Thomas Levet
Encyclopedia
Thomas Levet is a French
professional golf
er who is a member of the European Tour and former member of the PGA Tour
.
Levet was born in Paris
, France. He turned professional in 1988 and won the French PGA Championship that year, but he had to wait for a decade for his first win on the European Tour, which came at the 1998 Cannes Open
.
In 2002, he finished second at The Open Championship
at Muirfield, being one of four players in a playoff. He had a good chance to win, but bogeyed the final hole of the four-hole playoff to fall into sudden death with Ernie Els
, where he again bogeyed to lose to Els.
After spending 2003 on the PGA Tour
, he returned to the European Tour in 2004. He claimed the most prestigious title of his career at the Scottish Open
, and was a member of the winning 2004
European Ryder Cup
Team. Levet ended the season 5th on the Order of Merit, and returned to the PGA Tour in 2005.
Levet suffers from severe vertigo
, which almost forced him out of the game, however he has made strides to overcome the condition, and has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings
.
In 2008 he won his fourth European Tour title, beating nineteen-year-old Oliver Fisher
in a sudden death playoff in the MAPFRE Open de Andalucia
.
His fifth win on the European Tour came at the 2009 Open de España
where he held off a charging Fabrizio Zanotti
, who shot a final round 65, by two strokes finishing 18 under par. With this win Levet became the leading Frenchman in terms of European Tour wins.
Levet won his sixth European Tour title in July 2011 when he triumphed in his native country, at the Alstom Open de France by one stroke from Englishman Mark Foster
and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen
. He became the 7th French player to win the tournament after Jean-François Remésy
. While celebrating his victory, Levet jumped into a lake, breaking his shin, and causing him to withdraw from The Open Championship
.
European Tour playoff record (2–2)
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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 who is a member of the European Tour and former 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...
.
Levet was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France. He turned professional in 1988 and won the French PGA Championship that year, but he had to wait for a decade for his first win on the European Tour, which came at the 1998 Cannes Open
Cannes Open
The Cannes Open was a men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour that was played annually from 1984 to 1998. It returned to the schedule as a one-off event in 2001 to replace the Estoril Open, which was cancelled by organisers due to security concerns following the 9/11 attacks in the...
.
In 2002, he finished second at 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...
at Muirfield, being one of four players in a playoff. He had a good chance to win, but bogeyed the final hole of the four-hole playoff to fall into sudden death with Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
, where he again bogeyed to lose to Els.
After spending 2003 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...
, he returned to the European Tour in 2004. He claimed the most prestigious title of his career at the Scottish Open
Scottish Open (golf)
The Scottish Open, which has been sponsored by Barclays Capital since 2002, is one of the richer golf tournaments on the European Tour. It is currently played at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness in the North of Scotland...
, and was a member of the winning 2004
2004 Ryder Cup
The 35th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 17–19 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.The European team won the competition by a margin of 18½ to 9½ points, the winning putt being made by Colin Montgomerie, who maintained his record of never losing in any of his...
European Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The 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...
Team. Levet ended the season 5th on the Order of Merit, and returned to the PGA Tour in 2005.
Levet suffers from severe vertigo
Vertigo (medical)
Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear...
, which almost forced him out of the game, however he has made strides to overcome the condition, and has featured in the top 50 of 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...
.
In 2008 he won his fourth European Tour title, beating nineteen-year-old Oliver Fisher
Oliver Fisher
Oliver James Fisher is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.Fisher was born in Chingford, London. He was a winner of the Faldo Series, Nick Faldo's development programme for young golfers, in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and as such was regarded as one of the best prospects of his...
in a sudden death playoff in the MAPFRE Open de Andalucia
MAPFRE Open de Andalucia
The Open de Andalucia de Golf is a European Tour men's professional golf tournament which was played for the first time in 2007. The event is held in the Andalusia region of Spain.-History:...
.
His fifth win on the European Tour came at the 2009 Open de España
Open de España
The Open de España is the national open golf championship of Spain. It was founded in 1912 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the inception of the Tour in 1972. Except for a five year period in the early 1980s, the tournament has been played in April or May. In 2005 it was one...
where he held off a charging Fabrizio Zanotti
Fabrizio Zanotti
Fabrizio Zanotti is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Zanotti was born in Asunción. He was Paraguay's top ranked amateur golfer for six straight years before turning professional in 2003....
