kids encyclopedia robot

Woody Austin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Woody Austin
Personal information
Full name Albert Woody Austin II
Nickname Aquaman
Born (1964-01-27) January 27, 1964 (age 61)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st)
Nationality  United States
Residence Derby, Kansas, U.S.
Career
College University of Miami
Turned professional 1986
Current tour(s) PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 11
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 4
Champions Tour 4
Other 3
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament CUT: 1996, 2008
U.S. Open T23: 1996
The Open Championship T39: 2008
PGA Championship 2nd: 2007
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year
1995

Albert Woody Austin II (born January 27, 1964) is an American professional golfer. He played most of his career on the PGA Tour. Now, he plays on the PGA Tour Champions, which is for older golfers.

Early Life and Becoming a Pro

Woody Austin was born in Tampa, Florida. He went to George D. Chamberlain High School. He was named the best golf player in his conference.

After high school, he studied at the University of Miami. He was part of their golf team. In 1986, he finished college and became a professional golfer.

Golf Career Highlights

Woody Austin quickly made a name for himself. In 1995, he was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. This award goes to the best new player on the tour.

He won four times on the PGA Tour. His first win was the 1995 Buick Open. He also won the 2004 Buick Championship. In 2007, he won the Stanford St. Jude Championship. His last PGA Tour win was the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship. He was one of the oldest winners in Tour history at that time.

The "Aquaman" Moment

During the 2007 Presidents Cup, something funny happened. Woody Austin tried to hit a golf ball while standing in a pond. He accidentally fell into the water! This moment earned him the nickname "Aquaman." Later, he even wore swimming goggles during a match.

Major Tournaments

Woody Austin had his best performance in a major tournament in 2007. He finished 2nd at the PGA Championship, right behind golf legend Tiger Woods. This great finish helped him reach the top 50 in the world golf rankings. His highest ranking was 29th in 2008.

In 2013, he faced a challenge at the PGA Championship. He was given a four-stroke penalty. This was because he had too many clubs in his golf bag. Golfers are only allowed to carry 14 clubs.

Success on the PGA Tour Champions

After playing on the PGA Tour for many years, Woody Austin moved to the PGA Tour Champions. This tour is for professional golfers aged 50 and older.

He quickly found success there. In March 2016, he won his first title on the PGA Tour Champions. It was the Tucson Conquistadores Classic. He won two more times that year. In 2018, he won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. This was his fourth win on the senior tour.

Professional Wins

Woody Austin has won many tournaments in his career. Here are some of his biggest wins.

PGA Tour Wins (4)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Aug 6, 1995 Buick Open −18 (63-68-72-67=270) Playoff United States Mike Brisky
2 Aug 29, 2004 Buick Championship −10 (68-70-66-66=270) Playoff United States Tim Herron
3 Jun 10, 2007 Stanford St. Jude Championship −13 (72-66-67-62=267) 5 strokes England Brian Davis
4 Jul 21, 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship −20 (69-65-67-67=268) Playoff United States Cameron Beckman, United States Daniel Summerhays

PGA Tour Playoff Record (3–1) Woody Austin has a good record in playoffs on the PGA Tour. He has won 3 out of 4 playoffs.

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1995 Buick Open United States Mike Brisky Won with par on second extra hole
2 2003 MCI Heritage United States Davis Love III Lost to birdie on fourth extra hole
3 2004 Buick Championship United States Tim Herron Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship United States Cameron Beckman, United States Daniel Summerhays Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other Wins (2)

  • 1993 Waterloo Open Golf Classic
  • 2007 Merrill Lynch Shootout (with Mark Calcavecchia)

PGA Tour Champions Wins (4)

Legend
Charles Schwab Cup playoff events (1)
Other PGA Tour Champions (3)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Mar 20, 2016 Tucson Conquistadores Classic −16 (65-70-65=200) 1 stroke United States Jim Carter
2 Apr 17, 2016 Mitsubishi Electric Classic −11 (72-69-64=205) Playoff United States Wes Short Jr.
3 Apr 24, 2016 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf
(with United States Michael Allen)
−23 (49-59-48=156) 1 stroke England Roger Chapman and South Africa David Frost
4 Oct 21, 2018 Dominion Energy Charity Classic −11 (68-68-69=205) 1 stroke Germany Bernhard Langer

PGA Tour Champions Playoff Record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2016 Mitsubishi Electric Classic United States Wes Short Jr. Won with par on second extra hole
2 2016 Boeing Classic Germany Bernhard Langer, United States Kevin Sutherland Langer won with birdie on first extra hole
3 2019 Hoag Classic United States Kirk Triplett Lost to eagle on second extra hole

Other Senior Wins (1)

  • 2017 Diamond Resorts Invitational

U.S. National Team

Woody Austin was part of the United States team for the 2007 Presidents Cup. His team won the event that year.

Hall of Fame

In 2008, Woody Austin was honored by his college. He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. He now lives in Derby, Kansas.

kids search engine
Woody Austin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.