Shaun Micheel (1 USPGA )

1969

Shaun Carl Micheel (born January 5, 1969) is an American professional golfer who is best known for his surprise victory at the 2003 PGA Championship.

Micheel was born in Orlando, Florida. He attended Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee and Indiana University and turned professional in 1992. He taught himself how to play golf after his parents bought a home on a golf course in Memphis. He had a very patchy early career, during which he struggled to hold on to membership on the PGA Tour. His successes included a victory in the Singapore Open in 1998 and a win on the Nike Tour (now the Web.com Tour) in 1999.

He went into the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club ranked 169th in the Official World Golf Ranking, becoming one of the biggest underdogs to win a major in recent times. In the first two rounds, he shot 69-68 (−3) to take a two-shot lead over Billy Andrade and Mike Weir. A third round 69 put him at −4, tied for the lead with Chad Campbell and three shots clear of Weir. He shot a par 70 in the final round to defeat Campbell by two strokes.[1] That season, he finished 32nd on the money list. In 2004, he made the top 100 on the PGA Tour money list for the second time in his career, but he did not make the move up to being a regular high finisher. His career high world ranking is 36th, achieved in 2004.

In August 2006, Micheel returned to prominence when he finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club; he followed that with T7 two weeks later at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He was also runner-up at the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship, after defeating Woods in the first round. On the PGA Tour, he ended the year with nine consecutive cuts and placed in the top 50 on the money list.

Micheel is only the second golfer to make a double eagle (albatross) in U.S. Open history. It came on the 6th hole during the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open.[2]

Micheel is one of the few golfers to have a major as his only PGA Tour win.[3] Micheel leads the list with 390 starts through the start of 2017. Micheel last played a full PGA Tour season in 2011.