# David Frost (golfer)

David Laurence Frost (born 11 September 1959) is a South African professional golfer who was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Frost has 29 professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents, including the World Series of Golf, South African Open, Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge and Canadian Open. He has also been on the winning Alfred Dunhill Cup team and played in the Presidents Cup.

## Early life

Frost was born in Cape Town, South Africa and graduated from Paarl Boys' High School in 1977. He used to be a cigarette salesman.

## Professional career

In 1981, he turned professional. Frost scored his first professional win in his home country in 1983 and has continued to play in South Africa in the northern winter, but like other leading South African golfers he has spent far more time playing internationally. In line with many other Commonwealth golfers his first move abroad was to the European Tour and he played that tour from 1982 to 1984.
From 1985 he was primarily on the U.S.-based PGA Tour. He moved to Miami, Florida. In 1989, he won the NEC World Series of Golf, defeating Ben Crenshaw at the second playoff hole. He made the top ten on the PGA Tour money list twice, placing 9th in 1988 and 5th in 1993 and was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 86 weeks between 1988 and 1994. By his forties, he was no longer a regular contender on the tour, but in 2005 he set the all time PGA Tour 72-hole putting record with 92 putts at the MCI Heritage.
In 2007, Frost re-established his career on the European Tour aiming on the senior tour when turning 50.
In June 2013, Frost won his maiden senior major championship at the 2013 Regions Tradition. He won by a single stroke over Fred Couples to claim his first major title in his 17th attempt. It was also his fifth career victory on the Champions Tour. In March 2015, Frost won his sixth Champions Tour title at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic by a single stroke over Tom Lehman and Kevin Sutherland.
Frost won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 1998/99. He was a member of the International Team in the first staging of the Presidents Cup in 1994, and took part again in 1996. In both 1997 and 1998 he captained South Africa to victory in the Alfred Dunhill Cup at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. His teammates were Ernie Els and Retief Goosen on both occasions.

## Private life

The son of a vintner himself, Frost owns a winery in the Western Cape, South Africa, which produces vintages named after golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

## Professional wins (29)
### PGA Tour wins (10)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 2 Oct 1988 | Southern Open | −10 (70-68-65-67=270) | Playoff | Bob Tway |
| 2 | 6 Nov 1988 | Northern Telecom Tucson Open | −22 (66-66-67-67=266) | 5 strokes | Mark Calcavecchia, Mark O'Meara |
| 3 | 27 Aug 1989 | NEC World Series of Golf | −4 (70-68-69-69=276) | Playoff | Ben Crenshaw |
| 4 | 29 Apr 1990 | USF&G Classic | −12 (71-70-66-69=276) | 1 stroke | Greg Norman |
| 5 | 28 Jun 1992 | Buick Classic | −16 (67-68-67-66=268) | 8 strokes | Duffy Waldorf |
| 6 | 20 Sep 1992 | Hardee's Golf Classic | −14 (62-68-64-72=266) | 3 strokes | Tom Lehman, Loren Roberts |
| 7 | 12 Sep 1993 | Canadian Open | −9 (72-70-69-68=279) | 1 stroke | Fred Couples |
| 8 | 19 Sep 1993 | Hardee's Golf Classic (2) | −21 (68-63-64-64=259) | 7 strokes | Payne Stewart, D. A. Weibring |
| 9 | 26 Jun 1994 | Canon Greater Hartford Open | −12 (65-68-66-69=268) | 1 stroke | Greg Norman |
| 10 | 25 May 1997 | MasterCard Colonial | −15 (66-63-69-67=265) | 2 strokes | Brad Faxon, David Ogrin |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1986 | Western Open | Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Nick Price | Kite won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1988 | Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic | Seve Ballesteros, Ken Green, Greg Norman | Ballesteros won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1988 | Southern Open | Bob Tway | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1989 | NEC World Series of Golf | Ben Crenshaw | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 5 | 1995 | MCI Classic | Nolan Henke, Bob Tway | Tway won with par on second extra hole Frost eliminated by par on first hole |

### European Tour wins (2)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
| 1 | 21 Oct 1984 | Compagnie de Chauffe Cannes Open | −8 (72-72-68-68=280) | 2 strokes | Gordon Brand Jnr, John Morgan |
| 2 | 24 Jan 1999 | Mercedes-Benz - Vodacom South African Open$^1$ | −5 (69-69-73-68=279) | 1 stroke | Scott Dunlap, Jeev Milkha Singh |
$^1$Co-sanctioned by the Southern Africa Tour
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1997 | Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship | Nick Price | Lost to par on first extra hole |

### PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 22 Nov 1992 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | −11 (72-69-69-67=277) | Playoff | Kiyoshi Murota |
PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1992 | Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | Kiyoshi Murota | Won with par on second extra hole |

### Asia Golf Circuit wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 27 Feb 1994 | Kent Hong Kong Open | −10 (69-69-69-67=274) | Playoff | Craig McClellan |
Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1994 | Kent Hong Kong Open | Craig McClellan | Won with par on first extra hole |

