Ben Crenshaw
Ben Daniel Crenshaw ( born January 11, 1952 in Austin, Texas) is an American professional golfer of the Champions Tour and two-time major winner.
Career
Crenshaw attended the University of Texas. In his sensational amateur career he reached 17 victories. He was an amateur all three majors - for the fourth, the PGA Championship are only authorized professionals - and eleven other PGA TOUR events. Every time he made the cut. Three times in a row - 1971 to 1973 - he won the tournament of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) in the individual standings. Together with Phil Mickelson, he is so record title holder. 1971 and 1972 he won at the side of Tom Kite with the team from the University of Texas and the team classification.
In 1973, Crenshaw professional golfer was in the same year and won his first tournament on the PGA TOUR. He won a total of 19 tracks on this great North American tournament series, including the two majors, the Masters of 1984 and 1995. Middle of the 1980s he was suffering from Graves' disease, but was able to continue his career harmless and successful.
He stood 1981-1995 four times the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup and was captain in 1999 (non -playing captain ) of the victorious Americans. With Mark McCumber Crenshaw won the 1988 World Cup for his country.
Crenshaw is widely regarded as one of the best putters in the history of golf. Even in his youth golf instructor Harvey Penick him be taught a smooth, effortless Puttstil, which allowed Crenshaw to dominate the world's fastest greens at Augusta National Golf Club and allow a single Dreiputt during the 1995 Masters.
Since 2002, Crenshaw played the Champions Tour.
Ben Crenshaw is married to his wife Julie and has two daughters. He is also active as a recognized golf course designer.
Gentleman and firebrand at the same time
Bob Jones Award, Payne Stewart Award, acceptance into the World Golf Hall of Fame - the honors bestowed were the Crenshaw during his career, evidence of high sportsmanship. He is described as warm-hearted, kind man, just a perfect gentleman.
On the other hand Crenshaw admitted in an interview that his nickname "Gentle Ben" was a sarcastic reference to his temperament. The sports journalist Dick Collins related this term for the first time, as Crenshaw at the age of 15 years won the city championships from Austin. In addition to the more common throwing rackets two episodes illustrate impressively his tendency to fits of rage: In 1987, he lost on the final day of the Ryder Cup nerves. On the sixth hole, he needed three putts to sink the ball. From anger about this and about the fact that he fell against Eamonn Darcy with two holes in arrears, he broke the shaft of his putter. According to a rule may thus destroyed racket not be replaced. That's why he had the match without a putter to play to the end. Instead, he used both a sand wedge and a 1 iron to hole out of the ball. Crenshaw lost after great fight until the last hole the game. Nevertheless, the U.S. underwent the Europeans also because this match loss with 13:15 points.
Its biggest eruption was probably held at the Colonial Invitational in Fort Worth. Also after a Dreiputt he joined so violently against a ton of oil, that he suffered a hairline fracture in the foot. Since the injury made itself felt even years later, he had to undergo surgery almost 20 years after the incident.
Awards
PGA Tour victories ( 19)
Major championships are shown in bold.
Results at the majors
DNP = not started WD = Withdrawn CUT = cut at the failed "T " = split rank Green background for wins Yellow background for top 10.
Champions Tour victories
Other tournament victories
Participation in team competitions
- Ryder Cup 1981 ( winners ), 1983 ( winners ), 1987, 1995, 1999 (winner, non -playing captain )
- World Cup: 1987, 1988 ( victory in the individual competition and winning as a team with Mark McCumber )
- Four Tours World Championship: 1988 ( winners )
- Alfred Dunhill Cup: 1995