Retief Goosen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Retief Goosen
Goosen in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Retief Goosen
Nickname	The Goose, Iceman
Born	(1969-02-03) 3 February 1969 (age 56) Pietersburg, South Africa
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Nationality	South Africa
Residence	Polokwane, South Africa Virginia Water, England Orlando, Florida, U.S. Great Brak River, South Africa
Spouse	Tracy Goosen ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2
Career
Turned professional	1990
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)	European Tour PGA Tour Sunshine Tour
Professional wins	39
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	7
European Tour	14
Asian Tour	5
Sunshine Tour	6
PGA Tour of Australasia	1
Champions Tour	3
Other	9
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2)
The Masters Tournament	2nd/T2: 2002, 2007
U.S. Open	Won: 2001, 2004
The Open Championship	T5: 2005, 2009
PGA Championship	T6: 2005
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	2019
European Tour Order of Merit winner	2001, 2002
European Tour Golfer of the Year	2001
PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year	2019
PGA Tour Champions Byron Nelson Award	2019

Retief Goosen (born 3 February 1969) is a famous South African professional golfer. He plays on the PGA Tour Champions, a tour for golfers aged 50 and older. Retief is known for winning two major tournaments, the U.S. Open, in 2001 and 2004. He was also a top player on the European Tour in 2001 and 2002. For many years, he was ranked among the top ten golfers in the world. In 2019, he was honored by being chosen for the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early Life and a Shocking Event

Retief Goosen was born in Pietersburg, South Africa. His father, Theo Goosen, was a real estate agent and loved golf. Theo introduced Retief to the game when he was very young.

In 1987, something incredible happened to Retief. He was playing golf with a friend when lightning struck him! His friend saw Retief lying on the ground, and his clothes had been burned off. Luckily, other golfers quickly came to help. Retief's shoes were destroyed, and his watch melted to his skin. He still has a scar from this event. Even after such a scary experience, he was back playing golf just a few weeks later.

Starting His Golf Journey

Retief Goosen showed great talent early on. In 1990, he won the South African Amateur Championship. This was the biggest amateur golf competition in his home country.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

After his amateur success, Retief decided to become a professional golfer in 1990. He started playing on the Southern Africa Tour.

Major Wins and Top Rankings

Retief Goosen became well-known in the golf world in 2001. He won his first U.S. Open at a very challenging course called Southern Hills Country Club. He almost lost the lead on the final hole but managed to get into a playoff. He then won the playoff by two strokes.

Later that year, he also won the Scottish Open. He finished 2001 with three wins and was the top player on the European Tour. He repeated this success in 2002, becoming the first non-European to win the European Tour's top award.

Winning a Second U.S. Open

In 2004, Retief won his second U.S. Open. This time, it was at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, which was also a very tough course. He was amazing at putting that day, making 11 one-putts in the final round. He won by two strokes. After this win, he reached his highest world ranking, becoming the 3rd best golfer.

From 2001 to 2005, Retief won at least one event on the PGA Tour every year. He added his seventh PGA Tour win in 2009 at the Transitions Championship.

Goosen looking over a putt at the 2006 Chrysler Championship

Retief was known for being a very consistent player. He often finished in the top 5 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In 2006, he reached his career-best ranking of third in the world.

Challenges and Comebacks

From late 2007 to 2008, Retief faced some challenges. He said he had changed his golf swing and lost confidence. In 2008, he had eye surgery, which affected his play. However, he started to improve later that year. He won the Iskandar Johor Open, continuing his streak of winning a professional event every year since 1995.

Retief Goosen at the 2008 Players Championship

In 2009, Retief's game got much better. He won the Africa Open Golf Challenge and then the Transitions Championship on the PGA Tour. He worked hard on his fitness and putting, which helped him a lot. He had many top finishes that year, including a tie for 5th at The Open Championship.

In 2010, Retief continued his strong play with many top-10 finishes. However, he had to deal with injuries, including a broken toe and a hand injury. Despite this, he still had a great season.

Later, he faced back injuries, which made it difficult to play. For the first time in over ten years, he dropped out of the top 50 world rankings in 2011. He continued to work on his game and health in the following years.

Playing on the Champions Tour

In 2019, Retief Goosen turned 50 years old. This meant he could start playing on the PGA Tour Champions, a tour for older professional golfers. In July 2019, he won his first tournament on this tour, which was a major championship called the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship. He won by making birdies on the last two holes!

