Bradford John Faxon Jr. (born August 1, 1961) is an American professional golfer. He has won eight times on the PGA Tour.
Early life and amateur career Faxon was born in Oceanport, New Jersey and raised in Barrington, Rhode Island. He attended Furman University, and earned a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1983.
At Furman, Faxon was a two-time All-American (1982, 1983) as a member of the golf team. He played on the 1983 Walker Cup team. Faxon won the Haskins Award for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States in 1983. He also received that same year's Golf Magazine and NCAA Coaches Awards as the nation's outstanding amateur golfer. He turned professional in 1983.
Professional career PGA Tour Faxon has won eight times on the PGA Tour and played on two Ryder Cup teams. While admittedly not a great driver of the golf ball or a great ball-striker, Faxon has built a reputation as one of the best pure putters in golf history. He led the PGA Tour in Putting Average in 1996, 1999, and 2000 (when he set the single-season record with only 1.704 putts/greens in regulation), and finished 13th in 2005 at the age of 44. Faxon explains his success on the greens thus: "My only secret is confidence... I just try to hit every putt as if I've just made a million in a row."
Faxon had been one of the most successful players on the PGA Tour throughout the 1990s, a mainstay in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, but a knee injury began to hamper his effectiveness in 2003, causing him to suffer through his worst season in 14 years in 2004. Faxon bounced back in 2005, though, winning his first tournament in four years and finishing 45th on the PGA Tour Money List. On September 19, 2005, he underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee. Faxon returned to competition for the 2006 season, in which he earned over $500,000.
In addition to his success on the PGA Tour Faxon played quite well on the Australasian Tour. He won the 1993 Australian Open, finished second in the 1993 Air New Zealand Shell Open, and finished in third place at the 1995 Greg Norman Holden International.
Champions Tour Faxon made his Champions Tour debut at the 2011 3M Championship, where he finished T-31. He won his first title in October at the Insperity Championship.
Other projects Charitable work In addition to being one of the PGA Tour's top players over the past 25 years, Faxon is one of the game's most generous figures. In 1991, Faxon along with fellow Tour pro Billy Andrade, formed Billy Andrade/Brad Faxon Charities for Children, Inc., a non-profit organization that (as of 2005) has donated over $3 million to needy children in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts. For their charity work, Faxon and Andrade were awarded the 1999 Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award, given to professional golfers for unselfish contributions to society. Since 1999, Andrade and Faxon have also served as hosts of the CVS Charity Classic, a golf tournament held at the Rhode Island Country Club each June, whose proceeds benefit the two players' charity. He also co-chair's Button Hole with Andrade, a short course that serves as a teaching and learning center for children. Faxon also runs his own junior golf foundation.
Broadcasting In 2010, Faxon worked for NBC as an analyst on golf broadcasts during the season. It was announced in July 2014 that Faxon would be joining Fox in 2015 as an on-air commentator along with David Fay.
Fight for Furman golf In 2014, Furman University announced the school was going to discontinue the golf program. Faxon helped lead an alumni drive to save the program.Furman reinstates men's golf program
Personal life Faxon resides in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Dory, and their four daughters.
Amateur wins 1975 Rhode Island Junior 1979 Rhode Island Amateur 1980 New England Amateur, 1981 New England Amateur, Rhode Island Amateur 1982 Sunnehanna Amateur
Professional wins (21) PGA Tour wins (8) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Aug 4, 1991Buick Open−17 (66-68-71-66=271)Playoff Chip Beck2Jul 26, 1992New England Classic−16 (66-67-67-68=268)2 strokes Phil Mickelson3Aug 23, 1992The International14 pts (4-7-7-14=14)2 points Lee Janzen4Apr 6, 1997Freeport-McDermott Classic−16 (68-69-66-69=272)3 strokes Bill Glasson, Jesper Parnevik5Sep 20, 1999B.C. Open−15 (69-67-70-67=273)Playoff Fred Funk6Jul 23, 2000B.C. Open (2)−18 (68-66-68-68=270)1 stroke Esteban Toledo7Jan 21, 2001Sony Open in Hawaii−20 (64-64-67-65=260)4 strokes Tom Lehman8Aug 28, 2005Buick Championship−14 (69-71-65-61=266)Playoff Tjaart van der Walt
