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 (born 5 February 1966) is a famous Spanish professional golfer. He is from the Basque Country region of Spain. Olazábal has won many tournaments on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour. His biggest victories were winning two Masters Tournaments, which are major championships in golf.
One of his most famous moments was in 2012. He was the captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team. They made an amazing comeback to beat the United States. The European team was losing 10–6 but won on the final day with a score of 14½–13½.
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A Golfer from a Young Age
Olazábal was born in Hondarribia, Spain. His family's home was right next to a golf course. His father and grandfather were both greenskeepers, taking care of the course. His mother also worked at the golf club.
He started playing golf when he was only two years old. His parents gave him a shortened club to practice with. By the time he was six, he was allowed to play on the course in the afternoons.
Success as an Amateur
Before turning professional, Olazábal was a star amateur player. He played for Spain in many international competitions. In 1984, at age 18, he won The Amateur Championship, a very important tournament. He beat future golf star Colin Montgomerie in the final match.
He is the only player ever to win the British Boy's, Youth's, and Amateur championships. This showed he was one of the best young golfers in the world.
Professional Career
Olazábal became a professional golfer in 1985. In his first full year in 1986, he finished second in the European Tour rankings. He was only 20 years old. For the next nine years, he was almost always in the top 10.
He has won 23 times on the European Tour. This makes him one of the most successful players in the tour's history. He was also ranked in the world's top 10 for over 300 weeks.
Winning the Masters
Olazábal's greatest achievements were winning the Masters Tournament twice. He won his first Masters in 1994 and his second in 1999. The Masters is one of the four biggest tournaments in men's professional golf.
In 1990, he won the NEC World Series of Golf by an amazing 12 strokes. He set a course record in the first round with a score of 61.
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The Ryder Cup Hero
Olazábal played for Team Europe in the Ryder Cup seven times. He had a famous and successful partnership with fellow Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros. They were a very difficult pair for the American team to beat.
His biggest Ryder Cup moment came in 2012 as the team captain. His team was losing badly before the final day. But he inspired his players to make a historic comeback and win the trophy. He dedicated the emotional victory to his friend Seve Ballesteros, who had passed away.
Awards and Records
In 2009, Olazábal was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame. This honor is given to the greatest golfers in history. In 2013, he received the Prince of Asturias Award, which is one of Spain's highest honors for sports.
He also holds a fun world record for the longest putt ever made. During a flight on a Concorde airplane, he putted a golf ball down the entire length of the cabin. The ball was moving for over 26 seconds. Because the plane was flying so fast, the putt traveled a distance of 9.232 miles!
Major Championship Wins
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
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| 1994 | Masters Tournament | −9 (74-67-69-69=279) | 2 strokes |  Tom Lehman |
| 1999 | Masters Tournament (2) | −8 (70-66-73-71=280) | 2 strokes | Davis Love III |
Team Appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Spain): 1982, 1984
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Spain): 1983, 1985
Professional
- Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1987 (winners), 1989 (tied; kept trophy), 1991, 1993, 1997 (winners), 1999, 2006 (winners), 2012 (winners, non-playing captain)
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Spain): 1999 (winners), 2000 (winners)
- World Cup (representing Spain): 1989, 2000
- Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2000 (winners), 2002, 2003, 2005 (playing captain), 2013 (winners, non-playing captain)
See also
In Spanish: José María Olazábal para niños
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
