Steve Marino
Encyclopedia
Stephen Paul Marino, Jr. (born March 10, 1980) is an American professional golfer
, a member of the PGA Tour
since 2007
.
, where his father, Steve Sr., was stationed as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force
. The family moved to Alaska when he was an infant, and later to Ohio and Alabama. In 1991, they relocated to Fairfax
, Virginia
, a suburb
southwest of Washington, D.C.
, where they continue to reside.
Marino's golf game began to blossom at age 14, when he worked and played at the Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax; he graduated from W.T. Woodson High School
in 1998. During his senior year he won the Virginia High School championship, and received a golf scholarship to the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville
. At the end of his freshman year, he won the 1999 Virginia Amateur championship. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi
fraternity
and graduated from U.Va. in 2002 with a degree in sociology
.
, a developmental circuit backed by Jack Nicklaus
in which all the events were within 60 miles (100 km) of West Palm Beach
, near where he lived then (and now).
Before reaching the PGA Tour, Marino's pro highlight was winning the 2006 Sidney Frank
Memorial Gateway Tour
Championship, where he carded a 13-under-par 59 during the third round. It was his second Gateway Tour win of 2006. Marino was a Monday qualifier on the Nationwide Tour
in 2006
, where he earned $134,000 and finished 42nd on the money list, which was insufficient to earn a PGA Tour card. Instead, he qualified through the six-round qualifying school
in December, earning his card for the 2007 season.
.
In May 2009, Marino and Tim Clark lost to Steve Stricker
in a two-hole playoff at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
in Fort Worth, Texas
. Marino received international attention in 2009 when he was co-leader (with Tom Watson
) at the halfway point of the 2009 Open Championship
at Turnberry in Scotland
. However, Marino faltered over the weekend and finished the event tied 38th. He finished the 2009 season 35th on the PGA Tour money list.
Marino finished tied for second at the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii
. He led the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after the second and third rounds, but on the final day, eventual winner D. A. Points
passed him. Marino had to make an eagle on the par-5 18th hole in order to tie Points, who had finished. But Marino hit into the Pacific Ocean
and took a triple-bogey eight, which dropped him into a tie for fourth place. Marino led the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational during the fourth round, as late as the 17th hole. But he suffered two buried lies in bunkers on the 15th and 17th holes, and despite making a birdie on the final hole, ended in second place, one stroke behind winner Martin Laird
. Despite not winning so far on the PGA Tour, Marino's strong play in 2011 advanced his position on the Official World Golf Ranking to a career high of #54. Marino was identified as the best PGA Tour player without a victory by writer Craig Dolch, who noted that he has posted 21 top-10 finishes in his 124 Tour starts to date.
* Complete through the 2011 season.
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;...
, a member of 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...
since 2007
2007 PGA Tour
The 2007 PGA Tour season ran from January 4, 2007 to November 4, 2007. The season consisted of 47 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...
.
Early life, education, early golf
A military brat, Marino was born in Altus, OklahomaAltus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
, where his father, Steve Sr., was stationed as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. The family moved to Alaska when he was an infant, and later to Ohio and Alabama. In 1991, they relocated to Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
southwest of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where they continue to reside.
Marino's golf game began to blossom at age 14, when he worked and played at the Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax; he graduated from W.T. Woodson High School
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School
Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School, commonly known as W.T. Woodson High School, is a high school located in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the east end of the city of Fairfax, opposite the shopping center on Main Street....
in 1998. During his senior year he won the Virginia High School championship, and received a golf scholarship to the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. At the end of his freshman year, he won the 1999 Virginia Amateur championship. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
and graduated from U.Va. in 2002 with a degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Early professional career
Marino embarked on his professional career in 2002 on the Tar Heel Tour, and moved to Florida to practice and play year-round. He qualified for the Canadian Tour for the 2003 season, and went to Canada again in 2004, but then headed back to Florida. There he played on the Golden Bear TourGolden Bear Tour
The Golden Bear Tour was an American third-tier professional golf tour.The tour existed from 1996 through 2005, when it purchased by the Gateway Tour. It was run by the 'Golden Bear', golfing legend Jack Nicklaus....
, a developmental circuit backed by Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
in which all the events were within 60 miles (100 km) of West Palm Beach
West 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...
, near where he lived then (and now).
Before reaching the PGA Tour, Marino's pro highlight was winning the 2006 Sidney Frank
Sidney Frank
Sidney E. Frank was an American businessman who became a billionaire through his promotion of Grey Goose vodka and Jägermeister.-Early life, family, education:...
