Timothy Henry Clark (born 17 December 1975) is a South African professional golfer who formerly played on the PGA Tour. His biggest win was The Players Championship in 2010, which was also his first PGA Tour win.

Early life and amateur career Clark was born in Durban, South Africa. He took up golf at the age of three and was taught to play by his father. He attended North Carolina State University in the United States, where he had a successful college golf career, winning ACC Player of the Year in 1997. During this time he won the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links to qualify for his first major, the 1998 Masters Tournament.

Professional career Clark turned professional in 1998, and initially played on the second tier U.S. professional tour, which was then known as the Nike Tour, where he won two tournaments in 2000 to gain membership of the main PGA Tour for 2001. His 2001 campaign was cut short by a wrist injury after just three events. He made a comeback in 2002, and had the benefit of a major medical exemption which enabled him to enter enough events to comfortably regain full exemption for 2003. He captured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2010 Players Championship, becoming only the second golfer to make the Players his first Tour victory. He has had three European Tour victories. He finished sole second at the 2006 Masters Tournament and sole or tied third at the 2003 PGA Championship and the 2005 U.S. Open.

Clark was a member of the International Team, captained by fellow South African Gary Player in two of three appearances, in the 2003, 2005 and 2009 Presidents Cup. Player dubbed him the team's "bull dog" in reference to his dogged determination and refusal to give in or let go. In 2005 he reached the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time. He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 2001/02 season. He has played Gary Player's annual charity event in South Africa to help raise funds for needy children and personally paid for a little girl's cochlear ear implant so that she could hear after winning the event in 2005. In Australia for a three-tournament swing, he won the 2008 Australian Open in a playoff with Mathew Goggin when they were both tied at 9-under-par. Neither seemed to have a chance with four holes to play when David Smail led at 12-under only to double-bogey the next two holes.

In May 2009, Clark nearly had his first PGA Tour victory in hand at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, but he bogeyed the 18th hole to force a playoff. On the first hole of that playoff, he missed a 7-footer which would have given him the victory. Then, on the second playoff hole, he and Steve Marino lost to Steve Stricker. In May 2010, Clark picked up his first PGA Tour title in his 206th start, after eight runner-up finishes, at the 2010 Players Championship. Clark came from three behind with a final round 67 to win by a stroke over Robert Allenby. At the time, Clark was the highest-earning player without a win, earning $14.7 million and having eight runner-up finishes.

On 11 August 2013, in the final round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Clark made a hole-in-one on the 220-yard, par-3 11th hole. On 27 July 2014, Clark won the RBC Canadian Open, finishing one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk. This was his second PGA Tour title and first victory in more than four years. He birdied five out of the last eight holes to come from three strokes back in the final round. The win moved Clark back inside the world's top 100.

A left elbow injury hampered Clark for much of 2015 and 2016. Clark last played the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge and has a career money list exemption available. His career earnings are over $23.9 million.

Professional wins (12) PGA Tour wins (2) Legend Players Championships (1) Other PGA Tour (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up19 May 2010 The Players Championship−16 (68-71-66-67=272)1 stroke Robert Allenby227 Jul 2014RBC Canadian Open−17 (67-67-64-65=263)1 stroke Jim Furyk

PGA Tour playoff record (0–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result12009Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Steve Marino, Steve StrickerStricker won with birdie on second extra hole22014WGC-HSBC Champions Bubba WatsonLost to birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (3) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up113 Jan 2002Bell's South African Open1−19 (66-70-68-65=269)2 strokes Steve Webster223 Jan 2005South African Airways Open1 (2)−15 (68-71-68-66=273)6 strokes Grégory Havret, Charl Schwartzel310 Jul 2005Barclays Scottish Open−19 (67-66-65-67=265)2 strokes Darren Clarke, Maarten Lafeber 1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (0–2) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12003South African Airways Open Trevor ImmelmanLost to birdie on first extra hole22014WGC-HSBC Champions Bubba WatsonLost to birdie on first extra hole

Sunshine Tour wins (2) Legend Flagship events (2) Other Sunshine Tour (0) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up113 Jan 2002Bell's South African Open1−19 (66-70-68-65=269)2 strokes Steve Webster223 Jan 2005South African Airways Open1 (2)−15 (68-71-68-66=273)6 strokes Grégory Havret, Charl Schwartzel 1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12003South African Airways Open Trevor ImmelmanLost to birdie on first extra hole

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1) Legend Flagship events (1) Other PGA Tour of Australasia (0) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up114 Dec 2008Australian Open−9 (70-73-69-67=279)Playoff Mathew Goggin

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult12008Australian Open Mathew GogginWon with par on first extra hole

Buy.com Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up112 Aug 2000Buy.com Fort Smith Classic−16 (67-66-65-66=264)3 strokes Lee Rinker217 Sep 2000Buy.com Boise Open−15 (66-67-69-67=269)6 strokes Patrick Burke, Steve Haskins

Canadian Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up116 Aug 1998New Brunswick Open−27 (63-67-67-64=261)1 stroke David McKenzie223 Aug 1998CPGA Championship−16 (71-70-62-69=272)Playoff Chris Tidland

Other wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up127 Nov 2005Nelson Mandela Invitational(with Vincent Tshabalala)−17 (63-64=127)4 strokes Trevor Immelman and Gary Player220 Jun 2006CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic(with Nick Price)−19 (61-62=123)Playoff Brad Faxon and Mike Weir

Other playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12006CVS/pharmacy Charity Classic(with Nick Price) Brad Faxon and Mike WeirWon with birdie on second extra hole

Results in major championships Tournament 1998 1999Masters TournamentCUTU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipPGA Championship

Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Masters TournamentT13CUTT392T13CUTT13U.S. OpenCUTT13T3CUTT17T48T40The Open ChampionshipCUTCUTT23T56CUTCUTPGA ChampionshipT533CUTT17T24CUTT55T16 Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015Masters TournamentCUTCUTCUTT11CUTU.S. OpenT12CUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTT44PGA ChampionshipT39T11T68CUTCUT

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 1 0 1 1 5 13 6U.S. Open 0 0 1 1 1 4 10 6The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 3PGA Championship 0 0 1 1 1 5 13 9Totals 0 1 2 3 3 15 45 24 Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (2005 Masters – 2006 Masters) Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)

The Players Championship Wins (1) YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up 2010 The Players Championship 3 shot deficit −16 (68-71-66-67=272) 1 stroke Robert Allenby

Results timeline Tournament200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014The Players ChampionshipT21CUTCUTCUTT68CUTT91WDT25CUTCUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

Results in World Golf Championships Tournament2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014Match PlayR64R64R64R32R64R16R16R16Championship62T18T26T63T1227T22T60InvitationalT64T48T5174T6T20T29T58T50ChampionsT252

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = tied Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Team appearances Amateur Eisenhower Trophy (representing South Africa): 1994

Professional World Cup (representing South Africa): 2002, 2005 Presidents Cup (International Team): 2003 (tie), 2005, 2009

See also 2000 Buy.com Tour graduates

References

External links