John Mahaffey
John Mahaffey | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Full name | John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. |
Born | Kerrville, Texas | May 9, 1948
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Weight | 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st) |
Sporting nationality | ![]() |
Residence | The Woodlands, Texas |
Career | |
College | University of Houston |
Turned professional | 1971 |
Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
Professional wins | 15 |
Number of wins by tour | |
PGA Tour | 10 |
PGA Tour Champions | 1 |
Other | 4 |
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
Masters Tournament | T8: 1981 |
PGA Championship | Won: 1978 |
U.S. Open | 2nd: 1975 |
The Open Championship | T10: 1975 |
John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. (born May 9, 1948) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour events.
Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas. He attended the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He turned pro in 1971 after graduating in 1970 with a degree in psychology.
Mahaffey came close to winning back to back U.S. Opens. In 1975 he lost in a playoff to Lou Graham at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. The following year Mahaffey had a two-shot lead after 54 holes at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia before shooting a final round 73 and finishing T4th.
In 1978, he won twice on the tour that year including one major, the PGA Championship. He also won the World Cup individual and team event where he was paired with Andy North that year.
The 1978 PGA championship was held at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Mahaffey became the best comeback winner in PGA history after trailing Tom Watson by seven strokes with 14 holes to play. Ultimately, the tournament came down to a three-player playoff – Mahaffey, Watson and Jerry Pate. 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 putt for the Championship.[1]
Mahaffey played on the 1979 Ryder Cup team.
Mahaffey currently lives near Houston at The Woodlands 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 last played on the Champions Tour in 2007. He works as a announcer on Golf Channel telecasts of the PGA Tour Champions.
Amateur wins (1)
- 1970 NCAA Championship
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (10)
Legend |
Major championships (1) |
Players Championships (1) |
Other PGA Tour (8) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oct 28, 1973 | Sahara Invitational | −13 (68-66-69-68=271) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
2 | Aug 6, 1978 | PGA Championship | −8 (75-67-68-66=276) | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
3 | Aug 13, 1978 | American Optical Classic | −14 (71-65-67-67=270) | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
4 | Jan 14, 1979 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | −17 (66-66-71-71-69=343) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
5 | Jun 1, 1980 | Kemper Open | −13 (68-72-67-68=275) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
6 | July 26, 1981 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | −8 (72-67-70-67=276) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
7 | Jan 15, 1984 | Bob Hope Classic | −20 (66-70-70-68-66=340) | Playoff | ![]() |
8 | Sep 29, 1985 | Texas Open | −12 (68-68-65-67=268) | Playoff | ![]() |
9 | Mar 30, 1986 | Tournament Players Championship | −13 (69-70-65-71=275) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
10 | Aug 6, 1989 | Federal Express St. Jude Classic | −12 (70-71-66-65=272) | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1975 | U.S. Open | ![]() |
Lost 18-hole playoff (Graham:71, Mahaffey:73) |
2 | 1978 | PGA Championship | ![]() ![]() |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
3 | 1984 | Bob Hope Desert Classic | ![]() |
Won with par on second extra hole |
4 | 1985 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
5 | 1985 | Texas Open | ![]() |
Won with par on second extra hole |
Other wins (4)
- 1978 World Cup (team with Andy North and individual event)
- 1979 World Cup (with Hale Irwin)
- 1981 Spalding Invitational
- 1982 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with JoAnne Carner)
Champions Tour wins (1)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jun 20, 1999 | Southwestern Bell Dominion | −12 (67-67-70=204) | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–1)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1999 | Southwestern Bell Dominion | ![]() ![]() |
Won with birdie on second extra hole Fleisher eliminated with birdie on first hole |
2 | 2002 | FleetBoston Classic | ![]() |
Lost to birdie on third extra hole |
Major championships
Wins (1)
Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | PGA Championship | 7 shot deficit | −8 (75-67-68-66=276) | Playoff1 | ![]() ![]() |
1Defeated Pate and Watson with a birdie on the second extra hole.
Results timeline
Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | T39 | |||||||
U.S. Open | T36 LA | CUT | T29 | T12 | 2 | T4 | T36 | |||
The Open Championship | T44 | T10 | ||||||||
PGA Championship | T30 | T9 | T28 | WD | 1 | T51 |
Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T44 | T8 | CUT | T40 | CUT | T14 | T42 | T35 | ||
U.S. Open | T28 | CUT | T22 | T34 | T30 | T39 | CUT | T24 | T46 | |
The Open Championship | T32 | T30 | ||||||||
PGA Championship | T15 | CUT | T42 | CUT | T20 | T23 | CUT | T65 | T15 | CUT |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | T42 | |||||||
U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | ||||
The Open Championship | ||||||||
PGA Championship | T40 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | WD |
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary
Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 |
U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 13 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 12 |
Totals | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 59 | 37 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1978 PGA – 1981 Masters)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (1975 U.S. Open – 1975 Open Championship)
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 1979 (winners)
- World Cup: 1978 (winners, individual winner), 1979 (winners)
- Nissan Cup: 1986
See also
References
- ^ "PGA Championship History – 1978: Never count a golfer out". PGA of America. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
External links
- John Mahaffey at the PGA Tour official site
- American male golfers
- Houston Cougars men's golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- PGA Tour Champions golfers
- Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
- Winners of men's major golf championships
- Golf writers and broadcasters
- Golfers from Texas
- People from Kerrville, Texas
- Sportspeople from Houston
- 1948 births
- Living people