Mark_James_(golfer)
Mark James (golfer)
English golfer (born 1953)
Mark Hugh James (born 28 October 1953) is an English professional golfer who had a long career on the European Tour and captained Europe in the 1999 Ryder Cup. He has also played senior golf on the European Senior Tour and the U.S.-based Champions Tour.
| Mark James | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Mark Hugh James | ||
| Nickname | Jesse | ||
| Born | (1953-10-28) 28 October 1953 (age 70) Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Weight | 178 lb (81 kg; 12.7 st) | ||
| Sporting nationality |  England | ||
| Residence | Burley in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, England | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1976 | ||
| Current tour(s) | European Senior Tour | ||
| Former tour(s) | European Tour Champions Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 32 | ||
| Highest ranking | 25 (5 May 1991)[1] | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| European Tour | 18 | ||
| Sunshine Tour | 1 | ||
| PGA Tour Champions | 3 | ||
| European Senior Tour | 2 | ||
| Other | 8 | ||
| Best results in major championships | |||
| Masters Tournament | CUT: 1980 | ||
| PGA Championship | T31: 1999 | ||
| U.S. Open | CUT: 1990, 1996 | ||
| The Open Championship | T3: 1981 | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
James was born in Manchester, England and educated at Stamford School. He won the English Amateur championship at Woodhall Spa in 1974 [2] and was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland 1975 Walker Cup team.
European Tour
His first professional win was the 1977 Lusaka Open and the following year he picked up the first of his eighteen wins on the European Tour at the Sun Alliance Match Play Championship. He also holds the record for the highest European Tour event 18-hole-round of 111 strokes at the 1978 Italian Open in Sardinia, when refusing to with-draw despite an injury. Four years later he won the same tournament.
James never won a major championship, but he had four top-five finishes at The Open Championship. He was consistently competitive on the European Tour winning 12 times with 20 top-30 finishes on the Order of Merit, including seven top-10 finishes, the best of them third place in 1979. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2000, but after treatment began playing golf again in 2001.[3]
Ryder Cup
James represented Great Britain & Ireland or Europe in the Ryder Cup seven times including 1989 when Europe tied the match and retained the cup they had won in 1987, and 1995 when they won it outright. He was the European captain in the controversial "Battle of Brookline" in 1999, when the behaviour of the American galleries and team created a great deal of resentment in Europe, and also James' own actions during the matches drew fire from both sides of the Atlantic.
Prior to the event, James controversially chose Andrew Coltart as his second captain's pick on the team, thus leaving out Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer (veterans who were the two most successful players for the European team in Ryder Cup history). In one of the most discussed moves in the Ryder Cup, James then kept Jean van de Velde, Jarmo Sandelin and Coltart on the bench during all sixteen matches during the first two days of play, relegating them to singles matches on Sunday only. His refusal to play those three first-time players helped lead to Europe's defeat, as none of the three won their one match. On the other hand, United States captain Ben Crenshaw played all twelve players at least once during the first two days, even though Mark O'Meara only played once.
James published a best selling book about the event called Into the Bear Pit in 2000. In addition to criticising the behaviour of the Americans at Brookline, it also detailed James' clashes with some of his fellow Europeans including Faldo, the fading superstar whose merits as a potential captain's pick for the Ryder Cup had been much debated in the UK. James revealed in his book that just before the Ryder Cup began he had thrown a letter of encouragement from Faldo into the bin rather than share it with team. The controversy that this revelation aroused led to James resigning as one of Europe's Ryder Cup vice-captains for 2001.
A follow-up book, called After the Bear Pit, covering James' cancer and his experiences as a European Tour player, as well as further thoughts on the Ryder Cup, appeared in 2002.
