Growing Up
Mark was born June 12, 1960, in Laurel, Nebraska. His father was a bowling proprietor and as a child Mark became an avid bowler. Golf became Mark's main focus when the family moved from Nebraska to Florida. He would often play 72 holes a day in the summer.
Junior and College Golf
As a junior golfer, Mark won the 1976 Orange Bowl Championship and Florida State Junior. He was also part of the 1978 American Junior Golf Association All-American team. After high school, Mark played golf for the University of Florida. In 1979 he was named first-team All-SEC.
PGA Tour
Mark has been playing on the PGA Tour for 28 years. He won his first tournament at the 1986 Southwest Golf Classic. In 1989, Mark won three tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the British Open. Mark's last win came in 2007, when he won the PODS Championship. As of August 2009, Mark had made 12 of 17 cuts and earned over $757,000.
British Open
Mark's biggest victory came at the 1989 British Open at Royal Troon. He birdied the final hole of regulation to force a playoff with Wayne Grady and Greg Norman. In the first four-hole playoff in British Open history, Mark birdied two of the final three holes to win his first major championship.
Career Accomplishments
In 2002, Mark became only the 15th person inducted into the Phoenix Open Hall of Fame. He has been a member of four Ryder Cup teams (1987,1989,1991 and 2002). In his 28 years on the PGA Tour, Mark has earned over $23.8 million.
About The Author
John Wagner is a certified golf instructor and professional golfer with over eight years of experience. As a certified GolfTEC and Chuck Cook golf instructor, he has given over 3,000 golf lessons. John writes for GolfLink.com and has over 40 articles published.
