Woody Austin

A former bank teller at a credit union who also worked in a supplies department at Eckerd Drug, Austin, tried to earn a PGA Tour card at Qualifying School in 1987. During that Qualifying School, he tore tendons and cartilage in his left knee and was sidelined for two years. Austin first injured that knee as an 11-year-old playing Little League Baseball.
Austin qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour in 1994. The following year, he succeeded in getting on the PGA Tour when he was the medalist in the 1994 Qualifying School. He had two productive years when he was Rookie of the Year in 1995 and won the Buick Open in a playoff over Mike Brisky before finishing 180th on the money list in 1997. He could not regain his card at Qualifying School and played on the Korn Ferry Tour in 1998. He succeeded, finishing eighth on the money list and regaining his tour card for 1999.
He scrambled on Tour in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to stay inside the top-125. He dropped to 156th on the money list in 2002, but he was able to regain his card at Qualifying School. He finished 44th on the money list in 2003 with earnings of $1,518,707. The season was driven with a runner-up finish at the Heritage, where he lost a four-hole playoff to Davis Love III. The following year, Austin won the 2004 Buick Championship and had his best year in 2007, winning the St. Jude Championship and finishing 15th on the money list with earnings of $2,887,596. His great season earned him a spot on the Presidents Cup team. He had two more productive years before finishing 129th on the money list in 2010, then fell to 161st on the money list in 2011, losing his card and having to split his time on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour in 2012 and 2013.
He regained full status on the PGA Tour by winning the 2013 Sanderson Farms Championship, beating Daniel Summerhays and Cameron Beckman with a birdie on the first playoff hole. The win came in his 507th PGA Tour start, and at 49 years, 5 months, and 25 days, it made him the eighth-oldest winner in PGA Tour history.
1994 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 26; in money - 18; Top-10 finishes - six; scoring average 70.99 (ranked 24th); money $72,206 (ranked 23rd); best finish, second at the Sonoma County Open. He was the medalist at PGA Qualifying School.
1998 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 23; in money - 17; Top-10 finishes - nine; scoring average 69.61 (ranked first); money $140,955 (ranked eighth); best finish, second at the Fort Smith Classic and South Carolina Classic.
2000 Notes: Returned to the top-100 on the money list for the first time since 1996.
2001 Notes: Made the cut in his last three events of the year, including T-16th in National Car Rental/Disney, to help secure the last exempt spot for 2002.
2002 Notes: Earned his way back onto the PGA Tour in 2003 by finishing T-26th in the 2002 Qualifying Tournament.
2003 Notes: He finished in the top 50 for the first time since 1996 and earned more than $1 million for the first time in his career.
2004 Notes: His second Tour victory was in August at the Buick Championship, his 301st career start.
2005 Notes: Went over the $1-million mark and finished in the top 100 on the money list for the third straight season.
2006 Notes: Finished in the top 80 on the money list, earning over $1 million for the fourth consecutive season.
2007 Notes: He had the best season of his career in 2007, with a victory, a runner-up in the PGA Championship, a spot on The Presidents Cup team, a 17th-place finish in the FedExCup, and his most earnings in one season.
2008 Notes: He made the cut in 24 of 30 starts on his way to finishing No. 58th in the FedExCup standings. He surpassed $2 million in earnings for the second time in his career, thanks to six top-10 finishes (the most since a career-best seven during his rookie season in 1995).
2009 Notes: Had seven top-25 finishes, was 65th in the FedEx Cup, and 82nd on the money list.
2010 Notes: Finished outside the top-100 on the money list for the first time in eight years. They had three top-10s and were 123rd on the FedEx Cup list and 129th on the money list.
2011 Notes: Made the cut in 11 of 18 starts on the PGA Tour but was never able to crack the top 150 on the money list during the season. The only top-10 was a T-6th at the RBC Canadian Open. They ended the season 159th on the FedEx Cup and 161st on the money list.
2012 Notes: He did not have a tour card, so he played on the PGA and Korn Ferry tours. On the PGA Tour, he had two top-25s in seven starts, and his best finish was T-13th at the True South Classic.
2012 Korn Ferry Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 18; in money - nine; Top-10 finishes - three; scoring average 70.22 (ranked 28th); money $95,033 (ranked 59th); best finish, third at the South Georgia Classic.
2013 Notes: In his 507th PGA Tour start, Austin won a playoff against Cameron Beckman and Daniel Summerhays to win the Sanderson Farms Championship. At 49 years, 5 months, and 25 days, he became the eighth-oldest winner in PGA Tour history, becoming fully exempt on the PGA Tour through 2015. Did not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
2014 Notes: Even though he turned 50 in January, he did not play in his first PGA Tour Champions event until July, as he played mostly on the PGA Tour at the beginning of the year. He had just one top-25 finish (T-13th at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions) in 10 made cuts on the PGA Tour (22 starts) and ended his season ranked No. 168 in FedExCup standings. He began his PGA Tour Champions career with a T-3rd at the U.S. Senior Open (he also had a third-place finish at the AT&T Championship). Managed to secure a spot among the PGA Tour Champions' top 30 money-winners despite only making eight starts on the over-50 circuit. He finished 12th in the Schwab Rankings.
