Thomas Bjørn

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Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a Danish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He played on the Challenge Tour from 1993 to 1995. He then made an immediate impact on the European Tour in his first season, finishing tenth on the 1996 Order of Merit. He has won nine tournaments on the European Tour and his finished in the top ten on the Order of Merit five times with a best finish of fifth in 2000. He has come close to winning a major championship at the 2003 Open Championship when he was in the lead with 4 holes to play before a slump handed victory to Ben Curtis and at the US PGA Championship in 2005, when he tied for the lead before finishing as runner-up to Phil Mickelson in a second-place tie with Steve Elkington.

Bjørn was a member of the winning European Ryder Cup teams in 1997 and 2002. He has featured in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

Thomas Bjørn's last name is sometimes written Björn or Bjorn outside Denmark. The Danish (and Norwegian) letter 'ø' represents approximately the same sound as 'ö' in German and Swedish. The name means bear in Danish.

1 2006 Ryder Cup controversy
2 European Tour wins
3 Other professional wins
4 Professional teams
5 References
6 External links

[edit] 2006 Ryder Cup controversy

In September 2006 Bjørn was left out of the Ryder Cup team to face the United States later that month by captain Ian Woosnam, prompting him to describe his relationship with Woosnam as "completely dead".

Bjørn lambasted Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam

“

I'm shocked and have totally lost respect for Ian Woosnam. My relationship with him is completely dead. It looks like he needs to learn how to be a captain.

”

The following day Bjørn apologized to Woosnam who accepted it. He was fined a 'substantial sum' believed to be in the region of €10,000 by the European Tour.^[1].

The European team won against the US team 18.5 to 9.5, one of the largest victories in the history of the Ryder Cup, with Lee Westwood, who was chosen over Bjørn, scoring 4 points.

[edit] European Tour wins

1996 Loch Lomond World Invitational
1998 Peugeot Open de Espana, Heineken Classic
1999 The Sarazen World Open
2000 BMW International Open
2001 Dubai Desert Classic
2002 BMW International Open
2005 Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters
2006 Irish Open

[edit] Other professional wins

1995 Coca-Cola Open, C*Esbjerg Danish Closed, Interlaken Open, Himmerland Open (all Challenge Tour)
1999 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (Japan Golf Tour)
2003 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (Japan Golf Tour)