In January 2020, Retief was named the PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year for his great performance in 2019. In March 2022, he won another event, the Hoag Classic, in California. He also won the Galleri Classic in March 2024.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Retief Goosen is often called "The Iceman" by other golfers. This nickname comes from his very calm and cool way of playing, even under pressure. Some people believe his calm nature might be connected to being struck by lightning when he was younger. He is also sometimes called "The Goose."

Retief has participated in the Nelson Mandela Invitational in South Africa, a golf event honoring former South African President Nelson Mandela. He has won this event multiple times.

Beyond golf, Retief Goosen has his own vineyard in South Africa. He started growing grapes there in 2005. He even named his wine "The Goose." His wines have won awards, showing he's good at more than just golf!

Other Ventures

Retief Goosen has also designed several golf courses around the world. These include:

• Lagoon Bay in George, South Africa
• Lizard Point in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Legends in Mokopane, South Africa

He also has a course under construction in China.

Helping Others

Retief Goosen is involved in charity work:

• MAD (Make a Difference Charity): He is a supporter of this organization. It helps provide education for talented children in South Africa who are less fortunate.
• SADGA (South African Disabled Golf Association): Retief also supports SADGA. This group helps disabled golfers enjoy the game and even find job opportunities in golf.

Amateur Wins

• 1985/86 Transvaal Amateur Team
• 1990 South African Amateur, Kempton Park Classic

Professional Wins (39)

PGA Tour Wins (7)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	18 Jun 2001	U.S. Open	−4 (66-70-69-71=276)	Playoff	Mark Brooks
2	7 Apr 2002	BellSouth Classic	−16 (68-66-68-70=272)	4 strokes	Jesper Parnevik
3	2 Nov 2003	Chrysler Championship	−12 (69-66-67-70=272)	3 strokes	Vijay Singh
4	20 Jun 2004	U.S. Open (2)	−4 (70-66-69-71=276)	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson
5	7 Nov 2004	The Tour Championship	−11 (70-66-69-64=269)	4 strokes	Tiger Woods
6	7 Aug 2005	The International	32 pts (7-10-8-7=32)	1 point	Brandt Jobe
7	22 Mar 2009	Transitions Championship (2)	−8 (69-68-69-70=276)	1 stroke	Charles Howell III, Brett Quigley

European Tour Wins (14)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	16 Jun 1996	Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge	−11 (66-69-70-72=277)	2 strokes	Ross Drummond
2	29 Jun 1997	Peugeot Open de France	−17 (64-67-70-70=271)	1 stroke	Jamie Spence
3	9 May 1999	Novotel Perrier Open de France (2)	−12 (69-65-68-70=272)	Playoff	Greg Turner
4	17 Sep 2000	Trophée Lancôme	−13 (69-71-64-67=271)	1 stroke	Michael Campbell
5	17 Jun 2001	U.S. Open	−4 (66-70-69-71=276)	Playoff	Mark Brooks
6	15 Jul 2001	Scottish Open	−16 (62-69-66-71=268)	3 strokes	Thomas Bjørn
7	28 Oct 2001	Telefónica Open de Madrid	−20 (66-64-66-68=264)	Playoff	Steve Webster
8	27 Jan 2002	Johnnie Walker Classic	−14 (70-68-63-73=274)	8 strokes	Pierre Fulke
9	14 Sep 2003	Trophée Lancôme (2)	−18 (63-65-68-70=266)	4 strokes	Paul McGinley
10	20 Jun 2004	U.S. Open (2)	−4 (70-66-69-71=276)	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson
11	4 Jul 2004	Smurfit European Open	−13 (69-66-72-68=275)	5 strokes	Richard Green, Peter O'Malley, Lee Westwood
12	11 Sep 2005	Linde German Masters	−20 (67-68-66-67=268)	1 stroke	Nick Dougherty
13	18 Dec 2005 (2006 season)	South African Airways Open	−10 (73-70-69-70=282)	1 stroke	Ernie Els
14	28 Jan 2007	Commercialbank Qatar Masters	−15 (65-68-71-69=273)	1 stroke	Nick O'Hern

