Alexander Lévy Explained

Alexander Lévy
Nickname:El Toro[1]
Birth Date:1 August 1990
Birth Place:Orange, California, U.S.
Weight:82kg (181lb)
Residence:Bandol, France
Yearpro:2011
Tour:European Tour
Extour:Challenge Tour
Prowins:5
Eurowins:5
Otherwins:2
Masters:DNP
Usopen:T27: 2015
Open:CUT: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
Pga:T30: 2014

Alexander Lévy (in French pronounced as /le.vi/; born 1 August 1990) is a French professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour.[2] [3]

Lévy won the French Amateur Championship in 2009, and the French International Amateur Championship the next year. Turning pro in 2011, his first wins of the European Tour came in 2014 at the Volvo China Open and the Portugal Masters. He won a title each year between 2016 and 2018 : the 2016 Porsche European Open, the 2017 Volvo China Open and the Trophee Hassan II in 2018. He rose to 47th in the world following this last victory. At a nationwide level, only fellow countryman Thomas Levet is in possession of more titles on the European Tour (6), Levy currently trails Levet by one.

Personal life

Levy was born to French parents on 1 August 1990 in Orange, California, and is Jewish.[2] [4] [5] His father (Philippe) and mother are pharmacists.[2] [6]

When he was four years old, his family moved to Bandol, France, where he resides.[2] [6] At 14 years of age, he joined the French Federation of Golf's academy for secondary school.[2] His nickname is El Toro.[1]

Amateur career

Lévy had a successful amateur career before turning professional, winning the French Amateur Championship in 2009 and the French International Amateur Championship the next year,[7] when he was also a member of the winning French team at the Eisenhower Trophy World Team Championship.

Professional career

Turning pro in 2011,[7] Lévy initially played on the Challenge Tour as an invited player in 2011 and 2012 before earning his European Tour playing rights at qualifying school for the 2013 season.

His first win of the European Tour came at the Volvo China Open in 2014, an event co-sanctioned with the OneAsia Tour, where he shot a 19-under-par 269.[4] [8] [9] During the second round, Lévy shot a course record 62 at Genzon Golf Club giving him a four-stroke lead at the halfway point from which he was able to hold on to win.[10] Following this win Levy was named as April 2014 European Tour Golfer of the Month[11]

His first appearance in a major championship was at the 2014 PGA Championship.[12] In October 2014, he claimed his second European Tour win at the Portugal Masters in an event which was shortened to 36 holes due to adverse weather conditions.[13] With his win, he became the first French golfer to win more than once in the same season.[14]

In winning the 2016 Porsche European Open at Bad Griesbach, Germany, at the age of 26 years and 55 days, he became the youngest Frenchman in history to win three European Tour titles.[14] [15]

He again won the Volvo China Open in 2017, becoming the first two-time winner of the event in its 23-year history.[14]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (5)

European Tour wins (5)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
127 Apr 2014Volvo China Open1−19 (68-62-70-69=269)4 strokes Tommy Fleetwood
212 Oct 2014Portugal Masters−18 (63-61=124)*3 strokes Nicolas Colsaerts
325 Sep 2016Porsche European Open−19 (62-63-69=194)*Playoff Ross Fisher
430 Apr 2017Volvo China Open1 (2)−17 (63-70-71-67=271)Playoff Dylan Frittelli
522 Apr 2018Trophée Hassan II−8 (72-69-69-70=280)1 stroke Álvaro Quirós
*Note: Tournament shortened to 36/54 holes due to weather.
1Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour

European Tour playoff record (2–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
12014BMW Masters Ross Fisher, Marcel SiemSiem won with birdie on first extra hole
22016Porsche European Open Ross FisherWon with birdie on second extra hole
32017Volvo China Open Dylan FrittelliWon with birdie on first extra hole
42017Porsche European Open Jordan SmithLost to birdie on second extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament20142015201620172018
Masters Tournament
U.S. OpenT27CUTCUT
The Open ChampionshipCUTCUTCUT
PGA ChampionshipT30CUTCUTCUT
Tournament2019
Masters Tournament
PGA Championship
U.S. Open
The Open ChampionshipCUT
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
ChampionshipT38
Match PlayT52T36
InvitationalT58
ChampionsT14T58T31T28
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Alexander Levy Could Become Next Breakout Star on European Tour . Golf Channel . Will . Gray . 1 November 2014 . 9 February 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023422/http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/levy-could-become-next-breakout-star-euro-tour/ . 24 September 2015 . dead .
  2. News: Levy c'est grand . Orange County Register . Matt . Hanlon . 1 July 2014.
  3. Web site: European Tour - Player Profile . . 27 April 2014.
  4. Web site: Fore . https://archive.today/20140709114017/http://njjewishnews.com/kaplanskorner/2014/04/29/fore/ . dead . 9 July 2014 . Ron . Kaplan . 29 April 2014 .
  5. Alcott, Fleisher, Pressel: Don't Pass Over Jewish Golfers . Golf Magazine . 25 March 2015 . Michael . Bamberger.
  6. Web site: Alexander Levy biography . PGA European Tour.
  7. Web site: IMG Golf - Player Profile . IMG Golf . 27 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140426232343/http://www.imggolf.com/Our-Clients/Golfers/Alexander-Levy.aspx . 2014-04-26 . dead . dmy-all .
  8. News: Alexander Levy wins China Open in Shenzhen by four shots . . 27 April 2014.
  9. Web site: 2014 Volvo China Open - Official Score . . 27 April 2014.
  10. Web site: Levy keen to continue French renaissance . . 27 April 2014.
  11. Web site: Levy named Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month . . 2 May 2014.
  12. Web site: 2014 PGA Championship Field . . 7 August 2014.
  13. News: Portugal Masters: Alexander Levy wins rain-shortened event . . 12 October 2014.
  14. Web site: Alexander Levy – The Man With The Golden Touch . Volvo China Open . 30 April 2017.
  15. Alexander Levy delivers an instant-classic club twirl in Euro Tour win . Golf Digest . Joel . Beall . 25 September 2016.
  16. Web site: European Boys' Team Championship – European Golf Association . 22 January 2023.