Niclas Fasth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Niclas Fasth |
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Niclas Krister Fasth |
| Born | 29 April 1972 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb; 12.4 st) |
| Nationality |  Sweden |
| Residence | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Spouse |
Marie
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1993 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour Challenge Tour |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 6 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 |
| Challenge Tour | 4 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T39: 2008 |
| U.S. Open | 4th: 2007 |
| The Open Championship | 2nd: 2001 |
| PGA Championship | T10: 2003 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Swedish Golf Tour Order of Merit winner |
1993 |
Niclas Krister Fasth, born on April 29, 1972, is a professional golfer from Sweden. He has won six tournaments on the European Tour, which is one of the biggest golf tours in the world. Niclas also finished second at the 2001 Open Championship and fourth at the 2007 U.S. Open. A big highlight of his career was being part of the European team that won the 2002 Ryder Cup.
Contents
Growing Up and Starting Golf
Niclas Fasth was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. When he was 10 years old, his family bought a summer house near Lysegården Golf Club. His family, including his parents Kristher and Inga-Lill, and his younger sister Jessica, started playing golf during their summers there. Niclas spent a lot of time at the golf course with his friends, practicing and showing early talent.
Besides golf, Niclas was also good at other sports. In winter, he was a talented ice hockey player. When he was 16, he went to a special sports school in Mark, near Borås. This school allowed him to study while also training in golf. His school team won the Swedish School Championship in 1988, and Niclas won the individual title. They then represented Sweden in an international final in England.
Amateur Golf Achievements
Niclas had a very successful amateur career before becoming a professional. In 1990, he won the Swedish Teen-Tour Order of Merit, which is a ranking for boys up to 19 years old.
In 1991, he won the Greek Open Amateur Championship in Athens, Greece. He set a new tournament record with his score. The next year, he became the Swedish Junior Match-play Champion. He won the final match on the very last hole.
In 1992, Niclas was the only amateur golfer to make the cut at the Scandinavian Masters. This was a big tournament on the European Tour. He finished tied for 35th place, showing he could compete with top professional players like Nick Faldo.
Niclas also played for Sweden at all age levels. In 1992, he was part of the Swedish team that won the European Youths' Team Championship in Helsinki, Finland. They beat England in the final match. Later that year, he was one of the top four amateur golfers chosen for the Swedish team at the 1992 Eisenhower Trophy in Vancouver, Canada. His team finished 5th, and Niclas was the best Swedish player, finishing 5th individually.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
Niclas Fasth became a professional golfer in 1993. He started playing on the Asia Golf Circuit. In his first year as a pro, he finished second at the Sampoerna Indonesia Open. He lost in a playoff, which is like an extra sudden-death round to decide the winner.
Later in 1993, he won three events on the Challenge Tour. This tour is a step below the main European Tour. Two of these wins were also part of the Swedish Golf Tour. Because of his success, he was named the Swedish Golf Tour Order of Merit winner for that year.
From 1994 to 2018, Niclas played regularly on the European Tour. He played almost every season during this time, except for 1999.
Major Career Highlights
In 2001, Niclas had a fantastic year. He finished tenth on the European Tour's Order of Merit. A big reason for this was his second-place finish at the 2001 Open Championship in England. He played a great final round and was the leader for two hours before David Duval won the tournament.
His strong performance in 2001 helped him qualify for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. This is a famous team competition between Europe and the United States. Niclas helped Europe win the cup at The Belfry in England. He played well, even tying his match against Paul Azinger in the final day's singles games.
Niclas continued his success in 2005 and 2006, winning two tournaments on the European Tour in each of those years. He finished 13th and 15th on the Order of Merit in those seasons.
In 2007, he finished fourth at the U.S. Open in Pennsylvania. He was only two strokes behind the winner, Ángel Cabrera. The very next week, Niclas won his sixth European Tour event, the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany. These great results helped him achieve his best-ever ranking on the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit, finishing in fifth place.
Niclas Fasth was ranked among the top 20 golfers in the world. His highest ranking was 18th in October 2007.
In 2018, Niclas played only a few tournaments on the European Tour. His last tournament was the Scandinavian Invitation at his home club, Hills Golf and Sports Club. After this, he retired from playing professional golf full-time.
Senior Tour Comeback
After turning 50 in April 2022, Niclas became old enough to play in senior golf tournaments. He decided to return to competitive golf and played eleven tournaments on the European Senior Tour, which is now called the Legends Tour. He made the cut in eight of these events. His best finish was tied for 15th place at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters.
Life Outside Golf
Niclas Fasth is married to Marie, and they have two children. During his main golf career, he lived in Monaco and London, England. However, since 2014, he has lived in Gothenburg, Sweden, and represents Hills Golf and Sports Club.
Since 2019, after retiring from regular professional golf, Niclas has worked for the Swedish Golf Federation. He works as an adviser and coach for the Swedish national amateur golf team, helping young golfers develop their skills.
Amateur Tournament Wins
- 1991 Greek Open Amateur Championship
- 1992 Swedish Junior Match-Play Championship
Professional Tournament Wins (10)
European Tour Wins (6)
- 2000 Madeira Island Open
- 2005 Holden New Zealand Open (also part of the PGA Tour of Australasia)
- 2005 Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe
- 2006 Andalucía Open de España Valle Romano
- 2006 Mallorca Classic
- 2007 BMW International Open
Challenge Tour Wins (4)
- 1993 Västerås Open
- 1993 Compaq Open
- 1993 Open Dijon Bourgogne
- 1999 Daewoo Warsaw Golf Open
Team Competitions
Niclas Fasth has represented Sweden and Europe in many team golf events:
As an Amateur
- European Boys' Team Championship (Sweden): 1990
- European Amateur Team Championship (Sweden): 1991
- European Youths' Team Championship (Sweden): 1992 (winners)
- EGA Trophy (Continent of Europe): 1992 (winners)
- St Andrews Trophy (Continent of Europe): 1992
- Eisenhower Trophy (Sweden): 1992
As a Professional
- WGC-World Cup (Sweden): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
- Ryder Cup (Europe): 2002 (winners)
- Seve Trophy (Continental Europe): 2002, 2003, 2005
- Royal Trophy (Europe): 2007 (winners), 2009
