Steve Wheatcroft Explained

Steve Wheatcroft
Fullname:Steven John Wheatcroft
Nickname:Wheatie
Birth Date:21 February 1978
Birth Place:Indiana, Pennsylvania
Weight:215lb
Residence:Jacksonville, Florida
College:Indiana University
Yearpro:2001
Extour:PGA Tour
Korn Ferry Tour
Golden Bear Tour
Gateway Tour
Prowins:11
Nwidewins:2
Otherwins:9
Masters:DNP
Usopen:T63: 2010
Open:DNP
Pga:DNP

Steven John Wheatcroft (born February 21, 1978) is an American professional golfer.

Early life and amateur career

Wheatcroft was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, grew up in Washington, Pennsylvania, and attended Indiana University[1] earning a degree in Sports Marketing and Management.

Professional career

In 2001, Wheatcroft turned professional and has played in several tours over the years. His first victory came at the Pennsylvania Open Championship in 2003. He is currently a member of the PGA Tour.

In his 2006 Nationwide Tour debut season, Wheatcroft recorded only one top-10 and missed the cut 12 times. Despite his difficulties, he would perform well at the PGA Tour Q-School. He finished 7th to earn his card for 2007. He would make only 10 cuts out of 25 attempts and post one top 25. Consequently, he lost his card. He returned to the Nationwide Tour in 2008 and had disappointing results until the summer of 2009.

Wheatcroft made some changes to his game.[2] As a result, he recorded six top-10s and two top-25s before the end of the season. He launched up the money list to 20th and earned his card for the 2010 PGA Tour.

Wheatcroft would play well at the Puerto Rico Open, finishing tied for 3rd, three strokes behind fellow Nationwide Tour graduate, Derek Lamely. He also qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open after winning a 4-way playoff at the Rockville, Maryland sectional qualifier. He led briefly midway through the second round. He returned to the Nationwide Tour for the 2011 season after finishing 166th on the PGA Tour's money list.

At the 2011 Melwood Prince George's County Open, Wheatcroft won by a record-breaking 12 strokes. At the 72nd hole, he made an eagle putt to finish at 255 (-29); shattering the previous 72-hole scoring record by three strokes. He also set the record for largest 54-hole lead by eight strokes.[3]

Wheatcroft's strong play would continue through the 2011 season, with three more top-10s and four top-25s. After finishing tied for 8th at the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship, he ended the year at 20th on the money list. Wheatcroft returned to the PGA Tour once again for 2012.[4]

Wheatcroft played on the Web.com Tour in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, he finished 19th in the regular season rankings to earn another return to the PGA Tour.[5]

Professional wins (11)

Web.com Tour wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Jun 5, 2011Melwood Prince George's County Open−29 (66-60-65-64=255)12 strokes Ryan Armour, Jon Mills
2Jul 20, 2014Albertsons Boise Open−24 (64-66-65-66=260)Playoff Steven Alker

Web.com Tour playoff record (1–0)

Golden Bear Tour wins (4)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Feb 25, 2004St Andrews Classic 2−11 (70-70-65=205)5 strokes Sean Quinlivan
2Feb 29, 2004Sandridge−2 (70-72=142)Playoff Terry Hatch, Rick Heath
3Feb 16, 2005Wellington−11 (66-69-70=205)3 strokes Lee Stroever
4Mar 11, 2005Madison Green−8 (65-71=136)2 strokes Mike Adamson

Gateway Tour wins (4)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1Jul 16, 2004Beach Series 6−22 (65-70-64-67=266)2 strokes Kevin Gessino-Kraft
2Aug 4, 2005Beach Series 8−26 (69-66-65-62=262)3 strokes Paul Wackerly III
3Aug 12, 2005Beach Series 9−15 (69-64-70-67=270)2 strokes Akio Sadakata
4Sep 12, 2008Beach Summer 12−10 (66-74-66=206)3 strokes Jeremy Pope

Other wins (1)

Results in major championships

"T" = Tied
Note: Wheatcroft only played in the U.S. Open.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Indiana Men's Golf: History and Records . Indiana Hoosiers . 33 . January 31, 2015.
  2. Web site: Former Hoosier standout Steve Wheatcroft earns PGA Tour Card . November 18, 2009 . IU Athletics.
  3. Web site: Wheatcroft wins Melwood by record-setting 12 strokes . June 5, 2011 . PGA Tour.
  4. Web site: The final 25: Who earned their 2012 PGA Tour card . October 30, 2011 . PGA Tour.
  5. Web site: Steve Wheatcroft . PGA Tour . August 29, 2022.