Senior Tour and other commitments
James qualified to play senior golf when he turned fifty in late 2003. He chose to play mainly in the U.S. and was second in the Champions Tour Qualifying Tournament Finals that November. In 2004 he became the first European player to win one of the Champions Tour's senior majors with victory at the Ford Senior Players Championship.[4] In 2005, he won on the Champions Tour for a second time at the ACE Group Classic and finished in the top 20 on the money list for a second consecutive season. His last full season on the Champions Tour was 2010 and he has played mainly on the European Senior Tour since then.
James has also worked as a golf commentator for the BBC.
European Tour wins (18)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Jul 1978 | Sun Alliance Match Play Championship | 3 and 2 | Neil Coles | |
| 2 | 17 Jun 1979 | Welsh Golf Classic | −6 (72-68-68-70=278) | Playoff |  Mike Miller,  Eddie Polland |
| 3 | 26 Aug 1979 | Carroll's Irish Open | −6 (73-75-69-65=282) | 1 stroke |  Ed Sneed |
| 4 | 17 Aug 1980 | Carroll's Irish Open (2) | −4 (71-66-74-73=284) | 1 stroke | Brian Barnes |
| 5 | 2 May 1982 | Italian Open | −8 (70-67-71-72=280) | 3 strokes | Bobby Clampett,  Ian Woosnam |
| 6 | 17 Apr 1983 | Tunisian Open | −4 (74-69-69-72=284) | 2 strokes | Gordon J. Brand, Gordon Brand Jnr, Tom Sieckmann |
| 7 | 19 May 1985 | GSI L'Equipe Open | −16 (68-67-71-66=272) | 3 strokes | Carl Mason |
| 8 | 17 Aug 1986 | Benson & Hedges International Open | −14 (65-70-69-70=274) | Playoff |  Hugh Baiocchi, Lee Trevino |
| 9 | 15 May 1988 | Peugeot Spanish Open | −18 (63-68-63-68=262) | 3 strokes | Nick Faldo |
| 10 | 5 Mar 1989 | Karl Litten Desert Classic | −11 (69-68-72-68=277) | Playoff |  Peter O'Malley |
| 11 | 27 Mar 1989 | AGF Open | −11 (69-67-69-72=277) | 3 strokes | Mark Mouland |
| 12 | 18 Jun 1989 | NM English Open | −9 (72-70-69-68=279) | 1 stroke |  Eamonn Darcy, Craig Parry, Sam Torrance |
| 13 | 3 Jun 1990 | Dunhill British Masters | −18 (70-67-66-67=270) | 2 strokes | David Feherty |
| 14 | 19 Aug 1990 | NM English Open (2) | −4 (76-68-65-75=284) | Playoff | Sam Torrance |
| 15 | 17 Jan 1993 | Madeira Island Open | −7 (71-69-70-71=281) | 3 strokes | Gordon J. Brand, Paul Broadhurst |
| 16 | 14 Feb 1993 | Turespaña Iberia Open de Canarias | −13 (71-69-69-66=275) | 6 strokes | De Wet Basson |
| 17 | 12 Mar 1995 | Moroccan Open | −13 (70-70-70-65=275) | 1 stroke | David Gilford |
| 18 | 27 Apr 1997 | Peugeot Open de España (2) | −11 (67-68-73-69=277) | Playoff | Greg Norman |
European Tour playoff record (5–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1979 | Welsh Golf Classic | Mike Miller, Eddie Polland |
Won with par on third extra hole Polland eliminated by birdie on second hole |
| 2 | 1984 | St. Mellion Timeshare TPC |  Jaime Gonzalez |
Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 3 | 1985 | Trophée Lancôme |  Nick Price |
Lost to par on third extra hole |
| 4 | 1986 | Benson & Hedges International Open | Hugh Baiocchi, Lee Trevino |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 5 | 1989 | Karl Litten Desert Classic | Peter O'Malley |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 6 | 1989 | German Open | Craig Parry |
Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 7 | 1990 | NM English Open | Sam Torrance |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 8 | 1992 | BMW International Open | Paul Azinger, Glen Day, Anders Forsbrand,  Bernhard Langer |
Azinger won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 9 | 1997 | Peugeot Open de España | Greg Norman |
Won with par on third extra hole |
Southern Africa Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Feb 1988 | Danglo Tournament Players Championship | −14 (66-70-69-69=274) | 2 strokes | Hugh Baiocchi |
Southern Africa Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991 | Lexington PGA Championship | Hugh Royer III, Roger Wessels |
Wessels won par with on second extra hole Royer eliminated by par on first hole |
Safari Circuit wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Mar 1977 | Lusaka Open | −13 (70-74-68-67=279) | 1 stroke | Gary Cullen |
Other wins (5)
- 1980 Euro Masters Invitational (Italy – not a European Tour event)
