Jose Maria Olazabal

Player Notes

Olazabal started playing golf at age six; his mother would take him out on the Real Golf Club de San Sebastian late in the afternoon when the course was deserted. Both his parents worked at the golf club (his father was the greenskeeper). He had an outstanding amateur career, winning the 1983 Italian, Spanish and British Boy's Amateur Championships and then winning the 1984 British, Belgian and Spanish Amateur Championships. . .He turned professional in 1985 and on his first season on the European Tour won twice (Swiss Open and Sanyo Open) and finished second on the Order of Merit. He did not do nearly as well in 1987 finishing 17th on the Order of Merit, despite five top five finishes. He found his form in 1988 and finished third, second, third, seventh, six, eighteen and fourth on the Order of Merit until 1995. . .In 1995, he began an 18-month absence from competitive golf because of a painful foot condition that was initially misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. When a doctor in Germany started therapy on his back in 1996 the foot problem was alleviated, returning to the European Tour at the 1997 Dubai Classic. He then won the 1997 Turespana Masters-Open de Canarias in just his third tournament back. His comeback was complete when he won the 1999 Masters. . .Member of the 1987, '89, '91, '93, '97 & '99 Ryder Cup Team.

Career Victories

European Tour
22 - 1986 Ebel European Masters, Swiss Open, Sanyo Open, 1988 Volvo Belgian Open, German Masters, 1989 Tenerife Open, KLM Dutch Open, 1990 Benson & Hedges International, Irish Open, Lancome Trophy, 1991 Open Catalonia, Epson Grand Prix, 1992 Turespana Masters, Turespana Open de Tenerife, 1994 Masters, Turespana Open Mediterrania, Volvo PGA Championship, 1997 Turespana Masters-Open De Canarias, 1998 Dubai Desert Classic, 1999 Masters, 2000 Benson & Hedges International, 2001 Novotel Perrier Open De France, 2002 Omega Hong Kong Open

PGA Tour
6 - 1990 World Series of Golf, 1991 International, 1994 Masters, World Series of Golf, 1999 Masters, 2002 Buick Invitational

Career Summary

1990 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 18; in money - 15; top-10 finishes - 13; stroke average 69.83 (Ranked 5th); money ›Eruo608,672 or œ434,766 (ranked 3rd).

1990 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 8; in money - 7; top-10 finishes - 4; stroke average 70.65; money $337,837 (ranked 38th).

1991 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 17; in money - 17; top-10 finishes - 8; stroke average 70.81 ranked 10th; money ›Eruo423,178 or œ302,270 (ranked 7th).

1991 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 7; in money - 5; top-10 finishes - 3; money $382,124 (ranked 43rd) . . . Won the International.

1992 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 15; in money - 13; top-10 finishes - 10; stroke average 70.18 ranked 5th; money›Eruo539,878 or œ385,627 (ranked 6th).

1992 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 8; in money - 5; top-10 finishes - 1; money $63,429 (ranked 161st); best finish, T9th Players Championship.

1993 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 19; in money - 17; top-10 finishes - 9; stroke average 71.01 (ranked 9th); money ›Eruo349,290 or œ249,493 (ranked 18th); best finish, 2nd Irish Open and T2nd Benson & Hedges.

1993 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 6; in money - 3; top-10 finishes - 1; money $60,160 (ranked 174th); best finish, T7th Masters.

1994 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 16; in money - 16; top-10 finishes - 11; stroke average 69.80 (ranked 5th); money ›Eruo722,551 or œ516,108 (ranked 4th); winner Turespana Open Mediterrania and Volvo PGA Championship.

1994 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 30; in money - 25; top-10 finishes - 5; stroke average 70.32 (ranked 28th); money $612,847 (ranked 24th); best finish, T3rd, Memorial Tournament.

1995 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 7; in money - 7; top-10 finishes - 1; stroke average 71.43; money ›Eruo76,233 or œ54,452; best finish, T10th, Benson & Hedges International Open.

1995 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 3; in money - 3; top-10 finishes - 0; money $33,080 (ranked 223rd); best finish, T20th, British Open.

1996 PGA Tour Summary
Did not play in 1996 due to foot injury

1997 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 19; in money - 17; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 69.70 (ranked 2nd); money ›Eruo539,909 or œ385,649 (ranked 9th); winner Turespana Masters.

1997 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 6; in money - 5; top-10 finishes - 1; money $173,589 (ranked 126th); best finish, T7th in Freeport McDermott Classic.

1998 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 20; in money - 18; top-10 finishes - 6; stroke average 70.25 (ranked 5th); Eruo628,786 œ449,133 (ranked 7th); winner Dubai Desert Classic.

1998 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 7; in money - 6; top-10 finishes - 0; money $208,486 (ranked 133rd); best finish, T24th at the British Open.

1999 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 17; in money - 13; top-10 finishes - 2; stroke average 71.75 (ranked 57th); money ›Eruo338,358 or œ241,684 (ranked 32nd); best finish T5th, Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship

1999 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 13; in money - 8; top-10 finishes - 8; money $865,167 (ranked 46th); Winner, Masters.

2000 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 21; in money - 18; top-10 finishes - 7; stroke average 71.00 (ranked 18th); money ›Eruo1,174,564 or œ698,543 (ranked 9th); winner Benson & Hedges International.

2000 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 12 / Rounds Played: 31 / Cuts made: 7 / Top-10 finishes: 2; Best finish: T4th at the PGA Championship; Earnings: $552,221 Rank (92nd-unofficial).

2000 Stats
Scoring - 70.79 / (N/A); Driving Distance - 260.1 / (N/A); Driving Accuracy - 58.5% / (N/A); GIR - 61.5% / (N/A); Putting - 1.789 / (N/A); Birdie Average - 3.10 per rd / (N/A) / Total Birdies - 96; Sand Saves - 69.9% / (N/A); Scrambling - 60.4% / (N/A); All-Around Rank - / (N/A).

2001 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 17; in money - 13; top-10 finishes - 1; stroke average 70.62 (ranked T25th); money ›Eruo578,595 or œ359,747 (ranked 35th); winner Novotel Perrier Open de France.

2001 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 15 / Rounds Played: 47 / Cuts made: 10 / Top-10 finishes: 0; Best finish: T-12th at The Players Championship; Earnings: $458,677 Rank (110th).

2002 Notes
Seven top-tens in his first nine starts, after the Masters in April his best finish was T27th at the WGC-American Express Championship.

2002 PGA European Tour Summary
Tournaments entered - 16; in money - 14; top-10 finishes - 5; stroke average 71.43 (ranked T60th); money ›Eruo1,066,083 or œ679,748 (ranked 13th); winner Omega Hong Kong Open.

2002 PGA Tour Summary
Tournaments entered: 20 / Rounds Played: 64 / Cuts made: 16 / Top-10 finishes: 7 / Best finish: Winner at the Buick Invitational / Earnings: $1,987,027 Rank (24th)

2002 Stats
Scoring - 70.55 / (32nd); Driving Distance - 270.6 / (181st); Driving Accuracy - 57.8% / (198th); GIR - 60.9% / (191st); Putting - 1.760 / (63rd); Birdie Average - 3.47 per rd / (128th) / Total Birdies - 222; Sand Saves - 64.9% / (1st); All-Around Rank - 973 / (149th)