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| Larry Mize | |
|---|---|
| Name | Larry Mize |
| Birth date | August 23, 1958 |
| Birth place | Augusta, Georgia, United States |
| Residence | Thomson, Georgia, United States |
| College | Georgia Tech |
| Turned pro | 1980 |
| Tours | PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions |
| Professional wins | 11 |
| Masters | Won: 1987 |
| Usopen | T36: 1986 |
| Open | CUT: 1992, 1993 |
| Pga | T10: 1989 |
Larry Mize (born August 23, 1958) is an American professional golfer known for his dramatic 1987 major championship victory at The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Raised in Augusta, Georgia, he played collegiate golf at Georgia Tech before joining the PGA Tour and later competing on the PGA Tour Champions. Mize's career includes multiple PGA Tour wins, international appearances, and a reputation for deft short-game skill under pressure.
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Mize grew up amid the culture of Augusta National Golf Club and the annual Masters Tournament, which shaped his early exposure to golf alongside contemporaries from Georgia Tech and regional amateur circuits such as the US Amateur and state-level championships. He attended Georgia Tech, where he played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's golf team, earning recognition that placed him alongside alumni like David Duval, Chris Kirk, Matt Kuchar, and Tom Kite in the collegiate golf community. As an amateur he competed in events organized by United States Golf Association-affiliated tournaments and regional qualifiers that also involved players who later featured on the PGA Tour and European Tour, including names like Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, and Seve Ballesteros in broader championship fields. His amateur success led to selection for national-level events that connected him to figures such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and younger pros entering the Tour system.
Mize turned professional in 1980 and joined the PGA Tour, competing against established stars including Fuzzy Zoeller, Raymond Floyd, Hal Sutton, Fred Couples, and Nick Price. His early professional victories and runner-up finishes put him into contention with contemporaries like Curtis Strange, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, and John Daly across PGA Tour stops and international events associated with the European Tour and Japan Golf Tour. Mize collected three PGA Tour wins and additional international victories, joining the ranks of players who later competed on the Champions Tour with peers such as Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, and Fred Funk. He represented the U.S. in team contexts and appeared in signature tournaments including the Players Championship, the Ryder Cup—an arena featuring Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, and Bernhard Langer—and invitational events hosted by figures like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer.
Mize's most notable major performance was his sudden-death victory at The Masters Tournament in 1987, defeating Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros in a three-way playoff that concluded with a match-winning chip at Augusta National Golf Club. He posted competitive finishes in other majors, with top-ten showings including a T10 at the PGA Championship in 1989 against fields featuring Phil Mickelson, Nick Price, Ernie Els, and Fred Couples. Mize made multiple starts at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship, competing head-to-head with major champions such as Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Bernhard Langer, Hal Sutton, and Raymond Floyd. His Masters victory placed him in historic company with champions like Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Gene Sarazen within the list of major winners.
Known for exceptional short-game touch and deliberate course management, Mize developed a reputation similar to players like Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson for finesse around the greens. His technique emphasized putting and wedge play under pressure, often contrasting with long-hitters such as John Daly, Greg Norman, Sergio García, and Dustin Johnson. Coaches and contemporaries compared his playmaking to that of Tom Kite and Fred Couples in terms of strategic play on parkland courses like Augusta National and tournament venues used on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Sunshine Tour. His short-game prowess was particularly evident in playoff situations and clutch shots, drawing parallels to iconic moments from Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in major championship settings.
Mize is from the Augusta, Georgia area and has maintained ties to the region and institutions such as Georgia Tech and local clubs at Augusta National Golf Club and community organizations. His family life and local engagements connected him to civic and sporting figures in Georgia, linking to events that involve personalities from Atlanta, Savannah, and regional athletic programs like University of Georgia Bulldogs and the Atlanta Falcons community. He has worked with coaches, instructors, and sports management professionals who have also advised players like Davis Love III, Billy Andrade, Steve Stricker, and Rocco Mediate. Outside tournament play, Mize has participated in charity pro-ams, exhibition matches, and senior tour events featuring stars such as Bernhard Langer, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, and Fred Funk.
Mize's 1987 Masters win provided one of golf's memorable playoff moments and has been referenced alongside historic shots by Gene Sarazen, Cary Middlecoff, Horton Smith, and Bobby Jones in discussions of Augusta lore. His career accomplishments led to induction into regional halls of fame and recognition from organizations such as state sports halls and collegiate athletic halls tied to Georgia Tech and Georgia athletics. His influence is cited in retrospectives featuring commentators and historians like Jim Nantz, Dan Jenkins, Peter Alliss, and Tommy Aaron, and in media coverage by outlets associated with tournaments involving CBS Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN, and golf publications that profile major champions and PGA Tour veterans. Mize remains part of the narrative of American golf champions alongside peers including Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Fred Couples, Tom Kite, and Nick Faldo.
Category:American male golfers Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:People from Augusta, Georgia Category:1958 births Category:Living people