- 1981 Heublein Open (Brazil)
- 1982 Hennessy Cognac Cup Individual[5]
- 1983 Euro Masters Invitational (Italy – not a European Tour event)
- 2011 Gary Player Invitational (with George Coetzee)
Champions Tour wins (3)
| Legend |
| Champions Tour major championships (1) |
| Other Champions Tour (2) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Jul 2004 | Ford Senior Players Championship | −13 (68-67-67-73=275) | 1 stroke |  José María Cañizares |
| 2 | 20 Feb 2005 | ACE Group Classic | −13 (69-68-66=203) | 2 strokes | Hale Irwin, Tom Wargo |
| 3 | 11 Feb 2007 | Allianz Championship | −15 (64-69-68=201) | 2 strokes | Jay Haas |
European Senior Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Sep 2005 | Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters | −9 (70-71-66=207) | Playoff | Sam Torrance |
| 2 | 10 May 2009 | Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open | −10 (70-70-66=206) | Playoff | Eamonn Darcy |
European Senior Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | Bovis Lend Lease European Senior Masters | Sam Torrance |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2009 | Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open | Eamonn Darcy |
Won with birdie on third extra hole |
Other senior wins (2)
- 2011 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Raphael Division (with Des Smyth)
- 2012 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Raphael Division (with Des Smyth)
| Tournament | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||
| U.S. Open | |||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T5 | CUT | CUT | 4 | |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | |||||||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T45 | T3 | T51 | T29 | T44 | T20 | T35 | CUT | T62 | T13 |
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | T31 | T26 | CUT | T27 | T4 | T8 | T22 | T20 | T19 | T43 | CUT |
| PGA Championship | CUT | T40 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T31 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1974, 1977 and 1978 Open Championships)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 26 | 20 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 35 | 22 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1980 Open Championship – 1986 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (five times)
"T" = Tied
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ford Senior Players Championship | −13 (68-67-67-73=275) | 1 stroke | José María Cañizares |
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2021.
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T19 | 4 | T4 | T41 | T50 | NT | ||||||||||||
| Senior PGA Championship | T4 | T10 | CUT | T33 | T62 | T9 | T56 | CUT | T56 | CUT | NT | |||||||
| Senior Players Championship | 1 | T49 | T11 | T22 | T11 | |||||||||||||
| U.S. Senior Open | T15 | T54 | T14 | T47 | T29 | NT | ||||||||||||
| Senior British Open Championship | 4 | T12 | T15 | T61 | T16 | T43 | T20 | T72 | T53 | 47 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | NT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Amateur
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1975
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing England): 1975
Professional
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1976 (winners), 1978 (winners), 1980 (winners), 1982 (winners & individual winner), (representing England) 1984 (winners)
- Ryder Cup (representing Great Britain and Ireland/Europe): 1977, 1979, 1981, 1989 (tied and retained cup), 1991, 1993, 1995 (winners), 1999 (non-playing captain)
- World Cup (representing England): 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1999
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing England): 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999
- Four Tours World Championship (representing Europe): 1988, 1989, 1990
- "Week 18 1991 Ending 5 May 1991" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- "James proves too hot for Faldo". The Glasgow Herald. 13 September 1982. p. 16.
- Mark James at the European Tour official site
- Mark James at the PGA Tour official site
- Mark James at the Official World Golf Ranking official site