### Southern Africa Tour wins (5)

* Legend
* Flagship events (1)
* Other Southern Africa Tour (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 15 Jan 1983 | Gordon's Gin Classic | −8 (71-70=68-71=280) | 5 strokes | Nick Price |
| 2 | 8 Feb 1986 | Southern Suns South African Open | −13 (72-70-66-67=275) | 3 strokes | Tony Johnstone |
| 3 | 12 Dec 1987 | Safmarine South African Masters | −15 (70-67-70-66=273) | 3 strokes | Denis Durnian |
| 4 | 16 Jan 1994 | Lexington PGA Championship | −21 (64-67-65-63=259) | 7 strokes | Nick Price |
| 5 | 24 Jan 1999 | Mercedes-Benz - Vodacom South African Open$^1$ (2) | −5 (69-69-73-68=279) | 1 stroke | Scott Dunlap, Jeev Milkha Singh |
$^1$Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
Southern Africa Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1997 | Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship | Nick Price | Lost to par on first extra hole |

### Other wins (3)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 10 Dec 1989 | Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge | −12 (67-66-75-68=276) | 3 strokes | Scott Hoch |
| 2 | 9 Dec 1990 | Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge (2) | −4 (71-71-71-71=284) | 1 stroke | José María Olazábal |
| 3 | 6 Dec 1992 | Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge (3) | −12 (70-69-68-69=276) | 4 strokes | John Cook |
Other playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
| 1 | 2000 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with Jim Furyk) | John Cook and Mark O'Meara | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |

### Champions Tour wins (6)

* Legend
* Champions Tour major championships (1)
* Other Champions Tour (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 8 Aug 2010 | 3M Championship | −25 (64-66-61=191) | 7 strokes | Mark Calcavecchia |
| 2 | 22 Apr 2012 | Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Michael Allen) | −29 (62-63-62=187) | 1 stroke | John Cook and Joey Sindelar |
| 3 | 28 Oct 2012 | AT&T Championship | −8 (71-71-66=208) | Playoff | Bernhard Langer |
| 4 | 17 Mar 2013 | Toshiba Classic | −19 (63-66-65=194) | 5 strokes | Fred Couples |
| 5 | 9 Jun 2013 | Regions Tradition | −16 (68-70-66-68=272) | 1 stroke | Fred Couples |
| 6 | 29 Mar 2015 | Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic | −10 (68-70-68=206) | 1 stroke | Tom Lehman, Kevin Sutherland |
Champions Tour playoff record (1–2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | Fred Couples, Tom Lehman | Lehman won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2012 | AT&T Championship | Bernhard Langer | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2013 | Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai | John Cook | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |

### European Senior Tour wins (2)

* Legend
* Tour Championships (1)
* Other European Senior Tour (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 12 Dec 2010 (2011 season) | Mauritius Commercial Bank Open | −13 (70-64-69=203) | Playoff | Roger Chapman |
| 2 | 9 Dec 2012 | MCB Tour Championship (2) | −11 (64-67-74=205) | 1 stroke | Peter Fowler, Barry Lane |
European Senior Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 2010 | Senior PGA Championship | Fred Couples, Tom Lehman | Lehman won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2010 | Mauritius Commercial Bank Open | Roger Chapman | Won with par on second extra hole |

## Results in major championships

| Tournament | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| Masters Tournament | | | | | T45 | 8 | T18 |
| U.S. Open | | | T23 | T15 | T17 | CUT | T18 |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T47 | T25 | CUT | 6 | T7 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | | | CUT | T21 | T10 | CUT | T27 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T32 | | CUT | T35 | T5 | T10 | 37 | T26 | |
| U.S. Open | T33 | CUT | | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | | | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | | T24 | T51 | T31 | T41 | CUT | T44 | T7 |
| PGA Championship | T31 | T48 | T73 | CUT | T25 | T67 | CUT | CUT | T56 | T21 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2010 |
| Masters Tournament | | | | | | | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | | CUT | | | | CUT |
| The Open Championship | T55 | CUT | | T15 | CUT | T51 | |
| PGA Championship | | | | | | | |
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied

### Summary

| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 9 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 5 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 13 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 10 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 61 | 37 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (1986 PGA – 1988 Masters)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1987 Open Championship – 1988 Masters)

## Results in The Players Championship

| Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| The Players Championship | T48 | T15 | T3 | T8 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| The Players Championship | CUT | T41 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T37 | T17 | WD | T42 | T52 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
| The Players Championship | T57 | | 75 | | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place

## Results in World Golf Championships

| Tournament | 1999 |
| Match Play | |
| Championship | T59 |
| Invitational | |
"T" = Tied

## Senior major championships
### Wins (1)

| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
| 2013 | Regions Tradition | 1 shot lead | −16 (68-70-66-68=272) | 1 stroke | Fred Couples |

### Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2022.
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| The Tradition | – | T21 | 11 | T18 | 1 | T25 | T34 | T17 | T34 | 67 | T22 | NT | T66 | T57 | T63 | T67 |
| Senior PGA Championship | – | T2 | T22 | T4 | | T5 | T58 | T7 | CUT | T18 | T12 | NT | CUT | T55 | | CUT |
| U.S. Senior Open | – | 62 | DQ | WD | T20 | T3 | T33 | T9 | T18 | T24 | | NT | | | | |
| Senior Players Championship | T24 | T25 | T55 | T28 | T27 | T15 | T59 | T13 | T35 | T59 | T54 | T62 | T58 | T59 | | |
| Senior British Open Championship | – | T14 | 6 | T15 | T3 | T21 | T67 | T14 | 13 | T64 | T7 | NT | T70 | T41 | | |
CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew DQ = disqualified "T" indicates a tie for a place NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

## Team appearances

Professional
* Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 1984
* Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners), 1999, 2000
* Presidents Cup (International Team): 1994, 1996
* World Cup (representing South Africa): 1998, 1999
* Alfred Dunhill Challenge (representing Southern Africa): 1995 (winners)