Gary Christian
English professional golfer (born 1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gary John Christian (born 7 August 1971) is an English professional golfer who has played on the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour.
| Gary Christian | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Gary John Christian |
| Born | 7 August 1971 Carshalton, England |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11.8 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  England |
| Residence | Chelsea, Alabama, U.S. |
| Career | |
| College | Wallace State Community College Auburn University |
| Turned professional | 1997 |
| Former tours | PGA Tour Web.com Tour Gateway Tour various mini-tours |
| Professional wins | Over 30 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 2 |
| Other | Over 30 |
Early life and amateur career
Christian was born in Carshalton, England. He is named after Gary Player. As a junior, he played golf at Addington Palace Golf Club, England.
Christian went to college in the United States, first on an academic scholarship to Wallace State Community College[1] in Alabama after being spotted by talent scouts at a trial. He was later offered a place at Auburn University, again on a scholarship. He spent two years at Auburn, graduating in 1995.
Professional career
In 1997, Christian turned professional and won four times in his first year on the TearDrop Tour.[2] He was a member of the Nationwide Tour in 1999 and for several seasons from 2006. Christian picked up his first win on tour at the 2009 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, where he defeated Mathias Grönberg in a playoff that went to nine holes, equaling a Nationwide Tour record for longest playoff.[3]
At age 40, Christian finally graduated to the PGA Tour after finishing ninth on the Nationwide Tour's money list.[2] Christian had never played in a PGA Tour event until 2012. He played in 28 events in 2012, making 18 cuts and having a best finish of T-10 at the RBC Canadian Open.
Christian has played on several mini-tours during his career, winning over 30 events. The tours he has won on include the Gateway Tour, Dakotas Tour, Emerald Coast Tour, DP Tour, TearDrop Tour and the Tight Lies Tour.[4] He was the leading money winner on the Dakotas Tour in 2002 and 2005.[5][6]
Christian appeared on the TV show The Weakest Link in 2001. After Christian's touring career ended, he became a commentator on The Golf Channel.
Professional wins
Nationwide Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Aug 2009 | Northeast Pennsylvania Classic | −15 (68-70-63-64=265) | Playoff |  Mathias Grönberg |
| 2 | 4 Sep 2011 | Mylan Classic | −17 (68-63-69-67=267) | 1 stroke |  John Mallinger |
Nationwide Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | Northeast Pennsylvania Classic | Mathias Grönberg |
Won with birdie on ninth extra hole |
Gateway Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Feb 2005 | RTJT Series at Magnolia Grove | −6 (71-70-70-71=282) | 2 strokes | Dustin Bray |
| 2 | 18 Feb 2005 | RTJT Series at Cambrian Ridge | −20 (63-63-67-71=264) | 14 strokes | Chip Deason |
| 3 | 4 Mar 2005 | RTJT Series at Capital Hill (Legislator) | −1 (73-71-72-71=287) | 3 strokes | Daniel Ozley |
| 4 | 29 Apr 2005 | RTJT Series at The Shoals | −1 (72-72-68-75=287) | Playoff | Tommy Gainey |
Tarheel Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 Jun 2005 | Eagle Chase Classic | −11 (68-70-67=205) | 1 stroke | Rich Mudd |
Other wins
- 1995 Holiday Beach Club tournament (Emerald Coast Tour, as an amateur)
- 1997–98 four wins on the TearDrop Tour
- 2001 MGC Great Plains Open (Dakotas Tour)
- 2002 Sprint PCS Open at Chennault Park (Tight Lies Tour), Stylecraft/Camp Foster Pro-Am (Dakotas Tour), Red Mike Pro-Am (Dakotas Tour), Western North Dakota Charity Pro-Am (Dakotas Tour)
- 2004 Nebraska Open,[7] San Juan Open,[8] Western North Dakota Pro-Am (Dakotas Tour)
- 2005 Western North Dakota Charity Pro-Am (Dakotas Tour)