| Raymond Floyd | |
| Fullname: | Raymond Loran Floyd |
| Birth Place: | Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Weight: | 200lb |
| Residence: | Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse: | [1] [2] [3] |
| Children: | 3 |
| College: | University of North Carolina |
| Yearpro: | 1961 |
| Extour: | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Prowins: | 63 |
| Pgawins: | 22 |
| Eurowins: | 4 |
| Japwins: | 1 |
| Champwins: | 14 |
| Otherwins: | 14 (regular) 12 (senior) |
| Majorwins: | 4 |
| Masters: | Won: 1976 |
| Usopen: | Won: 1986 |
| Open: | T2: 1978 |
| Pga: | Won: 1969, 1982 |
| Wghofid: | ray-floyd |
| Wghofyear: | 1989 |
| Year1: | 1983 |
| Award2: | Vardon Trophy |
| Year2: | 1983 |
| Award3: | Senior PGA Tour Byron Nelson Award |
| Year3: | 1994, 1995 |
| Award4: | Senior PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year |
| Year4: | 2000 |
Raymond Loran Floyd (born September 4, 1942) is an American retired professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour, including four majors and four senior majors. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.
Floyd was born on September 4, 1942, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was raised in Fayetteville. Floyd's father L.B. had a 21-year career in the U.S. Army, much of it at Fort Bragg as the golf pro at its enlisted-men's course. He also owned a nearby driving range where Raymond and younger sister Marlene, a future LPGA Tour pro, honed their games. From an early age, Floyd could play equally well left-handed, and used his skills to enhance his allowance, winning money from soldiers on the course, as well as civilians in nearby towns.[2]
Floyd graduated from Fayetteville High School (now named Terry Sanford High School) in 1960. Skilled in golf and baseball, he had an offer to pitch in the Cleveland Indians organization, but chose to attend the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, but only stayed for a semester.[2]
After leaving college, Floyd turned professional in 1961, and quickly established himself on the PGA Tour. His first victory came two years later at age 20 in March 1963 in Florida, winning $3,500 at the St. Petersburg Open Invitational,[4] the first of his 22 wins on the PGA Tour, including four major championships.
Floyd won his first major title six years later at the PGA Championship in 1969,[5] and the second came in 1976 at The Masters, by an eight-stroke margin and was won wire-to-wire.[6] He won his second PGA Championship in 1982, after shooting a brilliant opening round of 63 in sweltering hot conditions at Southern Hills Country Club.[7] Floyd's round of 63 was the lowest round in a major championship until 2017.[8] Floyd finished 1982 ranked second in Mark McCormack's world golf rankings, behind only Tom Watson, who had won two majors that season; had those rankings been calculated over just two seasons, on a par with the system in place at the end of 2012, Floyd would have been ranked world number one in 1982, as he had earned more points from all events in total than Watson in both 1981 and 1982.
Floyd's fourth and final major title came at the U.S. Open in 1986 at Shinnecock Hills.[9] After three rounds, he was tied for fifth place, three shots behind leader Greg Norman,[10] who held the 54-hole lead at all four majors in 1986. Norman faltered on Sunday with a 75 (+5), but Floyd shot 66 to win by two strokes and became the then-oldest U.S. Open champion by a few months at 43 years and 9 months.[9] [11] (The record was Ted Ray's since 1920, and is now held by Hale Irwin, a champion at age 45 in 1990.)[12]
The one major title that eluded Floyd, which prevented him from completing the career grand slam, was The Open Championship. His best result was in 1978 at St Andrews; he tied for second place, behind three-time winner Jack Nicklaus.
Floyd came very close to winning a second Green Jacket at the 1990 Masters, where he lost in a playoff to Nick Faldo.[13] On the second playoff hole, Floyd pulled a 7-iron shot into the pond left of the 11th green.[14] Afterward, he said, "This is the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me in my career. I've had a lot of losses, but nothing like this."[15] [16]
In 1992, Floyd again finished runner-up at The Masters, two strokes behind the winner Fred Couples. Floyd's final win on the PGA Tour came at the Doral-Ryder Open in 1992 at age 49, making him one of the oldest players to win a PGA Tour event. The Doral-Ryder Open victory also gave him the distinction of winning PGA Tour events in four decades, joining Sam Snead as the second player to achieve that feat.[17] Floyd also won on the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions) later that season, making him the first player to win on both tours in the same year.