2015 Notes: He played in various PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events. On PGA Tour Champions, he had ten top-10s, including a third at the Senior PGA Championship and a T-3rd at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach; he also had a T-4th at the Encompass Championship and a T-5th at the Senior Open Championship & Mississippi Gulf Resort. He finished 17th on the money list and 10th in the Schwab rankings. He played primarily on the PGA Tour in the first part of the year, making two cuts in eleven starts, T-43rd at Sanderson Farms Championship, and T-56th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
2016 Notes: Placed all of his efforts toward PGA Tour Champions. Won his first title on the tour at the Tucson Conquistadores Classic by one stroke over Jim Carter. The key shot Sunday came at the 13th when he holed out from a bunker from 35 yards away for a critical eagle which proved to be the difference. Good play from the bunkers was vital in the victory as he converted nine of 10 opportunities. He became the first multiple-winner of the year when he beat Wes Short Jr. in a two-hole playoff at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. The following week he partnered with Michael Allen to win the Bass Pro Shops Legends for his third win of the year. He was also T-7th at the 3M Championship. They lost a playoff to Bernhard Langer at the Boeing Classic to finish T-2nd with Kevin Sutherland. In September, was T-7th at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Closed his year with a T-4th finish at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He was 7th on both the money list and Schwab rankings.
2017 Notes: His year started quickly when he won the unofficial Diamond Resorts Invitational by 4 strokes. They opened up with a 12-under par 59. After that, things didn't go his way. He failed to win an event and slipped to 42nd on the money list, his worst showing since joining the Champions Tour. He had two top-10s, T-6th in defense of his title at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, then T-3rd at Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
2018 Notes: Played in 26 PGA Tour Champions events with ten top-ten finishes. Advanced to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship for the fourth time in five years on Tour. Finished the tournament T-5th to be one of only two players (Vijay Singh) that ended the season with top-10s in all three playoff events. Won the first Playoff event, the Dominion Energy Charity. Was T-2nd at the rain-shortened Principal Charity Classic, two shots back of winner Tom Lehman. Austin partnered with Mark Calcavecchia and finished T-5th at the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf. T-5th in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, shooting a final round 64.
2019 Notes: Played in 27 PGA Tour Champions with 12 top-ten finishes. He was 6th on the Schwab Cup points list. He was T-5th at the Oasis Championship and T-4th at the Chubb Classic. He was 2nd a the Hoag Classic and lost a playoff to Kirk Triplett, who made an eagle on the 2nd playoff hole. Also 11th at the Senior PGA Championship and T-8th at the American Family Insurance Championship. He was T-7th at the Bridgestone Senior and Senior Open Championship, then 3rd at the DICK's Sporting Goods. He was 2nd at the Ally Challenge, two shots back of winner Jerry Kelly. He was T-7th at the Sanford International and T-3rd at the SAS Championship. Shot a final-round 65 to finish T-4th at the Dominion Energy Charity. Shot a final-round 64 to finish two shots back of the Maggert/Goosen playoff at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2020 & 2021 Notes: Played in 37 PGA Tour Champions events with 13 top-tens and finished 17th in the Charles Schwab Cup. In his first seven starts was in the top ten six times. Best was 2nd at the Cologuard Classic, finishing three shots back of winner Bernhard Langer. After the break from COVID-19, he and his wife Shannon hit the road in a 35-foot RV which he bought in July and found more conventional to travel in. He was T-10th at the Ally Challenge. At the Bridgestone, Senior Players shot a final round 73 and finished T-5th, five shots back of winner Jerry Kelly. He was 4th at the SAS Championship, three shots back of winner Ernie Els. In the Charles Schwab Cup Championship was 3rd, three shots back of the Sutherland/Broadhurst playoff. His first 2021 top-ten was a T-5th at the Boeing Classic. They had a share of the first-round lead and was leading after 2nd round but shot 72 in the final round to finish two shots back of winner Rod Pampling. I was T-9th the next week at the Ally Challenge. Then shot a final round 65 to finish T-3rd at the Ascension Charity Classic, finishing a shot back of the David Toms/Dicky Pride playoff. Was T-9th at the SAS Championship and T-8th at the TimberTech Championship. Finished the season T-20th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2022 Notes: He played in 24 PGA Tour Champions events, with two top-ten finishes. He was 37th in the Schwab Rankings and 37th on the money list with $602,157. For the second year in a row, he was runner-up at the Cologuard Classic. He shot a final-round 66 to finish T-2nd, four shots back of winner Miguel Angel Jimenez. He was T-5th at the Senior Players Championship, five shots back of winner Jerry Kelly.
2023 Notes: He played in 23 PGA Tour Champions events. He was 58th in the Schwab Rankings and 58th on the money list with $339,536. His best finish was T-11th at the American Family Insurance.
2024 Notes: Was T-15th at the Hoag Classic.