John Mahaffey
Encyclopedia
John Drayton Mahaffey, Jr. (born May 9, 1948) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...

 who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...

 events.

Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...

. He attended the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

 in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

. He turned pro in 1971 after graduating in 1970 with a degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

.

Mahaffey came close to winning back to back U.S. Opens
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

. In 1975 he lost in a playoff to Lou Graham at the Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois with nearly 600 members and containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities and a Byzantine-style, mosque-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for...

 in Medinah, Illinois
Medinah, Illinois
Medinah is an unincorporated community in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois and is a suburb of Chicago. Medinah, largely located in DuPage County, is situated between the villages of Roselle, Itasca, Bloomingdale, and Addison...

. The following year Mahaffey had a two-shot lead after 54 holes at the Atlanta Athletic Club
Atlanta Athletic Club
The Atlanta Athletic Club , founded in 1898, is a world-renowned private athletic club in Johns Creek, Georgia, a suburb 23 miles north of Atlanta. The original home of the club was a 10-story building located on Carnegie Way, and in 1904 a golf course was built on Atlanta's East Lake property...

 in Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek is a suburban city in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, which incorporated December 1, 2006. It is named for a tributary that runs through the area. The city was created out of the northeastern part of unincorporated Fulton County...

 before shooting a final round 73 and finishing T4th.

In 1978, he won twice on the tour that year including one major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...

, the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

. He also won the World Cup
WGC-World Cup
The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...

 individual and team event where he was paired with Andy North
Andy North
Andrew Stewart North is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice.- Early years :North was born in Thorp, Wisconsin, and raised in Monona, Wisconsin...

 that year.

The 1978 PGA championship was held at Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....

 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census....

. Mahaffey became the best comeback winner in PGA history after trailing Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....

 by seven strokes with 14 holes to play. Ultimately, the tournament came down to a 3 player playoff – Mahaffey, Watson and Jerry Pate
Jerry Pate
Jerome Kendrick "Jerry" Pate is an American golfer.Jerry Pate was born in Macon, Georgia. He attended the University of Alabama, where he played on the golf team. Pate had a distinguished amateur career. He won the U.S. Amateur in 1974, and the following year he was a member of victorious U.S....

. All three players made par on the first playoff hole. The drama ended on the second playoff hole when Pate missed the green, Watson missed a 30-foot birdie attempt and Mahaffey made his 12-foot birdie put for the Championship.

Mahaffey played on the 1979 Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

 team.

Mahaffey currently lives near Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

 at The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...

 in his home state of Texas. His family includes wife Elizabeth, son John D. III (born 1988) and daughter Meagan (born 1992). In his spare time, he enjoys fishing. Early in his career, Mahaffey was often sought out by other players to do comedic imitations for which he has a special talent. He currently splits his time between playing on the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...

 and serving as a roving announcer on Champions Tour Golf Channel telecasts.

PGA Tour wins (10)

No.DateTournamentWinning ScoreMargin of VictoryRunner(s)-up
1 Oct 28, 1973
1973 PGA Tour
The 1973 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to December 1. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Jack Nicklaus won the most tournaments, seven, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following...

Sahara Invitational
Sahara Invitational
The Sahara Invitational was a PGA Tour event that was played in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1958 to 1976. From 1958 to 1961 it was called the Sahara Pro-Am and was not an official PGA Tour event. It was played at Paradise Valley Country Club from 1970–1972; and at Sahara Nevada Country Club from...

-13 (68-66-69-68=271) 3 strokes   Dave Eichelberger
Dave Eichelberger
Martin Davis Eichelberger, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won several tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour levels....

2 Aug 6, 1978
1978 PGA Tour
The 1978 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to November 5. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below....

PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

-8 (75-67-68-66=276) Playoff   Jerry Pate
Jerry Pate
Jerome Kendrick "Jerry" Pate is an American golfer.Jerry Pate was born in Macon, Georgia. He attended the University of Alabama, where he played on the golf team. Pate had a distinguished amateur career. He won the U.S. Amateur in 1974, and the following year he was a member of victorious U.S....

,   Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....

3 Aug 13, 1978
1978 PGA Tour
The 1978 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to November 5. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below....

American Optical Classic -14 (71-65-67-67=270) 2 strokes   Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....

,   Gil Morgan
Gil Morgan
Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD is an American professional golfer.Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. In 1972, Morgan earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee before turning...

4 Jan 14, 1979
1979 PGA Tour
The 1979 PGA Tour season was played from January 11 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, five, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results and award winners are listed below....

Bob Hope Desert Classic -17 (66-66-71-71-69=343) 1 stroke   Lee Trevino
Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:...

5 Jun 1, 1980
1980 PGA Tour
The 1980 PGA Tour season was played from January 10 to October 19. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Tom Watson won the most tournaments, seven, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Kemper Open -13 (68-72-67-68=275) 3 strokes   Craig Stadler
Craig Stadler
Craig Robert Stadler is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....

6 July 26, 1981
1981 PGA Tour
The 1981 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to October 25. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Bill Rogers won the most tournaments, four, and there were five first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic -8 (72-67-70-67=276) 2 strokes   Andy North
Andy North
Andrew Stewart North is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice.- Early years :North was born in Thorp, Wisconsin, and raised in Monona, Wisconsin...

