Steve Melnyk (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Steven N. Melnyk is a former American professional golfer
and golf sportscaster best known for his success as an amateur golfer. Melnyk won both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.
. He attended the Glynn Academy
in Brunswick for his high school education. Melnyk won the Georgia Open
as an 18-year-old amateur golfer in 1965.
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Buster Bishop
's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1967 to 1969. He was a two-time All-American at Florida, and was the number one golfer on the 1968 team that won their first NCAA Division I Golf Championship
. Melnyk graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in industrial management in 1969.
Melnyk won the 1969 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club
, shooting a 2-over-par 286 to beat Vinny Giles
by five shots at stroke play. He claimed the British Amateur with a 3 & 2 victory over fellow American Jim Simons
at Carnoustie Golf Links
in 1970. Melnyk also had wins at the Western Amateur
and Eastern Amateur
and played on the 1969 and 1971 Walker Cup
teams. He won the 1965 Georgia Open
as an amateur. He was low amateur in the 1970 British Open
(tie for 41st) and at the 1971 Masters Tournament
(tie for 24th).
. He did not find the success he had as an amateur carry over to his professional career. He never won a tournament on the PGA Tour, but he did place second four times: the 1973 Phoenix Open, 1974 Houston Open, 1979 First NBC New Orleans Open, and 1981 Pensacola Open
. His best finish in a major
was a tie for 12th at the 1972 Masters Tournament
. He did win the 1972 Masters Par 3 Contest.
At the 1982 Phoenix Open, Melnyk slipped and broke his right elbow. While recuperating for the injury, he became an on-course reporter for CBS Sports
. He resumed playing later that year and both played and reported through the 1984 season when he retired from playing. He stayed with CBS until 1992, when joined ABC Sports. He retired from television in 2009, after 25 years as a reporter and analyst for CBS Sports, ABC Sports and ESPN. He has also designed or co-designed several golf courses.
Melnyk was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1970, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
.
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;...
and golf sportscaster best known for his success as an amateur golfer. Melnyk won both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.
Early years
Melnyk was born in Brunswick, GeorgiaBrunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
. He attended the Glynn Academy
Glynn Academy
Glynn Academy is an American public high school in Brunswick, Georgia, USA,, enrolling 1,755 students in grades 9–12. Along with Brunswick High School, it is one of two high schools in the Glynn County School System...
in Brunswick for his high school education. Melnyk won the Georgia Open
Georgia Open
The Georgia Open is the Georgia state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Georgia section of the PGA of America...
as an 18-year-old amateur golfer in 1965.
Amateur career
Melnyk attended the University of FloridaUniversity 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...
'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 1967 to 1969. He was a two-time All-American at Florida, and was the number one golfer on the 1968 team that won their first NCAA Division I Golf Championship
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...
. Melnyk graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in industrial management in 1969.
Melnyk won the 1969 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....
, shooting a 2-over-par 286 to beat Vinny Giles
Vinny Giles
Marvin M. "Vinny" Giles III is an American amateur golfer. He his best known for winning both the U.S. Amateur and the British Amateur....
by five shots at stroke play. He claimed the British Amateur with a 3 & 2 victory over fellow American Jim Simons
Jim Simons (golfer)
James Bradley Simons was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s....
at Carnoustie Golf Links
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
in 1970. Melnyk also had wins at the Western Amateur
Western Amateur
The Western Amateur is a leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. It is organized by the Western Golf Association....
and Eastern Amateur
Eastern Amateur
The Eastern Amateur is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia since 1957; the only exceptions were in 1977 when it was played at Sleepy Hole Golf Course in Suffolk, Virginia and in 1999 when it was played at nearby...
and played on the 1969 and 1971 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...
teams. He won the 1965 Georgia Open
Georgia Open
The Georgia Open is the Georgia state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Georgia section of the PGA of America...
as an amateur. He was low amateur in the 1970 British Open
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...
(tie for 41st) and at the 1971 Masters Tournament
1971 Masters Tournament
The 1971 Masters Tournament was contested from April 8 to April 11 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 35th Masters Tournament. 77 players entered the tournament and 48 of them made the cut at six-over-par ....
(tie for 24th).
Professional career
Melnyk turned professional in 1971 after his British Amateur win and started playing on the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He did not find the success he had as an amateur carry over to his professional career. He never won a tournament on the PGA Tour, but he did place second four times: the 1973 Phoenix Open, 1974 Houston Open, 1979 First NBC New Orleans Open, and 1981 Pensacola Open
Pensacola Open
This article is about the former PGA Tour event, for information on the former Nationwide Tour event, see Pensacola Classic.The Pensacola Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour...
. 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 12th at the 1972 Masters Tournament
1972 Masters Tournament
The 1972 Masters Tournament was held at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 36th Masters, and Jack Nicklaus won his fourth Masters title.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...
. He did win the 1972 Masters Par 3 Contest.
At the 1982 Phoenix Open, Melnyk slipped and broke his right elbow. While recuperating for the injury, he became an on-course reporter for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. He resumed playing later that year and both played and reported through the 1984 season when he retired from playing. He stayed with CBS until 1992, when joined ABC Sports. He retired from television in 2009, after 25 years as a reporter and analyst for CBS Sports, ABC Sports and ESPN. He has also designed or co-designed several golf courses.
Melnyk was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1970, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Personal
Melnyk is retired from professional golf and broadcasting, but has regained his amateur golfer status and continues to play. He remains an actively involved University of Florida alumnus, and served a ten-year stint on the board of directors of the Gators athletic boosters, including a term as its president. He lives in Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Tournament wins
- 1965 Georgia OpenGeorgia OpenThe Georgia Open is the Georgia state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Georgia section of the PGA of America...
(as an amateur) - 1969 U.S. Amateur, Western AmateurWestern AmateurThe Western Amateur is a leading annual golf tournament in the United States for male amateur golfers. It is organized by the Western Golf Association....
- 1970 Eastern AmateurEastern AmateurThe Eastern Amateur is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Virginia since 1957; the only exceptions were in 1977 when it was played at Sleepy Hole Golf Course in Suffolk, Virginia and in 1999 when it was played at nearby...
- 1971 British Amateur
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators golfers
- List of University of Florida alumni