Mark Francis O'Meara (born January 13, 1957) is an American retired professional golfer. He won tournaments on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He spent nearly 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from their debut in 1986 to 2000. He won two major championships, the 1998 Masters Tournament and the 1998 Open Championship, becoming the oldest player to win two majors in a year. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.
Early life O'Meara was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina and grew up in Mission Viejo, California. He took up golf at 13, sneaking into the nearby Mission Viejo Country Club. O'Meara later became an employee of the club and played on his high school golf team.
O'Meara was an All-American at Long Beach State in Long Beach, California, and won the U.S. Amateur in 1979, defeating defending champion John Cook, 8 and 7, in the final.
Professional career After graduating with a degree in marketing in 1980, O'Meara turned professional and would win 16 events on the PGA Tour, beginning with the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1984, and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am five times. His best year as a professional golfer came relatively late in his career–in 1998 at age 41–when he won two majors: The Masters and the British Open. O'Meara's victory in The Masters came during his 15th attempt. O'Meara attributed this resurgence partly to the inspiration of working with Tiger Woods, the new superstar of the game at the time, with whom O'Meara had become good friends.An Interview with: Mark O'Meara In the same year, he won the Cisco World Match Play Championship and reached a career best of second in the Official World Golf Ranking.
O'Meara is known for competing outside the United States more often than most leading American golfers, and has won tournaments in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. In the new millennium his form took a downturn and he began to struggle with injuries, but in 2004 he won an official tour event for the first time since 1998, taking the Dubai Desert Classic title, which despite being played in the Middle East is a European Tour event.
After the European Tour Lancome Trophy tournament at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in September 1997, which was won by O'Meara, he was involved in a controversy. A television viewer in Sweden observed that, on the 15th green in the final round, O'Meara, facing a two and a half foot putt, had replaced his ball half an inch closer to the hole than had been indicated by his marker. Tournament runner-up Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden wrote to O'Meara in March 1998, sending a video recording of the incident and asking for an explanation. O'Meara insisted he had not intended to gain any advantage and sought advice from the PGA and European Tours, who informed him that the tournament was over and the result stood. Sandelin went public with the story and demanded that O'Meara hand back the trophy and the prize money. O'Meara admitted in April 1998 that he may have, without intention, misplaced the ball.
Senior career In 2007, O'Meara began play on the Champions Tour; he had many top-10 finishes in his first three seasons including several runner-up finishes, but no wins. In 2010, he broke through with a win in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf with Nick Price, followed by his first senior major victory in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. O'Meara was sidelined by a rib injury for several months starting in April 2012; he missed the majors on both tours and did not compete until August.
In the early 2000s, O'Meara began to develop a golf course design practice and he enjoys fishing in his off time. The first course he designed opened in May 2001 at the Grandview Golf Club in Huntsville, Ontario. He is a brand ambassador for Pacific Links International. In March 2019, O'Meara won the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona. He shot a final round seven-under 66, to win by four shots. This win ended an eight-year win drought on the PGA Tour Champions. O'Meara retired in September 2024 after the PURE Insurance Championship, having announced that it would be his last professional event, and missing the cut.
Personal life O'Meara was a former resident of Orlando, Florida and lived in the same neighborhood as Tiger Woods. They became good friends and frequently golfed together during that time. O'Meara resides in Southern Highlands, Nevada.
Awards and recognition
In 1981, O'Meara earned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year In 1998, he received that year's BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, an award given to a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport in a year. In 1998, O'Meara earned PGA Tour Player of the Year honors In 1998, he earned PGA Player of the Year honors In 2015, O'Meara was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Amateur wins 1979 U.S. Amateur, California State Amateur Championship
Professional wins (34) PGA Tour wins (16) Legend Major championships (2) Other PGA Tour (14) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Sep 16, 1984Greater Milwaukee Open67-68-69-68=272−165 strokes Tom Watson2Feb 3, 1985Bing Crosby National Pro-Am70-72-68-73=283−51 stroke Kikuo Arai, Larry Rinker, Curtis Strange3Feb 10, 1985Hawaiian Open67-66-65-69=267−211 stroke Craig Stadler4Jan 29, 1989AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2)66-68-73-70=277−111 stroke Tom Kite5Feb 4, 1990AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (3)67-73-69-72=281−72 strokes Kenny Perry6Oct 7, 1990H.E.B. Texas Open64-68-66-63=261−191 stroke Gary Hallberg7Oct 19, 1991Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic66-66-71-64=267−211 stroke David Peoples8Feb 2, 1992AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (4)69-68-68-70=275−13Playoff Jeff Sluman9Mar 12, 1995Honda Classic68-65-71-71=275−91 stroke Nick Faldo10Sep 10, 1995Bell Canadian Open72-67-68-67=274−14Playoff Bob Lohr 11Jan 7, 1996Mercedes Championships68-69-66-68=271−173 strokes Nick Faldo, Scott Hoch12Apr 28, 1996Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic75-68-62-69=274−142 strokes Duffy Waldorf13Feb 2, 1997AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (5)67-67-67-67=268−201 stroke David Duval, Tiger Woods14Feb 9, 1997Buick Invitational67-66-71-71=275−13 2 strokes David Ogrin, Donnie Hammond, Jesper Parnevik, Craig Stadler, Lee Janzen, Mike Hulbert, Duffy Waldorf15Apr 12, 1998Masters Tournament74-70-68-67=279−91 stroke Fred Couples, David Duval16Jul 19, 1998The Open Championship72-68-72-68=280EPlayoff Brian Watts