At the end of 1992, Floyd was ranked 14th on the Official World Golf Ranking at the age of 50, one of the highest positions ever attained by a player of that age. Floyd's successful run continued on the Senior Tour, with 14 wins between 1992 and 2000, including four senior majors and two Senior Tour Championships.
In addition to Floyd's victories on the PGA and Champions Tours, he won at least 24 additional tournaments around the world, taking his total victory tally to at least 60 events. While active, Floyd was considered by most golf experts to be the best at chipping the golf ball. He holed many shots from just off the green, the most famous may have been at the Doral-Eastern Open in 1980, where his successful birdie chip on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff defeated Jack Nicklaus.[18] [19]
On his decision to continue playing professional golf on the Senior Tour, Floyd spoke with Golf Digest and mused aloud: "Why do I enjoy golf after 31 years, going out there and doing things that are necessary to be competitive—having practice, having to work, having to dedicate yourself? I guess it comes down to the competition. My personality...I'm not going to play if I'm not competitive."[20]
Floyd won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour in 1983 and played for the U.S. on eight Ryder Cup teams (1969, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1991, and 1993).
Floyd was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup team at The Belfry in England in 1989. At a gala dinner held before the start of the matches, Floyd famously introduced his American side as "The 12 greatest players in the world."[21] [22] This irritated European player Nick Faldo of England, who later said that he felt Floyd's comment was inappropriate.[23]
Floyd was an assistant Ryder Cup captain in 2008. On the eve of the Masters in 2010, Floyd announced his retirement from competitive golf.[24] He was the honoree at Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament in 2013.[25]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Major championships (4) | |
| Players Championships (1) | |
| Other PGA Tour (17) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 17, 1963 | St. Petersburg Open Invitational | 67-71-67-69=274 | −14 | 1 stroke |  Dave Marr | |
| 2 | Jun 27, 1965 | 66-70-65-69=270 | −14 | 4 strokes | Tommy Aaron, Gene Littler | ||
| 3 | Mar 23, 1969 | 68-71-68-71=278 | −10 | Playoff | Gardner Dickinson | ||
| 4 | Jul 27, 1969 | 67-68-68-65=268 | −12 | 4 strokes | Bobby Nichols | ||
| 5 | Aug 17, 1969 | PGA Championship | 69-66-67-74=276 | −8 | 1 stroke | Gary Player | |
| 6 | Jun 8, 1975 | Kemper Open | 65-71-73-69=278 | −10 | 3 strokes | John Mahaffey,  Gary Player | |
| 7 | Apr 11, 1976 | Masters Tournament | 65-66-70-70=271 | −17 | 8 strokes | Ben Crenshaw | |
| 8 | Sep 12, 1976 | World Open Golf Championship | 69-67-67-71=274 | −10 | Playoff | Jerry McGee | |
| 9 | May 8, 1977 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | 69-70-68-69=276 | −8 | 2 strokes | Ben Crenshaw | |
| 10 | Jul 17, 1977 | 67-68-67-69=271 | −12 | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus | ||
| 11 | Apr 8, 1979 | Greater Greensboro Open | 73-71-71-67=282 | −6 | 1 stroke | George Burns, Gary Player | |
| 12 | Mar 16, 1980 | Doral-Eastern Open | 74-69-70-66=279 | −9 | Playoff | ||
| 13 | Mar 15, 1981 | Doral-Eastern Open (2) | 66-68-71-68=273 | −15 | 1 stroke | Keith Fergus,  David Graham | |
