# Curtis Strange

Curtis Northrup Strange (born January 30, 1955) is an American professional golfer and TV color commentator. He is the winner of consecutive U.S. Open titles and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between their debut in 1986 and 1990.

## Amateur career

Strange and his identical twin brother, Allan, were born in Norfolk, Virginia. His father, a local country club owner, started him in golf at age 7. Strange graduated from Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, then enrolled at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He played golf for the Demon Deacons and was part of the NCAA Championship team with Jay Haas and Bob Byman that Golf World has labeled "the greatest of all time". In 1974 Strange was ranked the #2 amateur in the country by Golf Digest. The following year, he was ranked number #3.
In the spring of 1976, Strange intended to transition from amateur to professional despite still being a junior in college. At this point, he was known for having one of the best amateur careers of all time. According to the golf columnist for The Charlotte Observer, Richard Sink, "Strange, only a junior, will leave behind a collegiate record perhaps unmatched." He finished in the top ten in all of his 25 college matches and finished in the top 5 in 21 of those. He won nine individual events and was the youngest NCAA Champion in golf at the time. In 1976, he was ranked #9 amateur in the country by Golf Digest.

## Professional career

Strange was one of the leading players on the PGA Tour in the 1980s; 16 of his 17 tour victories took place in that decade. He topped the money list in 1985, 1987, and 1988, when he became the first to win a million dollars in official money in a season. His two majors were consecutive U.S. Opens in 1988 and 1989. Since World War II, only three golfers have successfully defended their titles at the U.S. Open; Brooks Koepka in 2018, Strange in 1989, and Ben Hogan in 1951. The 1989 U.S. Open was Strange's last win on tour. In other majors, he led midway through the final round at The Masters in 1985, but finished two strokes back. Strange was also a runner-up at the PGA Championship in 1989, one stroke back. He played on five Ryder Cup teams (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1995) and captained the team in 2002.
Despite skipping the Open Championship several times in his prime, Strange played a considerable amount of international tournaments. He won the 1986 ABC Japan-U.S. Match, an event on the Japan Golf Tour that included many American pros. He also played extensively on the Australasian Tour. He won three events in Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s and recorded runner-up finishes at the 1976 Australian Open, 1977 Colgate Champion of Champions, 1986 Air New Zealand Shell Open, and the 1990 Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup. Like Henrik Stenson and Ben Hogan, Strange was a natural left-hander who played right-handed.

## Later career and honors

After reaching the age of 50 in January 2005, Strange began play on the Champions Tour, remarking, "I was getting worse and said, 'To hell with it.'" His only top-five finishes came that first season; third place at the Constellation Energy Classic and a tie for fifth at the FedEx Kinko's Classic. In 1997, he was hired as the lead golf analyst for ESPN/ABC, working alongside host Mike Tirico. He left due to a contract dispute before the 2004 U.S. Open, but rejoined ESPN/ABC at the 2008 U.S. Open, four years after he first left. In 2016, he was hired by Fox as a course reporter for their USGA championships.
In this capacity he has provided commentary for several notable events, including Tiger Woods' playoff win at the 1997 Mercedes Championships, David Duval's final round of 59 at the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Jean van de Velde's collapse at the 1999 Open Championship, Woods achieving the career grand slam at the 2000 Open Championship, Peter Jacobsen becoming one of the oldest Tour winners at age 49 during the 2003 Greater Hartford Open, Woods' U.S. Open winning performance in 2008 (early rounds), Tom Watson nearly winning The Open Championship at age 59 in 2009, and Phil Mickelson's final nine charge to win in 2013. On April 18, 2007, Strange was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, and was inducted on November 12 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. In May 2009, he was named to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches and administrators who contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.