, who shot a final round 65, by two strokes finishing 18 under par. With this win Levet became the leading Frenchman in terms of European Tour wins.
Levet won his sixth European Tour title in July 2011 when he triumphed in his native country, at the Alstom Open de France by one stroke from Englishman Mark Foster
Mark Foster (golfer)
Mark B. Foster is an English professional golfer.Foster was born in Worksop. He won the English Amateur twice before turning professional in 1995. For the first few years as a professional he was troubled by back problems, but in 2001 he won twice on the Challenge Tour and topped the money list...
and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen
Thorbjørn Olesen
Jacob Thorbjørn Olesen is a Danish professional golfer.Olesen was born in Furesø and turned professional in 2008. He finished in fourth place on the third tier Nordic League rankings in 2009, having won three tournaments, to graduate to Europe's second tier Challenge Tour for 2010...
. He became the 7th French player to win the tournament after Jean-François Remésy
Jean-François Remésy
Jean-François Remésy is a French professional golfer.Remésy was born in Nîmes, Occitania. He won the French Amateur Championship in 1985 and turned professional in 1987. For much of his career he has struggled to establish himself as a tour golfer, and he has made over a dozen trips to the...
. While celebrating his victory, Levet jumped into a lake, breaking his shin, and causing him to withdraw from 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...
.
European Tour wins (6)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Apr 1998 1998 European Tour The 1998 European Tour was the 27th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:... |
Cannes Open Cannes Open The Cannes Open was a men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour that was played annually from 1984 to 1998. It returned to the schedule as a one-off event in 2001 to replace the Estoril Open, which was cancelled by organisers due to security concerns following the 9/11 attacks in the... |
1 stroke |  Phillip PricePhillip Price John Phillip Price is a Welsh professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.-Professional golfer:Price turned professional in 1989 and qualified for membership of the European Tour for the 1991 season via the 1990 Qualifying School. His best year on the tour came in 2000, when he finished... ,  Sven StrüverSven Strüver Sven Strüver is a German professional golfer.Strüver was born in Bremen. In the 1989 German Open, he shot a 62 in the second round to set a new record for the lowest round by an amateur in a European Tour event. The record was equalled by Shane Lowry in the 2009 Irish Open.Strüver turned...  Greg TurnerGreg Turner Greg Turner is a New Zealand professional golfer.Turner was born in Dunedin. He attended Oklahoma University in the United States but has spent most of his career on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won four tournaments on the European Tour and achieved a career best ranking... |
|
| 2 | 3 Jun 2001 2001 European Tour The 2001 European Tour was the 30th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by South Africa's Retief Goosen.-Schedule:... |
Victor Chandler British Masters | Playoff |  Mathias GrönbergMathias Grönberg Mathias David Grönberg is a Swedish professional golfer who has played on the European Tour, PGA Tour, and their second-tier tours.-Career:... ,  David HowellDavid Howell (golfer) David Alexander Howell is an English professional golfer from Swindon. His career to date peaked in 2006, when he was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for a short time.... Robert KarlssonRobert Karlsson Robert Karlsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and as of 2011 on the PGA Tour.-Career:... |
|
| 3 | 11 Jul 2004 2004 European Tour The 2004 European Tour was the 33rd golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2004 season consisted of 45 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Barclays Scottish Open | 1 stroke | Michael Campbell Michael Campbell Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati... |
|
| 4 | 30 Mar 2008 2008 European Tour The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA... |
MAPFRE Open de Andalucia MAPFRE Open de Andalucia The Open de Andalucia de Golf is a European Tour men's professional golf tournament which was played for the first time in 2007. The event is held in the Andalusia region of Spain.-History:... |
Playoff | Oliver Fisher Oliver Fisher Oliver James Fisher is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.Fisher was born in Chingford, London. He was a winner of the Faldo Series, Nick Faldo's development programme for young golfers, in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and as such was regarded as one of the best prospects of his... |
|
| 5 | 3 May 2009 2009 European Tour The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp... |
Open de España Open de España The Open de España is the national open golf championship of Spain. It was founded in 1912 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the inception of the Tour in 1972. Except for a five year period in the early 1980s, the tournament has been played in April or May. In 2005 it was one... |
