Pat Perez

Perez learned the game from his father. He and his younger brother, Mike, picked the Torrey Pines range and filled in divots in exchange for free access to the course and practice facilities.
As a teenager in San Diego, Perez won the 1993 Junior World title, when another famous Southern California junior player, Tiger Woods, finished eight shots behind him. Perez played on the Arizona State golf team and as a sophomore in 1996 led the Sun Devils to the Pac 10 and NCAA titles. Unfortunately, the next year was a struggle and he left school, returning to San Diego and working for minimum wage delivering merchandise for a golf equipment company. In the summer of 1997, he met a San Diego businessman who offered to sponsor him in some mini-tour events in California. Still an amateur, Perez went off to play and in his first start on the Golden State Tour, won the event. He was told that he could remain an amateur or take the $2,000, which he did. After turning professional, Perez won his next four mini-tour starts and started playing on the Canadian Tour, followed by the Korn Ferry Tour.
Pat's brother, Mike, earned playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour at the 2001 PGA Tour qualifying tournament and was playing on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2003. They were the only brothers to play in the finals.
2000 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments Entered - 19; In Money - 11; Top-10 Finishes - 4; Stroke Average - 71.42 (Rank 63rd); Money - $148,094 (Rank 26th); Best Finish - 1st, Buy.Com Ozarks Open.
2001 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments Entered - 26; In Money - 16; Top-10 Finishes - 5; Stroke Average - 70.46 (Rank 22nd); Money - $124,818 (Rank 32nd); Best Finish - T-3rd, Samsung Canadian PGA Championship. Was medalist at the 2001 PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, securing his card for the PGA Tour in 2002.
2002 Notes: Six top-10s, most of any rookie for 2002.
2003 Notes: Two top-10s, five top-25s. Finished 117th on the money list.
2004 Notes: Ended the year with a bang, making 50 percent of his season earnings in his last five starts, including a T-3rd in Pennsylvania to secure his card for 2005.
2005 Notes: Nine Top-25 finishes.
2006 Notes: Finished in the top-125 on the PGA Tour money list for the fifth time in his five-year career. Hampered by tendinitis in both elbows from The Players Championship through the end of the season.
2007 Notes: After injury-plagued 2006 season, had career highs in earnings (more than $1.6 million) and top-10 finishes (11). His ranking on the money list was his highest since his rookie year in 2002.
2008 Notes: Recorded career highs in money ($1.7 million), cuts made (21), and top-25 finishes (12).
2009 Notes: Won for the first time at Bob Hope Desert Classic and finished the season ranked No. 46 in the FedExCup standings. Suffered two torn ligaments in his right ankle on May 15 while running with his dog at home in Scottsdale, Ariz. Returned for the Travelers Championship in late June, where he missed the cut.
2010 Notes: Claimed three top-10 finishes, but dropped to 101st on the money list.
2011 Notes: Runner-up at Reno-Tahoe Open, and had seven top-25s.
2012 Notes: Enjoyed his 11th consecutive year in the top-125 and seventh season with earnings over $1 million. In 23 starts, had only one top-10 (T-9 at the Byron Nelson) but made 18 cuts, finished 54th in the FedExCup rankings, and 94th on the money list.
2013 Notes: Made 14 of 22 cuts, with four top-10s. Finished 98th in the FedExCup standings. At the Sony Open in Hawaii, posted four rounds in the 60s for a T-9th finish. Had four par-or-better rounds at the Tampa Bay Championship for a T-7th finish. With rounds of 72-69-72-71, was one of just four players to post all four rounds at par or better at Muirfield Village G.C., and finished T-8th. After opening with a 1-over 71 at the Greenbrier Classic, reeled off three rounds in the 60s to finish T-6th, his best finish of the year.
2014 Notes: Again played most of his best golf on the West Coast swing, finishing T-8th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, T-2nd at the Farmers Insurance Open, 11th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T-7th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Made 14 of 22 cuts, with four top-10s. Finished 98th in the FedExCup standings and 82nd on the money list. After the West Coast Swing, had just two top-25s in 15 starts. Best result was T-11th at the Valero Texas Open.
2015 Notes: Had 10 top-25 finishes in 26 starts. Recorded two top-tens, T-5th at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and T-4th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Finished 45th in the FedExCup race and 63rd on the money list.
2016 Notes: Made 11 starts through the Honda Classic, and afterward underwent surgery to repair a right labrum.
2017 Notes: Missed six months, returning to the CIMB Classic, where he finished T-33rd. At his next start, he came in T-7th at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and won the next week at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. After the win, he talked about his injury hiatus and how the time off helped him develop a new attitude. He learned ways to tame his impatience and stay mentally alert with a more positive outlook. He added top-10s with a T-3rd at the SBS Tournament of Champions and a T-4th at the Farmers Insurance Open. He withdrew from Phoenix, as his surgically repaired shoulder started tightening up, but it was just an inflamed bicep muscle, not the shoulder. The following week, he placed T-14th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Playing in his first Masters since 2009, finished T-18th, and then was T-2nd at the Wells Fargo, a shot behind Brian Harman. For the first time in his career, played all four FedExCup Playoff events, had one top-10, a T-6th at the Dell Technologies Championship. Finished the season 15th in the FedExCup standings, a career-best. It was the first time in his career that he played in all four majors and WGC events in a single year.
2018 Notes: Played in 23 PGA Tour events making 19 cuts with four top-ten finishes. Shot a final-round 69 to capture his third PGA Tour title at the CIMB Classic, defeating Keegan Bradley by four shots. Was T-5th at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges and T-4th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Teamed with Jason Dufner to finish 2nd at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, one behind the team of Billy Horschel/Scott Piercy. In the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time, ending his season at 39th in the FedExCup following a T-55th at the BMW Championship.
2019 Notes: Played in 21 PGA Tour events making 13 cuts with three top-ten finishes. Was 125th in the FedExCup standings Was T-7th at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. T-6th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Shot a final-round 74 at the Wells Fargo Championship but still finished T-8th. Went into the Wyndham Championship 122nd in the FedExCup standings, missed the cut but got the 125th spot. Missed the cut at the Northern Trust.
2020 Notes: Was 3rd at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open two shots back of the Na/Cantlay playoff. It was Perez's best finish since winning the 2017 CIMB Classic. Was T-8th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. After the break was T-23rd at the 3M Open.