| 14 | Mar 23, 1981 | 72-74-71-68=285 | −3 | Playoff | Barry Jaeckel, Curtis Strange | ||
| 15 | Jun 14, 1981 | Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic | 70-68-68-69=275 | −9 | 2 strokes | Bobby Clampett, Gibby Gilbert, Craig Stadler | |
| 16 | May 30, 1982 | Memorial Tournament | 74-69-67-71=281 | −7 | 2 strokes | Peter Jacobsen, Wayne Levi, Roger Maltbie, Gil Morgan | |
| 17 | Jun 13, 1982 | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | 67-68-67-69=271 | −17 | 6 strokes | Mike Holland | |
| 18 | Aug 8, 1982 | PGA Championship (2) | 63-69-68-72=272 | −8 | 3 strokes | Lanny Wadkins | |
| 19 | Apr 28, 1985 | Houston Open | 69-70-69-69=277 | −11 | 1 stroke | David Frost, Bob Lohr | |
| 20 | Jun 15, 1986 | U.S. Open | 75-68-70-66=279 | −1 | 2 strokes | Chip Beck, Lanny Wadkins | |
| 21 | Oct 19, 1986 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | 68-66-70-71=275 | −13 | Playoff | Lon Hinkle, Mike Sullivan | |
| 22 | Mar 8, 1992 | Doral-Ryder Open (3) | 67-67-67-70=271 | −17 | 2 strokes | Keith Clearwater, Fred Couples |
PGA Tour playoff record (5–10)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1969 | Greater Jacksonville Open | Gardner Dickinson | Won with birdie on first extra hole | |
| 2 | 1971 | Arnold Palmer | Lost to birdie on second extra hole | ||
| 3 | 1973 | Bing Crosby National Pro-Am | Orville Moody, Jack Nicklaus | Nicklaus won with birdie on first extra hole | |
| 4 | American Golf Classic | Gay Brewer, Jim Colbert Forrest Fezler | Colbert won with par on second extra hole Brewer and Fezler eliminated by par on first hole | ||
| 5 | 1975 | Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational | Bobby Nichols, J. C. Snead | Snead won with birdie on fourth extra hole Nichols eliminated by par on first hole | |
| 6 | 1976 | World Open Golf Championship | Jerry McGee | Won with birdie on first extra hole | |
| 7 | 1980 | Doral-Eastern Open | Jack Nicklaus | Won with birdie on second extra hole | |
| 8 | 1981 | Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open | Tom Jenkins, Bruce Lietzke | Lietzke won with birdie on second extra hole Jenkins eliminated by par on first hole | |
| 9 | 1981 | Tournament Players Championship | Barry Jaeckel, Curtis Strange | Won with par on first extra hole | |
| 10 | 1982 | Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic | Keith Fergus | Lost to birdie on first extra hole | |
| 11 | 1982 | World Series of Golf | Lost to par on fourth extra hole | ||
| 12 | 1985 | Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic | George Burns, Roger Maltbie | Maltbie won with birdie on fourth extra hole | |
| 13 | 1986 | Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic | Lon Hinkle, Mike Sullivan | Won with par on first extra hole | |
| 14 | 1990 | Masters Tournament | Nick Faldo | Lost to par on second extra hole | |
| 15 | 1992 | GTE Byron Nelson Classic | Billy Ray Brown, Ben Crenshaw Bruce Lietzke | Brown won with birdie on first extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 26, 1978 | Brazil Open | 66-69-72-70=277 | −7 | 5 strokes |  Vicente Fernández, Steve Martin | |
| 2 | Dec 16, 1979 | Friendship Cup | 71-69-66-69=275 | −9 | 3 strokes | Peter Jacobsen |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 5, 1982 | Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge | 72-69-68-71=280 | −8 | Playoff | Craig Stadler | |
| 2 | Dec 15, 1985 | Chrysler Team Championship (with Hal Sutton) | 63-65-68-64=260 | −28 | Playoff | Charlie Bolling and Brad Fabel, Jim Colbert and Tom Purtzer, John Fought and Pat McGowan, Gary Hallberg and Scott Hoch | |