Memorial Gateway Tour
Gateway Tour
The Gateway Tour is a third-level men's professional golf tour headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that runs tournaments in Arizona, California, and Florida. The top level of men's professional golf in the United States is the PGA Tour. The second level is the Nationwide Tour, which is the official...
Championship, where he carded a 13-under-par 59 during the third round. It was his second Gateway Tour win of 2006. Marino was a Monday qualifier on 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...
in 2006
2006 Nationwide Tour
The 2006 Nationwide Tour season ran from January 26 to November 12. The season consisted of 31 official money golf tournaments; three of which were played outside of the United States...
, where he earned $134,000 and finished 42nd on the money list, which was insufficient to earn a PGA Tour card. Instead, he qualified through the six-round qualifying school
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...
in December, earning his card for the 2007 season.
PGA Tour
In his rookie season of 2007, Marino finished 80th on the PGA Tour money list and retained his tour card for 2008, with winnings exceeding $1,100,000. He had four top-10 finishes in 31 events. In 2008, Marino finished 34th on the PGA Tour money list, earning over $2,000,000, and retained his tour card for 2009. He had six top-10 finishes in 32 events, highlighted by a career-best second place finish in the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
In May 2009, Marino and Tim Clark lost to Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker
Steven Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories...
in a two-hole playoff at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in May in Fort Worth, Texas on the course at the Colonial Country Club. It is one of five invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour...
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...
. Marino received international attention in 2009 when he was co-leader (with Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....
) at the halfway point of the 2009 Open Championship
2009 Open Championship
The 2009 Open Championship was the 138th Open Championship, one of the four major golf championships, and was played from 16–19 July at the Turnberry Resort, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the fourth time The Open Championship had been played at Turnberry...
at Turnberry in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. However, Marino faltered over the weekend and finished the event tied 38th. He finished the 2009 season 35th on the PGA Tour money list.
Marino finished tied for second at the 2011 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...
. He led the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after the second and third rounds, but on the final day, eventual winner D. A. Points
D. A. Points
Darren Andrew "D.A." Points is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.Points was born in Pekin, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois and was a third team All-American member of the golf team. Points won the Illinois State Amateur three times; he lost to...
passed him. Marino had to make an eagle on the par-5 18th hole in order to tie Points, who had finished. But Marino hit into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and took a triple-bogey eight, which dropped him into a tie for fourth place. Marino led the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational during the fourth round, as late as the 17th hole. But he suffered two buried lies in bunkers on the 15th and 17th holes, and despite making a birdie on the final hole, ended in second place, one stroke behind winner Martin Laird
Martin Laird
Martin Laird is a Scottish professional golfer, playing on the PGA Tour. He has won two PGA Tour events in his career, most notably the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011...
. Despite not winning so far on the PGA Tour, Marino's strong play in 2011 advanced his position on the Official World Golf Ranking to a career high of #54. Marino was identified as the best PGA Tour player without a victory by writer Craig Dolch, who noted that he has posted 21 top-10 finishes in his 124 Tour starts to date.
Professional wins (2)
- 2006 Gateway Tour - Beach Spring A #2, Sidney Frank Memorial Tour Championship (both Gateway TourGateway TourThe Gateway Tour is a third-level men's professional golf tour headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that runs tournaments in Arizona, California, and Florida. The top level of men's professional golf in the United States is the PGA Tour. The second level is the Nationwide Tour, which is the official...
)
PGA Tour career summary
| Year | Wins | Earnings ($) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 PGA Tour -Awards:*PGA Player of the Year: Tiger Woods*PGA Tour Player of the Year : Tiger Woods*PGA Tour Money Winner : Tiger Woods*Vardon Trophy: Tiger Woods*Byron Nelson Award: Tiger Woods*Rookie of the Year: Sean O'Hair... |
0 | 14,542 | n/a |
| 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... |
0 | 0 | n/a |
| 2007 2007 PGA Tour The 2007 PGA Tour season ran from January 4, 2007 to November 4, 2007. The season consisted of 47 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... |
0 | 1,179,165 | 80 |
| 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... |
0 | 2,094,267 | 34 |
| 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.... |
0 | 2,161,539 | 35 |
| 2010 2010 PGA Tour The 2010 PGA Tour season ran from January 7 to November 14. The season consisted of 46 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour.-Schedule:... |
0 | 1,479,239 | 61 |
| 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
0 | 1,975,076 | 38 |
| Career* | 0 | 8,903,829 | 138 |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T14 | T42 |
| 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 | CUT | DNP | T63 | 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 | T38 | T55 | 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 | T60 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
External links
- Country Club of Fairfax – member news - Steve Marino