in preparation for the Champions Tour. His best Nationwide finish was a tie for third at the 2003 Chitimacha Louisiana Open
Chitimacha Louisiana Open
The Chitimacha Louisiana Open is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It is played annually at Le Triomphe Country Club in Broussard, Louisiana, USA.The 2011 purse was $550,000, with $99,000 going to the winner....
.
Cochran debuted on the Champions Tour with a tie for seventh at the Allianz Championship
Allianz Championship
The Principal Charity Classic is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in West Des Moines, Iowa at the Glen Oaks Country Club....
on February 15, 2009, at Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
. He finished third at the U.S. Senior Open on August 2, 2009, at Carmel, Indiana
Carmel, Indiana
Carmel is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States located immediately north of Indianapolis, Indiana. The population was 79,191 at the 2010 census, and is one of the most affluent communities in the Midwest....
, setting the Crooked Stick Golf Club
Crooked Stick Golf Club
Crooked Stick Golf Club is located just outside Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. It was built in 1964 by the famous course architects Pete and Alice Dye. It was host to the PGA Championship that John Daly won in 1991 and the U.S. Women’s Open won by Lauri Merten in 1993. It was...
course record with a third-round score of 8-under par 64. He ended the year by winning the Rookie of the Year award. In 2010, he earned his first victory on the Champions Tour, defeating Fred Funk
Fred Funk
Frederick Funk is an American professional golfer.Funk was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1980 with a degree in law enforcement. He turned professional in 1981, but worked as a golf coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1988; he did not...
on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff in the Posco E&C Songdo Championship
Posco E&C Songdo Championship
The Songdo IBD Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It was played for the first time as the Posco E&C Songdo Championship in September 2010 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, South Korea. It was the Champions Tour's first tournament in Asia.The purse in 2011 was...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and followed that up with another win in the tour's next event, the SAS Championship
SAS Championship
The SAS Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in September in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood Country Club. SAS Institute is the main sponsor of the tournament....
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Cochran won his maiden senior major championship at the 2011 Senior British Open Championship
Senior British Open Championship
The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
at Walton Heath. Cochran finished two strokes ahead of the third round leader 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,...
. He shot a final round 67 which included six birdies in the first ten holes to open up a five stroke advantage. Despite a large charge by Calcavecchia, Cochran parred the last four holes and held on for a two stroke victory. Afterwards Cochran claimed having his son on the bag was a factor in his success. "It feels great, I had my son (Reed) on the bag, I told him I was going to work hard and come away with something good and I think he was the lucky charm."
Cochran and his wife, Jackie, have four children: three sons and a daughter. His oldest son, Ryan, played golf at 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...
and aspires to play professionally like his father.
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 7, 1991 1991 PGA Tour The 1991 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, and Ian Woosnam won the most tournaments, two, and there were 14 first-time winners... |
Centel Western Open | 2 strokes |  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... |
Champions Tour wins (3)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 12, 2010 2010 Champions Tour The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented... |
Posco E&C Songdo Championship Posco E&C Songdo Championship The Songdo IBD Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It was played for the first time as the Posco E&C Songdo Championship in September 2010 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, South Korea. It was the Champions Tour's first tournament in Asia.The purse in 2011 was... |
Playoff |  Fred FunkFred Funk Frederick Funk is an American professional golfer.Funk was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1980 with a degree in law enforcement. He turned professional in 1981, but worked as a golf coach at his alma mater from 1982 to 1988; he did not... |
|
| 2 | Sep 26, 2010 2010 Champions Tour The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented... |
SAS Championship SAS Championship The SAS Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in September in Cary, North Carolina at the Prestonwood Country Club. SAS Institute is the main sponsor of the tournament.... |
2 strokes | Tom Pernice, Jr. |
|
| 3 | Jul 24, 2011 2011 Champions Tour The 2011 Champions Tour was the 32nd season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 24 official money events with purses totalling $48,075,000, including five majors. Tom Lehman topped the end-of-season money list , winning $2,081,526.... |
Senior British Open Championship Senior British Open Championship The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour... |
2 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,... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T66 | 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 | 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... |
T10 | CUT | DNP | T28 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | CUT | T21 | T33 | 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 | T33 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | 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 | T28 | DNP | DNP | DNP | 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... |
CUT | CUT | T7 | T44 | CUT | DNP | T17 | T61 | T34 | DNP | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Senior British Open Championship Senior British Open Championship The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour... |
Tied for lead | −12 (72–70–67–67=276) | 2 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,... |
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2011.| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition The Tradition The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S... |
T41 | T18 | DNP |
| Senior PGA Championship Senior PGA Championship The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money... |
T33 | T23 | DNP |
| Senior British Open Senior British Open Championship The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour... |
T19 | T3 | 1 |
| U.S. Senior Open | 3 | T28 | T17 |
| Senior Players Championship Senior Players Championship The Senior Players Championship is one of the five major championships on golf's Champions Tour. Unlike the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior British Open, it is not recognized as a major by the European Seniors Tour, and is not part of that tour's schedule. The inaugural... |
T41 | T5 | T15 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
See also
- 2001 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2001 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 36 players who earned their 2002 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2001.*Players in yellow were 2002 PGA Tour rookies.-2002 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...