Lucas Parsons
Australian professional golfer (born 1969)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lucas John Kendall Parsons (born 4 October 1969) is an Australian former professional golfer.
Australia| Lucas Parsons | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Lucas John Kendall Parsons |
| Born | 4 October 1969 Orange, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Sporting nationality | Australia |
| Residence | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1992 |
| Former tours | PGA Tour European Tour PGA Tour of Australasia |
| Professional wins | 9 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 1 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 4 |
| Challenge Tour | 2 |
| Other | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T40: 1996 |
| The Open Championship | T41: 2000 |
Early life and amateur career
In 1969, Parsons was born in Orange, New South Wales. As an amateur, he won both the Australian Amateur and New Zealand Amateur Championship in 1991.[1]
Professional career
In 1992, Parsons turned professional. He joined the PGA Tour of Australasia. Parsons won seven tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, including the New Zealand Open in 1995. He played one unsuccessful season on the United States–based PGA Tour in 1996.[2]
Parsons also played for a time on the European Tour after graduating from the second tier Challenge Tour in 1999, having won two tournaments and finished 10th on the money list. His best season-end ranking on the European Tour Order of Merit was 37th in 2000, the year he won the Greg Norman Holden International, also a PGA Tour of Australasia event. He finished a career best 2nd on that tour's Order of Merit at the end of the 1999/2000 season.
Restaurant career
Having retired from tournament golf at the end of 2008, Parsons now runs a café in Randwick, New South Wales, and was a participant in the first season of the competitive cooking television show MasterChef Australia.[3][4] He hoped to expand his business and open a restaurant.[4] He cooked a Singaporean Chili Crab dish which impressed the judges and helped him progress to the semi-finals. Parsons beat celebrity chef Ben O'Donoghue in the sixth Celebrity Chef Challenge to guarantee himself a place in the finals. He was the first finalist eliminated on 13 July 2009 followed by former competitor Julia Jenkins who also won a celebrity chef challenge.[3]
Amateur wins
- 1990 Lagonda Trophy (England)
- 1991 Australian Amateur, New Zealand Amateur, Australian Medal, New South Wales Amateur
Professional wins (9)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Feb 2000 | Greg Norman Holden International1 | −19 (70-66-70-67=273) | 4 strokes | Peter Senior |
1Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 Nov 1993 | Victorian Open | −12 (72-69-65-70=276) | 3 strokes | Bradley Hughes |
| 2 | 23 Oct 1994 | Foodlink Queensland Open | −6 (66-72-75-69=282) | 2 strokes |  Michael Campbell |
| 3 | 15 Jan 1995 | AMP Air New Zealand Open | −6 (72-72-70-68=282) | 1 stroke | Mike Clayton |
| 4 | 6 Feb 2000 | Greg Norman Holden International1 | −19 (70-66-70-67=273) | 4 strokes | Peter Senior |
1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | Air New Zealand Shell Open |  Nick Price |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
Challenge Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 May 1999 | Challenge de Sablé | −18 (67-67-73-63=270) | 4 strokes |  Kalle Brink |
| 2 | 1 Aug 1999 | Finnish Masters | −16 (68-67-71-66=272) | 1 stroke |  Thomas Nørret |
Other wins (3)
- 1997 Toyota Southern Classic
- 1997 Queensland PGA Championship (Development Tour)
- 1998 Queensland PGA Championship (Development Tour)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T40 | ||||
| The Open Championship | T41 |
Note: Parsons never played in the Masters Tournament or the PGA Championship.
"T" = tied
Results in World Golf Championships
Team appearances
Amateur
- Nomura Cup (representing Australia): 1991 (winners)
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Australia): 1992
- Sloan Morpeth Trophy (representing Australia): 1992
- Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing New South Wales): 1989 (winners), 1990 (winners), 1991 (winners), 1992 (winners)
Professional
- World Cup (representing Australia): 2000
- Alfred Dunhill Challenge (representing Australasia): 1995