José María Olazábal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José María Olazábal |
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Olazábal in 2009
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | José María Olazábal Manterola |
| Nickname | Ollie |
| Born | 5 February 1966 Hondarribia, Basque Country, Spain |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st) |
| Nationality |  Spain |
| Residence | Hondarribia, Basque Country, Spain |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1985 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions European Senior Tour PGA Tour European Tour |
| Professional wins | 30 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 6 |
| European Tour | 23 (9th all time) |
| Japan Golf Tour | 2 |
| Asian Tour | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 1994, 1999 |
| U.S. Open | T8: 1990, 1991 |
| The Open Championship | 3rd/T3: 1992, 2005 |
| PGA Championship | T4: 2000 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 2009 |
| Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year |
1986 |
| Prince of Asturias Award | 2013 |
José María Olazábal Manterola is a famous Spanish professional golfer. He was born on February 5, 1966. He is from the Basque Country in Spain.
Olazábal has been very successful in golf. He has won many tournaments on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He is especially known for winning two major championships, both at The Masters.
In 2012, he was the captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team. His team won against the US in a very exciting comeback. They were far behind but managed to win 14½ to 13½.
Contents
Early Life and Golf Beginnings
José María Olazábal was born in Hondarribia, a town in the Basque Country, Spain. His family lived right next to a golf course called Real Golf Club de San Sebastian. This course opened the day after he was born!
His father and grandfather both worked as greenskeepers at the golf club. A greenskeeper takes care of the golf course. His mother also worked there. José María started playing golf very young. He began hitting golf balls at age 2 with a special short club. By age 6, he could practice on the course in the late afternoons.
Amateur Golf Career
Before turning professional, Olazábal was a top amateur golfer. He played for Spain in many competitions.
- In 1982 and 1984, he played in the Eisenhower Trophy. This is a big international team golf tournament for amateurs.
- In 1983, he won the Boys Amateur Championship in Scotland.
- In 1984, at age 18, he won The Amateur Championship in England. This was a huge win, and he beat another famous golfer, Colin Montgomerie, in the final.
- In 1985, he won the British Youths Open Amateur Championship. This made him the first player ever to win the British Boy's, Youth's, and Amateur titles in his career.
- He also played well in professional tournaments as an amateur. In 1985, he finished tied for 25th place at The Open Championship. He was the best amateur player in that tournament.
Professional Golf Career
José María Olazábal became a professional golfer in 1985. He quickly became one of the best players in the world.
Early Success on the European Tour
In his first year as a professional in 1986, he finished second on the European Tour Order of Merit. This meant he was one of the top players on the European Tour. For many years, he consistently finished in the top 10. He has won 23 tournaments on the European Tour, which is one of the highest numbers ever.
He was ranked among the top 10 golfers in the world for over 300 weeks between 1989 and 1995.
Winning Major Championships
Olazábal is famous for winning two major championships, both at The Masters. The Masters is one of the four biggest golf tournaments in the world.
- He won his first Masters in 1994.
- He won his second Masters in 1999.
These wins are very special because he is one of only two players since World War II to win The Amateur Championship and then go on to win a professional major. He also holds a record for the lowest score in one round at the PGA Championship (63 strokes).
Playing in the United States
In 1990, Olazábal visited the PGA Tour in the United States. He won the NEC World Series of Golf by a huge 12 strokes! He later became a full member of the PGA Tour in 2001. He has won a total of six PGA Tour titles.
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Ryder Cup Hero
Olazábal was a key player for the European Ryder Cup team seven times between 1987 and 2006. The Ryder Cup is a team competition between Europe and the United States.
He had a very famous partnership with his fellow Spanish golfer, Seve Ballesteros. They played together many times and were very successful. He also had a great partnership with Sergio García in 2006.
In 2012, Olazábal was the captain of the European Ryder Cup team. His team was losing badly, 10–6, going into the final day. But he inspired his team to an amazing comeback! They won 14½ to 13½, making it one of the greatest comebacks in Ryder Cup history. Olazábal said this win was the happiest moment of his life. He dedicated the victory to his good friend, Seve Ballesteros, who had passed away.
World Golf Hall of Fame
In 2009, José María Olazábal was chosen to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor in golf, recognizing the best players of all time.
In 2013, he received Spain's highest sports award, the Prince of Asturias Award. This was for his great achievements as a player and for leading the 2012 Ryder Cup team to victory.
Amateur Wins
- 1982 Spanish Amateur Closed Championship
- 1983 Italian Open Amateur Championship, Biarritz Cup, Spanish International Amateur Championship, Boys Amateur Championship, Spanish Amateur Closed Championship
- 1984 The Amateur Championship, Belgian International Youths Championship, Spanish International Amateur Championship
- 1985 British Youths Open Amateur Championship
Professional Wins (Summary)
José María Olazábal has won 30 professional tournaments around the world.
- PGA Tour Wins (6): He won 6 times on the PGA Tour, including his two Masters titles. Other notable wins include the NEC World Series of Golf twice (1990, 1994) and the Buick Invitational (2002).
- European Tour Wins (23): He has 23 victories on the European Tour, making him one of the most successful players in its history. These wins include the Ebel European Masters Swiss Open (1986), German Masters (1988), Benson & Hedges International Open (1990, 2000), and the Volvo PGA Championship (1994).
- PGA of Japan Tour Wins (2): He won the Visa Taiheiyo Club Masters twice (1989, 1990).
- Other Wins (1): He also won the Tournoi Perrier de Paris in 1995 with Seve Ballesteros.
Major Championship Wins
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
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| 1994 | Masters Tournament | −9 (279) | 2 strokes |  Tom Lehman |
| 1999 | Masters Tournament (2) | −8 (280) | 2 strokes | Davis Love III |
Team Appearances
José María Olazábal has represented Spain and Europe in many team golf events.
Amateur Teams
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Spain): 1982, 1984
- Jacques Léglise Trophy (representing the Continent of Europe): 1981, 1982, 1983
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Spain): 1983, 1985
- European Youths' Team Championship (representing Spain): 1982, 1984
- St Andrews Trophy (representing the Continent of Europe): 1984
Professional Teams
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Spain): 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999 (winners), 2000 (winners)
- Four Tours World Championship (representing Europe): 1987, 1989
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1987 (winners), 1989 (tied; retained trophy), 1991, 1993, 1997 (winners), 1999, 2006 (winners), 2012 (winners, as non-playing captain)
- World Cup (representing Spain): 1989, 2000
- Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2000 (winners), 2002, 2003, 2005 (playing captain), 2013 (winners, as non-playing captain)
- Royal Trophy (representing Europe): 2009 (non-playing captain), 2012 (playing captain), 2013 (non-playing captain)
Images for kids
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Olazábal in 2009
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José María Olazábal (in the bunker)
See also
In Spanish: José María Olazábal para niños
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
