Jim McGovern (golfer)
| Jim McGovern | |
|---|---|
| — Golfer — | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | James David McGovern |
| Born |
February 5, 1965 Teaneck, New Jersey |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |
 United States |
| Residence | Oradell, New Jersey |
| Spouse | Lauren McGovern |
| Children | Melanie, Emily, Elizabeth, Sean |
| Career | |
| College |
University of Arkansas Old Dominion University |
| Turned professional | 1988 |
| Former tour(s) |
PGA Tour Nationwide Tour |
| Professional wins | 9 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Web.com Tour | 3 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T5: 1994 |
| U.S. Open | T13: 1994 |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1993, 1994 |
| PGA Championship | T22: 1993 |
James David McGovern (born February 5, 1965) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.
McGovern was born in Teaneck, New Jersey.[1] He grew up in Oradell, New Jersey in a house adjoining the Hackensack Golf Club.[2] He attended Bergen Catholic High School, and was a star football player there, when a coach introduced him to golf during his junior year.[3] He initially attended the University of Arkansas as a non-scholarship member of its golf team. He transferred after two years to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and was a member of that school's golf team. He turned pro in 1988 and joined the PGA Tour in 1991.
McGovern was a member of the PGA Tour from 1991–1998. His career year was 1993 when he won once, had two other top-10 finishes, earned $587,495 and finished 27th on the money list. His best finish in a major was T5 at the 1994 Masters Tournament.[4] He had 14 career top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events and is one of only two New Jersey natives to win on the PGA Tour, the other being Vic Ghezzi.
McGovern finished 19th in qualifying school and earned his PGA Tour card for 2008; he made the cut in 11 of 26 events. In 2009, he was back on the Nationwide Tour.[5]
McGovern lives in Oradell, New Jersey.[2] His brother, Rob, played linebacker in the NFL.[5]
On January 1, 2011, McGovern became the head golf professional at White Beeches Golf & Country Club in Haworth, New Jersey, 20 miles from midtown Manhattan. He is one of the few PGA Professionals who was also a PGA Tour winner.
On May 17, 2011, McGovern earned medalist honors at the local U.S. Open qualifier. His 4-under 68 at Ballyowen golf club gave him medalist honors by two strokes and also secured for him one of five spots available for the U.S. Open sectional qualifier at Canoe Brook on June 6. McGovern earned a spot in the 2014 PGA Championship through his finish at the PGA Professional National Championship after having to qualify in a playoff for one of the twenty positions.
Amateur wins
- 1987 Virginia State Intercollegiate Championship
- 1988 Metropolitan Amateur
Professional wins (9)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 2, 1993 | Shell Houston Open | −17 (67-64-68=199) | Playoff | John Huston |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993 | Shell Houston Open | John Huston |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
Ben Hogan Tour wins (3)
Other wins (5)
- 1987 Metropolitan Open (as an amateur)
- 1994 Diners Club Matches (with Jeff Maggert)
- 2015 New Jersey Senior Open
- 2016 New Jersey Senior Open, Metropolitan Senior Open
See also
- 1990 Ben Hogan Tour graduates
- 1991 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- 1996 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- 1997 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
- 2007 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
References
- ↑ Dorman, Larry. "Golf; McGovern Gets Comfort Of Home and a Lead", The New York Times, March 10, 1995. Accessed February 16, 2011. "So it was fitting today that Jim McGovern, born in Teaneck and raised in Oradell, where he lives now, strolled around the grounds here with one of the biggest galleries and shot the lowest number in the first round of the Honda Classic."
- 1 2 Friend, Tom. "Golf; You Can't Take the Hackensack Out of This Guy", The New York Times, February 28, 1993. Accessed February 16, 2011. "He grew up in Oradell, N.J., in a house literally adjacent to the fourth green at Hackensack Golf Club. I remember once finding a stray ball in the upstairs bathroom, he said."
- ↑ Brown, Clifton. "Golf; A Former Rising Star Hopes to Rise Again", The New York Times, December 18, 1999. Accessed February 16, 2011. "When Jim McGovern was an all-state tight end at Bergen Catholic High School, few people would have predicted that he would become a professional golfer. He didn't start playing golf seriously until 11th grade."
- ↑ "Golf Major Championships".
- 1 2 "Biographical information on PGA Tour's official site". Retrieved 2011-01-29.
External links
- Jim McGovern at the PGA Tour official site