## Amateur wins

* 1974 Western Amateur, North and South Amateur, NCAA Division I Championship
* 1975 North and South Amateur, Eastern Amateur

## Professional wins (29)
### PGA Tour wins (17)

* Legend
* Major championships (2)
* Tour Championships (1)
* Other PGA Tour (14)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Oct 21, 1979 | Pensacola Open | 69-71-62-69=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Billy Kratzert |
| 2 | May 4, 1980 | Michelob-Houston Open | 66-63-66-71=266 | −18 | Playoff | Lee Trevino |
| 3 | Aug 17, 1980 | Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic | 69-65-70-69=273 | −11 | 2 strokes | Gibby Gilbert |
| 4 | Aug 21, 1983 | Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open | 69-62-69-68=268 | −16 | 1 stroke | Jay Haas, Jack Renner |
| 5 | Sep 30, 1984 | LaJet Golf Classic | 68-67-67-71=273 | −15 | 2 strokes | Mark O'Meara |
| 6 | Mar 3, 1985 | Honda Classic | 67-64-70-74=275 | −13 | Playoff | Peter Jacobsen |
| 7 | Mar 24, 1985 | Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational | 69-73-64-66-66=338 | −17 | 1 stroke | Mike Smith |
| 8 | Jul 7, 1985 | Canadian Open | 69-69-68-73=279 | −9 | 2 strokes | Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman |
| 9 | Apr 27, 1986 | Houston Open (2) | 72-68-68-66=274 | −14 | Playoff | Calvin Peete |
| 10 | Jul 5, 1987 | Canadian Open (2) | 71-70-66-69=276 | −12 | 3 strokes | David Frost, Jodie Mudd, Nick Price |
| 11 | Aug 2, 1987 | Federal Express St. Jude Classic | 70-68-68-69=275 | −13 | 1 stroke | Russ Cochran, Mike Donald, Tom Kite, Denis Watson |
| 12 | Aug 30, 1987 | NEC World Series of Golf | 70-66-68-71=275 | −5 | 3 strokes | Fulton Allem |
| 13 | May 1, 1988 | Independent Insurance Agent Open | 69-68-66-67=270 | −18 | Playoff | Greg Norman |
| 14 | May 29, 1988 | Memorial Tournament | 73-70-64-67=274 | −14 | 2 strokes | David Frost, Hale Irwin |
| 15 | Jun 20, 1988 | U.S. Open | 70-67-69-72=278 | −6 | Playoff | Nick Faldo |
| 16 | Nov 14, 1988 | Nabisco Championship | 64-71-70-74=279 | −9 | Playoff | Tom Kite |
| 17 | Jun 18, 1989 | U.S. Open (2) | 71-64-73-70=278 | −2 | 1 stroke | Chip Beck, Mark McCumber, Ian Woosnam |
PGA Tour playoff record (6–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1980 | Michelob-Houston Open | Lee Trevino | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1981 | Tournament Players Championship | Raymond Floyd, Barry Jaeckel | Floyd won with par on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1983 | Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open | Gil Morgan, Lanny Wadkins | Morgan won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1985 | Honda Classic | Peter Jacobsen | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 5 | 1986 | Houston Open | Calvin Peete | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 6 | 1988 | Independent Insurance Agent Open | Greg Norman | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 7 | 1988 | U.S. Open | Nick Faldo | Won 18-hole playoff; Strange: E (71), Faldo: +4 (75) |
| 8 | 1988 | Nabisco Championship | Tom Kite | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 9 | 1991 | Doral-Ryder Open | Rocco Mediate | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |

### PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | Nov 2, 1986 | ABC Japan-U.S. Match | 67-68-72-64=271 | −17 | 4 strokes | Chip Beck |

### PGA Tour of Australasia wins (3)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | Jan 10, 1988 | Sanctuary Cove Classic | 67-70-67-68=272 | −16 | 1 stroke | Ian Woosnam |
| 2 | Jan 15, 1989 | Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup | 66-70-71-73=280 | −8 | 2 strokes | Raymond Floyd |
| 3 | Dec 5, 1993 | Greg Norman's Holden Classic | 68-67-69-70=274 | −18 | 2 strokes | John Wade |
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
| 1 | 1990 | Daikyo Palm Meadows Cup | Rodger Davis | Lost to eagle on second extra hole |