7 Jan 15, 1984
1984 PGA Tour
The 1984 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Denis Watson and Tom Watson won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament...

Bob Hope Classic -20 (66-70-70-68-66=340) Playoff   Jim Simons
Jim Simons (golfer)
James Bradley Simons was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s....

8 Sep 29, 1985
1985 PGA Tour
The 1985 PGA Tour season was played from January 10 to October 27. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Curtis Strange and Lanny Wadkins won the most tournaments, three, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed...

Texas Open -12 (68-68-65-67=268) Playoff   Jodie Mudd
Jodie Mudd
Joseph Martin "Jodie" Mudd is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour.Mudd was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, where he developed into an honored amateur golfer.Mudd won four PGA Tour events during his career...

9 Mar 30, 1986
1986 PGA Tour
The 1986 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Bob Tway won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following...

Tournament Players Championship -8 (69-70-65-71=275) 1 stroke   Larry Mize
Larry Mize
Lawrence Hogan "Larry" Mize is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour...

10 Aug 6, 1989
1989 PGA Tour
The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament...

Federal Express St. Jude Classic -12 (70-71-66-65=272) 3 strokes   Bob Gilder
Bob Gilder
Robert Bryan Gilder is an American professional golfer. He won six tournaments in his PGA Tour career and currently plays on the Champions Tour where he has ten wins.-Biography:...

,   Hubert Green
Hubert Green
Hubert Myatt Green is an American professional golfer who has won numerous professional golf tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....

,
  Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...

,   Bob Tway
Bob Tway
Robert Raymond Tway IV is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including eight PGA Tour victories. He spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 1986-87....



PGA Tour playoff record (3-2)
No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1975 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

  Lou Graham Lost 18-hole playoff (Graham:71, Mahaffey:73)
2 1978 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

  Jerry Pate
Jerry Pate
Jerome Kendrick "Jerry" Pate is an American golfer.Jerry Pate was born in Macon, Georgia. He attended the University of Alabama, where he played on the golf team. Pate had a distinguished amateur career. He won the U.S. Amateur in 1974, and the following year he was a member of victorious U.S....

,   Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....

Won with birdie on second extra hole
3 1984 Bob Hope Desert Classic   Jim Simons
Jim Simons (golfer)
James Bradley Simons was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s....

Won with par on second extra hole
4 1985 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic   Mark Wiebe
Mark Wiebe
Mark Charles Wiebe is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour. He has also played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.Wiebe was born in Seaside, Oregon and grew up in Escondido, California...

Lost to birdie on first extra hole
5 1985 Texas Open   Jodie Mudd
Jodie Mudd
Joseph Martin "Jodie" Mudd is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour.Mudd was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, where he developed into an honored amateur golfer.Mudd won four PGA Tour events during his career...

Won with par on second extra hole

Other wins (4)

  • 1978 World Cup
    WGC-World Cup
    The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...

     (team with Andy North
    Andy North
    Andrew Stewart North is an American professional golfer who is best known for winning the U.S. Open twice.- Early years :North was born in Thorp, Wisconsin, and raised in Monona, Wisconsin...

     and individual event)
  • 1979 World Cup
    WGC-World Cup
    The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...

     (with Hale Irwin
    Hale Irwin
    Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was...

    )
  • 1981 Spalding Invitational
  • 1982 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with JoAnne Carner
    JoAnne Carner
    JoAnne Gunderson Carner is a former American professional golfer. Her 43 victories on the LPGA Tour led to her induction in the World Golf Hall of Fame. She is the only woman to have won the U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Women's Amateur, and U.S. Women's Open titles, and was the first person ever to...

    )

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 HolesWinning ScoreMarginRunners-up
1978
1978 PGA Championship
The 1978 PGA Championship was the 60th PGA Championship played August 3-6 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. John Mahaffey won the championship in a sudden-death playoff over Jerry Pate and Tom Watson.-Final leaderboard:...

 
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

 
7 shot deficit -8 (75-67-68-66=276) Playoff1   Jerry Pate
Jerry Pate
Jerome Kendrick "Jerry" Pate is an American golfer.Jerry Pate was born in Macon, Georgia. He attended the University of Alabama, where he played on the golf team. Pate had a distinguished amateur career. He won the U.S. Amateur in 1974, and the following year he was a member of victorious U.S....

,   Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....


1Defeated Jerry Pate and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second extra hole.

Results timeline

Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...

DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT CUT T39 DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

T36 LA DNP CUT T29 T12 2 T4 DNP DNP T36
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

DNP DNP DNP DNP T44 T10 DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

DNP DNP DNP T30 T9 T28 WD DNP 1 T51

Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...

T44 T8 CUT T40 CUT T14 T42 T35 DNP DNP
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

T28 CUT T22 T34 T30 T39 CUT T24 DNP T46
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

T32 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T30 DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

T15 CUT T42 CUT T20 T23 CUT T65 T15 CUT

Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
The Masters
The Masters Tournament
The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters , is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year...

T42 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

CUT DNP DNP CUT CUT CUT DNP DNP
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

T40 CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT DNP WD


LA = Low Amateur

DNP = Did not play

WD = Withdrew

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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