PGA Tour playoff record (3–6) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11991Buick Open Chip BeckWon with par on first extra hole21992Infiniti Tournament of Champions Steve ElkingtonLost to birdie on first extra hole31992Buick Open Steve Elkington, Dan ForsmanForsman won with par on second extra holeFaxon eliminated by par on first hole41996United Airlines Hawaiian Open Jim FurykLost to birdie on third extra hole51996Sprint International Clarence RoseLost to eagle on third extra hole61997Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic Frank NobiloLost to par on first extra hole71999B.C. Open Fred FunkWon with par on second extra hole82003Bell Canadian Open Bob TwayLost to bogey on third extra hole92005Buick Championship Tjaart van der WaltWon with birdie on first extra hole
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1) Legend Flagship events (1) Other PGA Tour of Australasia (0) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up1Nov 28, 1993Heineken Australian Open−13 (65-74-66-70=275)2 strokes Mike Clayton, Jeff Woodland
PGA Tour satellite wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up1Jun 15, 1986Provident Classic−19 (67-62-69-63=261)1 stroke Scott Hoch
Other wins (9) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Jul 31, 1985Rhode Island Open−6 (68-72-67=207)2 strokes Jeff Lewis2Nov 20, 1994Franklin Funds Shark Shootout(with Fred Couples)−26 (68-64-58=190)2 strokes Mark O'Meara and Curtis Strange3Aug 22, 1995Fred Meyer Challenge(with Greg Norman)−13 (65-64=129)Playoff Paul Azinger and Payne Stewart4Aug 20, 1996Fred Meyer Challenge (2)(with Greg Norman)−18 (63-61=124)1 stroke Mark Calcavecchia and Billy Mayfair5Aug 5, 1997Fred Meyer Challenge (3)(with Greg Norman)−19 (60-63=123)3 strokes Jay Haas and Phil Mickelson6Aug 24, 1999Fred Meyer Challenge (4)(with Billy Andrade)−22 (61-61=122)2 strokes Steve Elkington and Craig Stadler, Jim Furyk and John Huston7Nov 19, 2000Franklin Templeton Shootout (2)(with Scott McCarron)−26 (64-66-60=190)Playoff Carlos Franco and Scott Hoch8Aug 7, 2001Fred Meyer Challenge (5)(with Billy Andrade)−24 (60-60=120)2 strokes Jean van de Velde and Fuzzy Zoeller9Nov 11, 2001Franklin Templeton Shootout (3)(with Scott McCarron)−33 (64-62-57=183)2 strokes John Daly and Frank Lickliter
Other playoff record (2–3) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult11995Fred Meyer Challenge(with Greg Norman) Paul Azinger and Payne StewartWon with birdie on first extra hole22000Franklin Templeton Shootout(with Scott McCarron) Carlos Franco and Scott HochWon with birdie on first extra hole32001CVS Charity Classic(with Gary Player) Mark Calcavecchia and Nick PriceLost to birdie on first extra hole42003Franklin Templeton Shootout(with Scott McCarron) Chad Campbell and Shaun Micheel, Hank Kuehne and Jeff SlumanKuehne/Sluman won with birdie on second extra hole52006CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic(with Mike Weir) Tim Clark and Nick PriceLost to birdie on second extra hole
Champions Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up1Oct 9, 2011Insperity Championship−10 (69-65=134)1 stroke Tommy Armour III2Apr 28, 2013Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf(with Jeff Sluman)−23 (62-66-65=193)1 stroke Fred Funk and Mike Goodes, Kenny Perry and Gene Sauers
Results in major championships Tournament198119821983198419851986198719881989Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTCUTT50LA57CUTT33The Open ChampionshipCUTT11T73PGA ChampionshipCUTCUTCUTCUTCUT
Tournament1990199119921993199419951996199719981999Masters TournamentT31T9T15T17T25CUTT26T24U.S. Open66CUTCUTT68T33T56T82T65T49The Open ChampionshipCUT7T15T33T20T11PGA ChampionshipCUTT48T15T14T305T17CUTT13T61
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006Masters TournamentT10T12T23T31U.S. OpenCUTCUTT66CUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipT47CUTT46T60T23PGA ChampionshipT27T59T29CUTT13CUTCUT
LA = Low Amateur CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 2 8 12 11U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 11The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 1 6 14 11PGA Championship 0 0 0 1 1 6 22 12Totals 0 0 0 1 4 20 66 45 Most consecutive cuts made – 13 (1993 PGA – 1996 PGA) Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)
Results in The Players Championship Tournament19841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006The Players ChampionshipT33CUTCUTCUTCUTT17T70CUTT67DQT6T494T35T46T77T26T36T11T42T46T16
CUT = missed the halfway cut DQ = disqualified "T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships Tournament199920002001200220032004Match PlayR64QF3R32R64ChampionshipNT1T49T16T13InvitationalT63T9T32 1Cancelled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied NT = No tournament
U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1983 (winners)
Professional Ryder Cup: 1995, 1997 Dunhill Cup: 1997 UBS Cup: 2003 (tie)
See also 1983 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
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