Wes Short, Jr.

Short was born, raised, and has lived his entire life in Austin, Texas. He attended the University of Texas and is married to Gail Elizabeth Hardy. They have one daughter together, Elizabeth Ann Short.
Short became a professional golfer in 1987. He worked as a club pro in Austin before becoming a tour professional in 1997. He started on the mini-tours and eventually qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour for the 1998 season. He was a member of the Korn Ferry Tour again in 2002 and 2003. He has played 96 events on that Tour. His best finish on that Tour was a T-2nd at The Reese's Cup Classic in 2003. After that year, he finished T-7th at the PGA Tour Q-School.
He finally earned the opportunity to play on the PGA Tour in 2004 as a 40-year-old rookie. That year wasn't very successful, as he finished 222nd on the money list. Since he didn't return to the qualifying tournament, he had to play in Monday qualifiers in 2005. His only PGA Tour win came in 2005 at the Michelin Championship in Las Vegas, where he defeated Jim Furyk on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. The win was also notable because Short was an alternate, and it was only his 26th PGA Tour event. After the victory, he had limited success, finishing 161st on the money list in 2006 and then 232nd in 2007. At this time, he started suffering back problems, which hampered him between 2007 and 2012.
He attempted to restart his PGA Tour career in 2013. Short made the cut in the 2013 Shell Houston Open, his first on the PGA Tour since 2007. He could not satisfy his medical extension, making five cuts in 15 events. He was demoted to Priority Ranking 32, representing past champions and veterans outside the top 150 on the previous season's money list. The good news of 2013 was that he went to PGA Tour Champions Q-School and tied the 72-hole record of 20-under-par 264 and waltzed to a five-stroke win over Jim Rutledge and Mike Reid on the Champions course, thus becoming fully exempt on the PGA Tour Champions in 2014.
2014 Notes: Had seven top-10 finishes, six of them coming after July. He finished his rookie season 18th on the money list, with over $900,000 in earnings. He had his three best performances of the season in consecutive events in late summer. After shooting 65-64 on the weekend in Calgary and finishing fifth in the Shaw Charity Classic, he won the Quebec Championship the following week, becoming the fourth of five rookies to win during the year. He came from three strokes back with a birdie-birdie-eagle finish to overtake Scott Dunlap by a shot. His hybrid second shot from 251 yards and subsequent eagle putt from 8 feet made him the first player since Bernhard Langer in the 2010 Allianz Championship to eagle the final hole for victory. The win was his first in almost nine years. Put together three more rounds in the 60s in his next start to claim a sixth-place finish in the Pacific Links Hawai'i Championship.
2015 Notes: In his second year on the PGA Tour Champions, he played in all 24 events and finished seven times in the top 10. The highlight of the year was a third-place effort in the Encompass Championship. He was 24th on the final money list and 27th in the Schwab rankings.
2016 Notes: At 52, he became the oldest player to qualify for a U.S. Open, shooting 7-under 135 in Powell, Ohio, sectional to earn his first U.S. Open start. He missed the cut in the U.S. Open at Oakmont. On the Champions Tour, he was the 36-hole leader in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic but missed a 6-foot birdie attempt on the final hole to fall back into a playoff with Woody Austin. After both made par at the first playoff hole, Austin won the event with a par on the second extra hole. One week later was T-4th with Hale Irwin in the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf. He became the 10th player in PGA Tour Champions history to record three eagles in a round when he did so in the second round of the Tucson Conquistadores. Finished 5th at the Constellation Senior Players Championship and 2nd at Dick's Sporting Goods Open. Also, T-7th at the Senior Open Championship. He played in 26 events and was 21st on the money list and 26th in the Schwab Cup Rankings.
2017 Notes: Played in 25 events with three top-10s. Best finish T-6th at the Regions Tradition, T-7th 3M Championship, and T-9th at Charles Schwab Cup Championship. He was 36th on the money list and 23rd in Schwab Rankings.
2018 Notes: Played in 26 PGA Tour Champions events with three top-ten finishes. Best was 2nd at the 3M Championship. He ended the event with a 63 to finish three back of Kenny Perry. He was 5th at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. He ended the year finishing T-3rd at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, five shots back of winner Vijay Singh. He was 21st on the money list.
2019 Notes: Played in 26 PGA Tour Champions events with six top-ten finishes. He was 18th in the final Schwab rankings. He posted rounds of 70-73-69 - 212 to finish T-5th at the Rapiscan Systems Classic, three shots back of the Sutherland/Parel playoff. Opened with rounds of 67-67 to lead by one through 36 holes at The Senior Open Championship, but closed with rounds of 73-72 to finish T-7th. Birdied the final hole in the final round at the Shaw Charity Classic for a one-shot victory over two-time defending champion Scott McCarron. Was T-7th at the Ally Challenge and T-9th at the Pure Insurance Championship. Was 7th at the Dominion Energy Charity. He ended his season T-14th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2020 & 2021 Notes: Played in 39 PGA Tour Champions events with eight top-tens and finished 28th in the Charles Schwab Cup. He was T-4th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, two shots back of the Jimenez/Couples/Els playoff. He was T-4th at the Ally Challenge, three shots back of winner Jim Furyk. Was T-2nd through two rounds at the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge, but closed with a 1-over 72 and finished T-9th. He was 4th at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, five shots back of the Sutherland/Broadhurst playoff. In 2021 was T-3rd at Dick's Sporting Goods Open and was T-3rd two shots back of winner Cameron Beckman. Was T-8th in back-to-back starts at the U.S. Senior Open and The Senior Open Championship. He was T-9th at the Ascension Charity Classic. Ended his season with a T-20th finish at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
2022 Notes: Played in 23 PGA Tour Champions events with one top-ten finish. He was 57th in the Schwab ranking and 59th on the money list earning $309,187. Best finish was T-9th at the Regions Tradition. Returned to the Qualifying tournament and finished 2nd.
2023 Notes: Finished T-8th at the Invited Celebrity Classic.