PGA Tour playoff record (3–4) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11981Tallahassee Open Dave Eichelberger, Bob MurphyEichelberger won with birdie on first extra hole21983Phoenix Open Rex Caldwell, Bob Gilder, Johnny MillerGilder won with birdie on eighth extra holeMiller and O'Meara eliminated by birdie on second hole31991Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Corey PavinLost to birdie on first extra hole41992Bob Hope Chrysler Classic John Cook, Rick Fehr, Tom Kite, Gene SauersCook won with eagle on fourth extra holeFehr eliminated by birdie on second holeKite and O'Meara eliminated by birdie on first hole51992AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Jeff SlumanWon with par on first extra hole61995Bell Canadian Open Bob LohrWon with par on first extra hole71998The Open Championship Brian WattsWon four-hole aggregate playoff;O'Meara: −1 (4-4-5-4=17),Watts: +1 (5-4-5-5=19)
European Tour wins (5) Legend Major championships (2) Other European Tour (3) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Aug 23, 1987Lawrence Batley International71-64-70-66=271−173 strokes Carl Mason2Sep 14, 1997Trophée Lancôme69-67-66-69=271−131 stroke Jarmo Sandelin3Apr 12, 1998Masters Tournament74-70-68-67=279−91 stroke Fred Couples, David Duval4Jul 19, 1998The Open Championship72-68-72-68=280EPlayoff Brian Watts5Mar 7, 2004Dubai Desert Classic70-64-68-69=271−171 stroke Paul McGinley
European Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11998The Open Championship Brian WattsWon four-hole aggregate playoff;O'Meara: −1 (4-4-5-4=17),Watts: +1 (5-4-5-5=19)
PGA of Japan Tour wins (2) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner-up1May 12, 1985Fujisankei Classic67-67-66-73=273−113 strokes Masashi Ozaki2Oct 4, 1992Tokai Classic66-68-72-71=277−111 stroke Tom Kite
PGA Tour of Australia wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner-up1Feb 23, 1986Australian Masters74-66-71-73=284−81 stroke David Graham
South American Tour wins (1) 1994 Argentine Open
Other wins (8) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Nov 16, 1985Isuzu Kapalua International67-70-70-68=275−13Playoff Corey Pavin2Nov 19, 1989RMCC Invitational(with Curtis Strange)66-62-62=190−266 strokes Bernhard Langer and John Mahaffey, Lanny Wadkins and Tom Weiskopf3Aug 23, 1994Fred Meyer Challenge(with John Cook)63-62=125−17Playoff Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson4Oct 18, 1998Cisco World Match Play Championship1 up Tiger Woods5Nov 29, 1998Skins Game$405,000$10,000 Tom Lehman6Nov 21, 1999World Cup of Golf(with Tiger Woods)140-133-130-142=545−235 strokes − Santiago Luna and Miguel Ángel Martín7Aug 8, 2000Fred Meyer Challenge (2)(with John Cook)64-61=125−19Playoff David Frost and Jim Furyk8Dec 1, 2002Skins Game (2)$405,000$105,000 Phil Mickelson
Other playoff record (3–0) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11985Isuzu Kapalua International Corey PavinWon with birdie on third extra hole21994Fred Meyer Challenge(with John Cook) Ben Crenshaw and Phil MickelsonWon with par on second extra hole32000Fred Meyer Challenge(with John Cook) David Frost and Jim FurykWon with birdie on first extra hole
PGA Tour Champions wins (3) LegendPGA Tour Champions major championships (1)Other Champions Tour (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Apr 25, 2010Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf(with Nick Price)62-64-62=188−28Playoff John Cook and Joey Sindelar 2Oct 10, 2010Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship68-68-69-68=273−7Playoff Michael Allen3Mar 3, 2019Cologuard Classic66-70-66=202−174 strokes Darren Clarke, Scott McCarron, Kirk Triplett, Willie Wood
PGA Tour Champions playoff record (2–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result12010Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf(with Nick Price) John Cook and Joey Sindelar Won with par on second extra hole22010Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship Michael AllenWon with par on first extra hole32011Songdo IBD Championship Jay Don Blake, John Cook, Peter SeniorBlake won with birdie on fifth extra holeO'Meara and Senior eliminated by par on third hole42012Boeing Classic Jay Don BlakeLost to birdie on second extra hole
Major championships Wins (2) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreTo parMarginRunner(s)-up 1998 Masters Tournament 2 shot deficit 74-70-68-67=279−9 1 stroke Fred Couples, David Duval 1998 The Open Championship 2 shot deficit 72-68-72-68=280 E Playoff1 Brian Watts 1Defeated Brian Watts in 4-hole playoff: O'Meara (4-4-5-4=17), Watts (5-4-5-5=19)
Results timeline Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Masters TournamentCUT2448T24T39T11U.S. OpenCUTCUT58T7T15T41CUTT3CUTThe Open ChampionshipT47T3T43T6627T42PGA ChampionshipT70CUTT25T28CUTCUTT9CUT
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Masters TournamentCUTT27T4T21T15T31T18T301T31U.S. OpenCUTCUTCUTCUTCUTT16T36T32CUTThe Open ChampionshipT48T3T12CUTT49T33T381CUTPGA ChampionshipT19CUTCUTCUTT6T26T13T4T57 Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Masters TournamentCUTT20CUTT8T27T31CUTCUTCUTCUTU.S. OpenT51CUTT18T35CUTThe Open ChampionshipT26T42T22T65T30CUTT63T60CUTT70PGA ChampionshipT46T22CUTCUTCUT Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Masters TournamentCUTCUTCUTCUTT22CUTCUTCUTU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTT58T78T63CUTPGA Championship
CUT = missed the halfway cut "T" indicates a tie for a place.
Summary