Chris_Patton_(golfer)
Chris Patton (golfer)
American professional golfer
Chris Patton (born November 20, 1967) is an American professional golfer, best known for his large size[1] and for winning the 1989 U.S. Amateur.
| Chris Patton | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Nickname | Big Daddy |
| Born | (1967-11-20) November 20, 1967 (age 56) Fountain Inn, South Carolina |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1] |
| Weight | 208 lb (94 kg; 14.9 st)[1] |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Spouse | Megan Patton |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| College | Clemson University |
| Turned professional | 1990 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour of Australasia Nationwide Tour Canadian Tour Tour de las Américas |
| Professional wins | 4 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T39: 1990 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | CUT: 1990 |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1990 |
Patton was born in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. He played college golf at Clemson University where he won five events and was a three-time All-American.[2] While at Clemson, he won the 1989 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club.[3] The win earned him invitations to the first three majors in 1990. He finished as the low amateur (T-39) at the Masters Tournament. He turned professional after the 1990 U.S. Amateur.
Patton played on the Nationwide Tour from 1993 to 1995, winning once at the 1993 Nike New Mexico Charity Classic. He also played on the Canadian Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, and the NGA Hooters Tour, winning once on each tour.
In 2012, Patton was part of the reality show Chasing The Dream on the Golf Channel and was featured as Robbie Biershenk's friend and caddie during the 9-episode miniseries.
Patton returned to competitive golf for the first time in 14 years at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, as he earned his exemption via the one-time exemption offered to former U.S. Amateur winners that have turned professional when they turn 50.[4]
- 1989 U.S. Amateur
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 10, 1991 | Mercedes-Benz Australian Match Play Championship | 5 and 3 |  Ken Dukes | |
Nike Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 15, 1993 | Nike New Mexico Charity Classic | −22 (64-66-65-67=262) | 5 strokes |  Doug Martin, John Morse |
Canadian Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 12, 1992 | Xerox Manitoba Open | −23 (68-64-67-66=265) | 10 strokes |  Paul Devenport,  Arden Knoll, Mark Wurtz |
NGA Hooters Tour wins (1)
- 2003 Air Medal-Match-Shoot Out
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T39LA | ||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | WD | |||
| The Open Championship | CUT |
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Note: Patton never played in the PGA Championship.
- Telander, Rick (June 18, 1990). "The Grandest Tiger: Clemson's mighty Chris Patton has never had a proper lesson, but he can hit a golf ball a country mile". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- "Patton is back on the tee". scgolfclub.com. June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- Chris Patton at the PGA Tour official site
- Clemson Tigers profile