2 strokes |  Fabrizio ZanottiFabrizio Zanotti Fabrizio Zanotti is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Zanotti was born in Asunción. He was Paraguay's top ranked amateur golfer for six straight years before turning professional in 2003.... |
|
| 6 | 3 Jul 2011 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... |
Alstom Open de France | 1 stroke | Mark Foster Mark Foster (golfer) Mark B. Foster is an English professional golfer.Foster was born in Worksop. He won the English Amateur twice before turning professional in 1995. For the first few years as a professional he was troubled by back problems, but in 2001 he won twice on the Challenge Tour and topped the money list... ,  Thorbjørn OlesenThorbjørn Olesen Jacob Thorbjørn Olesen is a Danish professional golfer.Olesen was born in Furesø and turned professional in 2008. He finished in fourth place on the third tier Nordic League rankings in 2009, having won three tournaments, to graduate to Europe's second tier Challenge Tour for 2010... |
European Tour playoff record (2–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | Victor Chandler British Masters | Mathias Gronberg Mathias Grönberg Mathias David Grönberg is a Swedish professional golfer who has played on the European Tour, PGA Tour, and their second-tier tours.-Career:... , David HowellDavid Howell (golfer) David Alexander Howell is an English professional golfer from Swindon. His career to date peaked in 2006, when he was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for a short time.... , Robert KarlssonRobert Karlsson Robert Karlsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and as of 2011 on the PGA Tour.-Career:... |
Won with birdie on third extra hole Howell and Karlsson eliminated with par on first hole |
| 2 | 2002 | 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... |
 Stuart ApplebyStuart Appleby Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed... , Steve ElkingtonSteve Elkington Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He spent over 50 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 1995 to 1998.-Early years and education:... ,  Ernie ElsErnie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
Els won with par on first extra hole after four-hole playoff Els (4-3-5-4) and Levet (4-3-5-4) beat Appleby (4-3-5-5) and Elkington (5-3-4-5) |
| 3 | 2004 | Telecom Italia Open |  Graeme McDowellGraeme McDowell Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour... |
Lost to par on fourth extra hole |
| 4 | 2008 | MAPFRE Open de Andalucia MAPFRE Open de Andalucia The Open de Andalucia de Golf is a European Tour men's professional golf tournament which was played for the first time in 2007. The event is held in the Andalusia region of Spain.-History:... |
Oliver Fisher Oliver Fisher Oliver James Fisher is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.Fisher was born in Chingford, London. He was a winner of the Faldo Series, Nick Faldo's development programme for young golfers, in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and as such was regarded as one of the best prospects of his... |
Won with par on first extra hole |
Other wins (6)
- 1988 French PGA Championship
- 1990 National Omnium (France)
- 1991 French PGA Championship
- 1992 Championnat de France Pro
- 1997 Toulouse Open, New Caledonia French Masters
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
CUT | T49 |
| 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 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | T13 | CUT | 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 | T18 | DNP | CUT | T52 | DNP | DNP | CUT | T45 |
| 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 | T66 | T2 | T22 | T5 | T34 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T38 |
| 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 | 71 | DNP | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T51 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
Amateur- Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
: 1988 - Jacques Léglise TrophyJacques Léglise TrophyThe Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual boys' team golf competition between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It was inaugurated in 1958 and is organised by the R&A. Great Britain & Ireland dominated in the early years to such an extent that it was discontinued in 1966. It was...
: 1985
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...
(representing Europe): 2004 (winners) - Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing France): 1992, 1998, 2000 - World Cup (representing France): 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 20092009 Omega Mission Hills World CupThe 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams...
- Seve TrophySeve TrophyThe Seve Trophy is a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It is named after five times major winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key...
(representing Continental Europe): 2002, 20052005 Seve TrophyThe 2005 Seve Trophy took place between 22-25 September at Wynyard Golf Club, in North East England. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Colin Montgomerie, with the captain for Continental Europe being José María Olazábal. The overall tournament host was Seve Ballesteros as he was...