J. B. Holmes
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | April 26, 1982 Campbellsville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| College | University of Kentucky |
| Career | |
| Turned Pro | 2005 |
| Current tour | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 (PGA Tour: 2, Other: 2) |
| Best Results in Major Championships | |
| Masters | T25: 2008 |
| U.S. Open | T48: 2006 |
| British Open | CUT: 2006 |
| PGA Championship | T37: 2006 |
John B. "J.B." Holmes (born April 26, 1982) is an American golfer.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Holmes was born in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Holmes began to play on the Taylor County High School (Campbellsville) varsity golf team when he was in third grade.[1] He suffered a mild form of dyslexia when in school.[2]
While in high school he played on the Pepsi Junior Golf Tour. He attended the University of Kentucky and represented the United States in the 2005 Walker Cup before turning professional later that year.
[edit] PGA Tour
Holmes won the 2005 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. He tied for tenth in his first PGA Tour start at the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii and in February that year he won the FBR Open, making him the fastest golfer to reach $1,000,000 in career earnings on the PGA Tour. It was his fifth tournament as a professional and his fourth on the PGA Tour.
After this victory his form fell away, and this continued in 2007 when he made only 2 top ten finishes and ended the year in 118th place on the money list.
On February 3, 2008, Holmes won the FBR Open for the second Tour win of his career and also captured the tournament title for the second time in three years. Starting the final round with a four shot lead, on the 18th tee he was one shot behind Phil Mickelson. Holmes birdied the 18th to force a play-off and then defeated Mickelson on the first playoff hole (the 18th) by making a six-foot birdie putt after a 359 yard drive.[3]. This victory took Holmes to 62nd in the Official World Golf Rankings and in April 2008 he reached the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time.
[edit] Style of play
Holmes, along with fellow 2006 rookies such as Camilo Villegas and Bubba Watson, is known for hitting the ball long distances, in excess of 300 yards (312.7 yards, ranking him number 2 in driving distance, only 6 yards behind the leader, Watson). As such, he plays courses by routinely hitting his driver as far as he can, reminiscent of John Daly's "Grip it and Rip It" philosophy, and using his distance advantage to put him closer to the green and in position for a wedge or short iron to the green. While the style of play is not new, many critics have complained that J.B. Holmes's style has ushered in a new wave of golfers dedicated to smashing the ball as far as they can, assisted by the newer golf equipment offered by golf club companies and hacking the ball out of the rough onto the green, effectively eliminating the equalizing effect that the sport of golf usually affords shorter, accurate hitters.
[edit] Professional wins (4)
[edit] PGA Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s) up |
| 1. | Feb. 5, 2006 | FBR Open | -21 (68-64-65-66=263) | 7 strokes | J. J. Henry, Ryan Palmer,  Camilo Villegas, Scott Verplank, Steve Lowery |
| 2. | Feb. 3, 2008 | FBR Open | -14 (68-65-66-71=270) | Playoff | Phil Mickelson |
PGA Tour playoff record (1-0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1. | 2008 | FBR Open | Phil Mickelson |
Won with birdie on first hole |
[edit] Other wins (2)
- 2003 Kentucky Open (as an amateur)
- 2004 Kentucky Open (as an amateur)
[edit] Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T25 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | T48 | DNP | |
| The Open Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | T37 | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
[edit] Team appearances
[edit] Amateur
- Walker Cup (representing the United States): 2005 (winner)
[edit] References
- ^ Associated Press (January 6, 2007). After 10 years on his school team, Holmes joins the PGA Tour varsity. PGA of America. Retrieved on January 8, 2007.
- ^ Holmes Finally Finds Some Clarity and Focus, The New York Times, January 29 2006
- ^ Holmes regroups, then beats Mickelson in FBR playoff , pgatour.com, February 3 2008