| 3 | Nov 27, 1988 | Skins Game | $290,000 | $372,000 | Jack Nicklaus | ||
| 4 | Nov 18, 1990 | RMCC Invitational (with Fred Couples) | 64-57-61=182 | −34 | 5 strokes | Peter Jacobsen and Arnold Palmer | |
| 5 | Nov 21, 1993 | Franklin Funds Shark Shootout (with Steve Elkington) | 62-64-62=188 | −28 | 1 stroke | Mark Calcavecchia and Brad Faxon, Hale Irwin and Bruce Lietzke, Tom Kite and Davis Love III, Mark O'Meara and Curtis Strange | |
| 6 | Dec 3, 1995 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (with son Raymond Floyd Jr.) | 62-57=119 | −25 | 6 strokes | Hale Irwin and son Steve Irwin | |
| 7 | Dec 8, 1996 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (2) (with son Raymond Floyd Jr.) | 61-63=124 | −20 | 2 strokes | Dave Stockton and son Ron Stockton | |
| 8 | Dec 7, 1997 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (3) (with son Raymond Floyd Jr.) | 62-58=120 | −24 | 1 stroke | Dave Stockton and son Ron Stockton | |
| 9 | Jun 22, 2000 | Tylenol Par-3 Shootout | $320,000 | $200,000 | Phil Mickelson | ||
| 10 | Dec 10, 2000 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (4) (with son Robert Floyd) | 62-60=122 | −22 | Playoff | Johnny Miller and son Scott Miller | |
| 11 | Dec 2, 2001 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (5) (with son Robert Floyd) | 63-61=124 | −20 | 1 stroke | Hale Irwin and son Steve Irwin |
Other playoff record (3–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1982 | Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge | Craig Stadler | Won with par on fourth extra hole | |
| 2 | 1985 | Chrysler Team Championship (with Hal Sutton) | Charlie Bolling and Brad Fabel, Jim Colbert and Tom Purtzer, John Fought and Pat McGowan, Gary Hallberg and Scott Hoch | Won with birdie on first extra hole | |
| 3 | 1991 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with Fred Couples) | Paul Azinger and Ben Crenshaw, Mark Calcavecchia and Bob Gilder | Azinger/Crenshaw won with birdie on second extra hole Calcavecchia/Gilder eliminated by par on first hole | |
| 4 | 1999 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (with son Robert Floyd) | Jack Nicklaus and son Gary Nicklaus | Lost to birdie on third extra hole | |
| 5 | 2000 | Office Depot Father/Son Challenge (with son Robert Floyd) | Johnny Miller and son Scott Miller | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (4) | |
| Tour Championships (2) | |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (8) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 20, 1992 | GTE North Classic | 66-67-66=199 | −17 | 2 strokes | Mike Hill | |
| 2 | Oct 25, 1992 | 68-65-62=195 | −21 | 3 strokes |  Isao Aoki | ||
| 3 | Dec 13, 1992 | 65-67-65=197 | −19 | 5 strokes | George Archer, Dale Douglass | ||
| 4 | Mar 21, 1993 | Gulfstream Aerospace Invitational | 65-65-64=194 | −22 | 5 strokes | George Archer | |
| 5 | Aug 1, 1993 | 73-70-65=208 | −8 | 2 strokes | Bob Betley,  Bob Charles, Harold Henning, Bruce Lehnhard, Walt Zembriski | ||
| 6 | Apr 3, 1994 | The Tradition | 65-70-68-68=271 | −17 | Playoff | Dale Douglass | |
| 7 | May 1, 1994 | Las Vegas Senior Classic | 68-70-65=203 | −13 | 3 strokes | Tom Wargo | |
| 8 | May 22, 1994 | NFL Golf Classic | 68-66-64=198 | −10 | 1 stroke | ||
| 9 | Nov 13, 1994 | Golf Magazine Senior Tour Championship (2) | 67-73-67-66=273 | −15 | Playoff | Jim Albus | |