### South American Golf Circuit wins (1)

* 1981 Panama Open

### Other wins (7)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | Oct 5, 1980 | Laurent-Perrier Trophy | 62-70-68-68=268 | −20 | 12 strokes | Bobby Clampett |
| 2 | Dec 14, 1980 | JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with Nancy Lopez) | 70-65-67-66=268 | −20 | 2 strokes | Gibby Gilbert and Sandra Spuzich, Lori Garbacz and Craig Stadler |
| 3 | Aug 19, 1986 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with Peter Jacobsen) | 64 | −8 | Shared title with Greg Norman and Gary Player | Shared title with Greg Norman and Gary Player |
| 4 | May 26, 1989 | PGA Grand Slam of Golf | 73 | +1 | 2 strokes | Craig Stadler |
| 5 | Nov 19, 1989 | RMCC Invitational (with Mark O'Meara) | 66-62-62=190 | −26 | 6 strokes | Bernhard Langer and John Mahaffey, Lanny Wadkins and Tom Weiskopf |
| 6 | Nov 26, 1989 | Skins Game | $265,000 | $265,000 | $175,000 | Jack Nicklaus |
| 7 | Nov 25, 1990 | Skins Game (2) | $220,000 | $220,000 | $130,000 | Greg Norman |

## Major championships
### Wins (2)

| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
| 1988 | U.S. Open | 1 shot lead | −6 (70-67-69-72=278) | Playoff$^1$ | Nick Faldo |
| 1989 | U.S. Open (2) | 3 shot deficit | −2 (71-64-73-70=278) | 1 stroke | Chip Beck, Mark McCumber, Ian Woosnam |
$^1$Defeated Faldo in 18-hole playoff; Strange: 71 (E), Faldo: 75 (+4).

### Results timeline

| Tournament | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T15 LA | CUT | | |
| U.S. Open | | | CUT | | |
| The Open Championship | | CUT | | | |
| PGA Championship | | | | T58 | CUT |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T19 | T7 | CUT | T46 | T2 | T21 | T12 | T21 | T18 |
| U.S. Open | T16 | T17 | T39 | T26 | 3 | T31 | CUT | T4 | 1 | 1 |
| The Open Championship | | | T15 | T29 | | | T14 | | T13 | T61 |
| PGA Championship | T5 | T27 | T14 | 86 | CUT | CUT | CUT | 9 | T31 | T2 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| Masters Tournament | T7 | T42 | T31 | WD | T27 | 9 | CUT | | | |
| U.S. Open | T21 | CUT | T23 | T25 | 4 | T36 | T27 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T38 | CUT | | | CUT | T72 | T44 | T19 | |
| PGA Championship | CUT | WD | CUT | CUT | T19 | T17 | T26 | CUT | | |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Masters Tournament | | | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | | |
| The Open Championship | | | |
| PGA Championship | T58 | CUT | CUT |
LA = Low amateur CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

### Summary

| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 14 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 15 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 12 |
| Totals | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 30 | 78 | 50 |
* Most consecutive cuts made – 13 (1987 Masters – 1990 U.S. Open)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)

## Results in The Players Championship

| Tournament | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT | 21 | T2 | T51 | T8 | T33 | T33 | CUT | CUT | DQ | T34 | T16 | T6 | WD | CUT | CUT | T23 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T23 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew DQ = disqualified "T" indicates a tie for a place

## U.S. national team appearances

Amateur
* Eisenhower Trophy: 1974 (winners)
* Walker Cup: 1975 (winners)
Professional
* Ryder Cup: 1983 (winners), 1985, 1987, 1989 (tied), 1995, 2002 (non-playing captain)
* Dunhill Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 (winners), 1990, 1991, 1994
* Four Tours World Championship: 1985 (winners), 1987 (winners), 1988 (winners), 1989 (winners)
* UBS Cup: 2001 (winners), 2002 (winners), 2003 (tie), 2004 (winners)

## Equipment

In 1988 when Strange won the U.S. Open, Ping recognized him with a golden putter replica of the Ping Zing 2 he used to win. A second one was made and placed in the Ping Gold Putter Vault.