Asian Tour Wins (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	27 Jan 2002	Johnnie Walker Classic	−14 (70-68-63-73=274)	8 strokes	Pierre Fulke
2	4 Sep 2005	Volkswagen Masters-China	−22 (64-67-71-64=266)	6 strokes	Michael Campbell
3	15 Oct 2006	Volkswagen Masters-China (2)	−21 (64-65-67-71=267)	3 strokes	Michael Campbell
4	28 Jan 2007	Commercialbank Qatar Masters	−15 (65-68-71-69=273)	1 stroke	Nick O'Hern
5	2 Nov 2008	Iskandar Johor Open	−12 (72-69-69-66=276)	2 strokes	Thaworn Wiratchant

Sunshine Tour Wins (6)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	11 Jan 1992	Spoornet Classic	−12 (65-76-67-68=276)	1 stroke	John Bland, Richard Kaplan
2	24 Jan 1993	Mount Edgecombe Trophy	−9 (70-71-69-69=279)	5 strokes	Nick Price
3	12 Feb 1995	Phillips South African Open	−13 (70-65-70-70=275)	5 strokes	Ernie Els
4	3 Feb 2002	Dimension Data Pro-Am	−20 (63-70-69-66=268)	3 strokes	Scott Drummond
5	18 Dec 2005	South African Airways Open (2)	−10 (73-70-69-68=282)	1 stroke	Ernie Els
6	18 Jan 2009	Africa Open Golf Challenge	−21 (66-70-66-65=267)	1 stroke	Darren Clarke, Darren Fichardt, Branden Grace, Michael Hoey

Other Wins (9)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	25 Apr 1991	Iscor Newcastle Classic	−14 (69-63-70=202)	1 stroke	Derek James
2	11 Jul 1992	Bushveld Classic	−12 (69-68-67=204)	6 strokes	Derek James
3	11 Oct 1992	Highveld Classic	−17 (69-66-64=199)	1 stroke	Ashley Roestoff
4	26 Nov 2000	Nelson Mandela Invitational (with Allan Henning)	−1 (71-72=143)	1 stroke
5	18 Nov 2001	WGC-World Cup (with Ernie Els)	−24 (64-71-63-66=264)	Playoff	Denmark − Thomas Bjørn and Søren Hansen,  New Zealand − Michael Campbell and David Smail,  United States − David Duval and Tiger Woods
6	16 Nov 2003	Tiger Skins Game	$130,000	$95,000	Annika Sörenstam
7	5 Dec 2004	Nedbank Golf Challenge	−7 (70-71-71-69=281)	6 strokes	Stuart Appleby, Ernie Els
8	26 Nov 2006	Nelson Mandela Invitational (2) (with Bobby Lincoln)	−16 (62-66=128)	Playoff	John Bland and Alan Michell
9	16 Nov 2008	Riffa Views Skins Game	$151,000	$71,000	Colin Montgomerie

PGA Tour Champions Wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	14 Jul 2019	Bridgestone Senior Players Championship	−6 (69-62-75-68=274)	2 strokes	Jay Haas, Tim Petrovic
2	6 Mar 2022	Hoag Classic	−15 (68-67-63=198)	4 strokes	K. J. Choi
3	31 Mar 2024	Galleri Classic	−13 (66-68-69=203)	1 stroke	Steven Alker, Alex Čejka, Ricardo González

Major Championships

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2001	U.S. Open	Tied for lead	−4 (66-70-69-71=276)	Playoff1	Mark Brooks
2004	U.S. Open (2)	2 stroke lead	−4 (70-66-69-71=276)	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson

¹Defeated Brooks in an 18-hole playoff: Goosen 70 (E), Brooks 72 (+2).

Results Timeline

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied

Summary of Major Results

Senior Major Championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runners-up
2019	Bridgestone Senior Players Championship	1 shot deficit	−6 (69-62-75-68=274)	2 strokes	Jay Haas, Tim Petrovic

Results Timeline

Results not in chronological order

     Win      Top 10      Did not play

"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Team Appearances

Retief Goosen has represented South Africa and the International team in many important golf competitions:

• World Cup (representing South Africa): 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001 (winners), 2007
• Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1995, 1996, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners), 1999, 2000
• Alfred Dunhill Challenge (representing Southern Africa): 1995 (winners)
• Presidents Cup (International team): 2000, 2003 (tie), 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011
• Tavistock Cup (representing Lake Nona): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (winners), 2008, 2009 (winners), 2010 (winners)

See also

In Spanish: Retief Goosen para niños

• List of men's major championships winning golfers
• List of African golfers