Jonathan Byrd

ELIGIBILITY CODE: 8

Was introduced to golf at age 3, along with his older brother, Jordan, by their late father, Jim, who died in 2009 from brain cancer. Jordan, an assistant golf coach at Clemson University, has occasionally caddied for Jonathan on the PGA Tour. . .Was college teammates at Clemson with Tour professionals Lucas Glover, Charles Warren and D.J. Trahan. Member of the 1999 Walker Cup Team. . .Finished eighth on the 2001 Nationwide Tour money list and joined the PGA Tour in 2002, winning the Buick Challenge in his rookie season and later earning Rookie of the Year honors. Struggled early in 2004 due to a hip injury, but bounced back with a strong finish after undergoing surgery on Feb. 15 in Pittsburgh because of two tears in the labrum. The surgery tightened up the looseness and instability, and he won the 2004 B.C. Open. In April of 2006 suffered a rib injury which sidelined him for 12 weeks. Took all of 2006 and first part of 2007 to get healthy again from that injury. Went on to win the 2007 John Deere Classic.
2001 Nationwide Summary: Tournaments entered - 20; in money - 16; top-10 finishes - 5; scoring average 70.44 (ranked N/A); money $222,244 (ranked 8th); best finish, winner Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs.
Will always be remembered for making one of the longest shots in the history of golf to win a playoff when he made a hole-in-one to beat Martin Laird and Cameron Piercy at the 2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
In 2011, beat Robert Garrigus with a par-4 on the second playoff hole to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, then lost a playoff against former Clemson teammate, Lucas Glover, at the Wells Fargo.