| 10 | Apr 16, 1995 | PGA Seniors' Championship | 70-70-67-70=277 | −11 | 5 strokes | John Paul Cain, Larry Gilbert, Lee Trevino | |
| 11 | Aug 13, 1995 | Burnet Senior Classic | 68-65-68=201 | −15 | 1 stroke | Graham Marsh | |
| 12 | Nov 5, 1995 | Emerald Coast Classic | 69-66=135* | −7 | Playoff | Tom Wargo | |
| 13 | Ford Senior Players Championship | 71-66-65-73=275 | −14 | 2 strokes | Hale Irwin | ||
| 14 | Jul 16, 2000 | Ford Senior Players Championship (2) | 71-67-69-66=273 | −15 | 1 stroke | Larry Nelson, Dana Quigley |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994 | The Tradition | Dale Douglass | Won with birdie on first extra hole | |
| 2 | 1994 | Golf Magazine Senior Tour Championship | Jim Albus | Won with birdie on fifth extra hole | |
| 3 | 1995 | Royal Caribbean Classic | J. C. Snead | Lost to par on first extra hole | |
| 4 | 1995 | Emerald Coast Classic | Tom Wargo | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 shot lead | −8 (69-66-67-74=276) | 1 stroke | Gary Player | |||
| 8 shot lead | −17 (65-66-70-70=271) | 8 strokes | Ben Crenshaw | |||
| PGA Championship (2) | 5 shot lead | −8 (63-69-68-72=272) | 3 strokes | Lanny Wadkins | ||
| 3 shot deficit | −1 (75-68-70-66=279) | 2 strokes | Chip Beck, Lanny Wadkins |
| Tournament | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T8 | CUT | T7 | T36 | |||
| U.S. Open | T14 | T6 | WD | T38 | T13 | |||
| The Open Championship | T34 | |||||||
| PGA Championship | T57 | T17 | T18 | T20 | T41 | 1 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T13 | CUT | 54 | T22 | T30 | 1 | T8 | T16 | T17 | |
| U.S. Open | T22 | 8 | CUT | 16 | T15 | T12 | 13 | T47 | T12 | CUT | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T23 | 4 | 8 | T2 | T36 | |||||
| PGA Championship | T8 | CUT | T4 | T35 | T11 | T10 | T2 | T40 | T50 | T62 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T17 | T8 | T7 | T4 | T15 | T2 | CUT | CUT | T11 | T38 | |
| U.S. Open | T47 | T37 | T49 | T13 | T52 | T23 | 1 | T43 | T17 | T26 | |
| The Open Championship | T3 | T15 | T14 | CUT | T16 | T17 | CUT | T42 | |||
| PGA Championship | T17 | T19 | 1 | T20 | T13 | CUT | CUT | T14 | T9 | T46 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 2 | T17 | 2 | T11 | T10 | T17 | T25 | CUT | CUT | T38 | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | T8 | T44 | T7 | T36 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T39 | CUT | T12 | T34 | T58 | ||||||
| PGA Championship | T49 | T7 | T48 | CUT | T61 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | |||||||||||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 45 | 27 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 31 | 26 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 16 | ||
| PGA Championship | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 31 | 27 | |
| Totals | 4 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 28 | 65 | 127 | 96 |
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | −17 (65-70-68-68=271) | Playoff1 | Dale Douglass | ||
| 1995 | −11 (70-70-67-70=277) | 5 strokes | John Paul Cain, Larry Gilbert, Lee Trevino | ||
| 1996 | −13 (71-66-65-73=275) | 2 strokes | Hale Irwin | ||
| 2000 | Ford Senior Players Championship (2) | −15 (71-67-69-66=273) | 1 stroke | Larry Nelson, Dana Quigley |
Professional
1969 (winners), 1975 (winners), 1977 (winners), 1981 (winners), 1983 (winners), 1985, 1989 (non-playing captain), 1991 (winners), 1993 (winners)
1985 (winners)
2001 (winners), 2002 (winners), 2003 (tie), 2004 (winners)