Woody Austin

Who is Woody Austin?

Albert Woody Austin II is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.

Austin was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended the University of Miami, where he was a member of the golf team coached by Norman C. Parsons Jr. He graduated in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration and turned professional later that year.

Austin won PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors in 1995. He has won four times on tour: the 1995 Buick Open, the 2004 Buick Championship, the 2007 Stanford St. Jude Championship shooting a final round 62, and the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship.

During the 1997 Verizon Heritage, Austin intentionally struck his head with his putter five times. He hit his head so hard that the shaft bent.

After the second round of the 2007 PGA Championship, Austin joked that he was named after actor Woody Harrelson. He went on to finish 2nd behind Tiger Woods, his best major finish. This achievement moved Austin into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. During the 2007 Presidents Cup, Austin fell into a pond while attempting to hit a shot with one foot in the water. During his singles match against 2007 U.S. Open Champion Ángel Cabrera, he wore a pair of swimming goggles.