Briny Baird
Encyclopedia
Michael Jancey "Briny" Baird (born May 11, 1972) is an American
professional golf
er who has played on the PGA Tour
and Nationwide Tour
.
Baird was born in Miami Beach, Florida
. He played varsity golf in the 7th grade at Miami Country Day. He originally attended Georgia Tech
before transferring to Valdosta State University
where he won the NCAA Division II individual golf championship
in 1994 and 1995. He turned professional in 1995.
Baird won the 2000 Monterrey Open
on the Buy.com Tour (now the Nationwide Tour). He currently plays on the PGA Tour, but a poor 2005 season saw him lose his card. His highest placing to date on the end of year tour money list was 22nd in 2003. In 2008, he finished 27th in FedEx Cup
, automatically qualifying him for the 2009 PGA Tour season. Although he has never won a PGA Tour event, he has finished second on five separate occasions, most recently in a six-hole playoff at the 2011 Frys.com Open
.
Baird is the son of professional golfer Butch Baird
. He is also known for his odd putting style that worked for him when he was doing it as a drill and it just stuck. On May 19, 2009, Baird hit a 230-yard shot from the top of the Omni San Diego Hotel
to a bulls-eye in the center of Petco Park
in order to give everyone a free chicken wrap at P. F. Chang's China Bistro
.
In 2010, Baird entered the final event of the season 125th on the PGA Tour money list. He stumbled in the final round and a number of other players had better finishes. Baird finished 127th on the Tour, two spots out of retaining full Tour status.
In 2011, Baird nearly won his first PGA Tour event, the Frys.com Open
. He lost on the sixth playoff hole to Bryce Molder
. Baird has the distinction of being the richest golfer never to win a PGA Tour event, earning over $12 million during his career, but coming up short five times. Despite the loss, the finished moved Baird from 148th to 93rd on the Tour's money list, which meant avoiding Q School.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who has played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
.
Baird was born in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
. He played varsity golf in the 7th grade at Miami Country Day. He originally attended Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
before transferring to Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
where he won the NCAA Division II individual golf championship
NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships, played in late May, is an annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, but there is also an award for the lowest scoring individual competitor. Many of the individual champions have gone on to successful...
in 1994 and 1995. He turned professional in 1995.
Baird won the 2000 Monterrey Open
Monterrey Open (Nationwide Tour event)
The Monterrey Open was a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour from 1993 to 2001. It was played at the Club Campestre in San Pedro Garza García, a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico.The purse in 2001 was US$450,000, with $81,000 going to the winner.-Winners:...
on the Buy.com Tour (now the Nationwide Tour). He currently plays on the PGA Tour, but a poor 2005 season saw him lose his card. His highest placing to date on the end of year tour money list was 22nd in 2003. In 2008, he finished 27th in FedEx Cup
FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR-like points race. Bill Haas is the current champion...
, automatically qualifying him for the 2009 PGA Tour season. Although he has never won a PGA Tour event, he has finished second on five separate occasions, most recently in a six-hole playoff at the 2011 Frys.com Open
Frys.com Open
The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is a golf tournament in the Fall Series of the PGA Tour. It is played annually in October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament is held at the TPC at Summerlin and since 2008 it has been hosted by recording star Justin Timberlake.The event...
.
Baird is the son of professional golfer Butch Baird
Butch Baird
Fred "Butch" Baird is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour .Baird was born in Chicago. He learned the game at the age of 14 from his father...
. He is also known for his odd putting style that worked for him when he was doing it as a drill and it just stuck. On May 19, 2009, Baird hit a 230-yard shot from the top of the Omni San Diego Hotel
Omni San Diego Hotel
The Omni San Diego Hotel is a four-diamond high-rise luxury hotel and condominium tower in San Diego, California. It is owned and operated by Omni Hotels & Resorts.-Hotel:...
to a bulls-eye in the center of Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
in order to give everyone a free chicken wrap at P. F. Chang's China Bistro
P. F. Chang's China Bistro
'P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is an American restaurant chain with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang. The restaurants serve American Chinese cuisine from a menu originally conceived and planned by chef...
.
In 2010, Baird entered the final event of the season 125th on the PGA Tour money list. He stumbled in the final round and a number of other players had better finishes. Baird finished 127th on the Tour, two spots out of retaining full Tour status.
In 2011, Baird nearly won his first PGA Tour event, the Frys.com Open
Frys.com Open
The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is a golf tournament in the Fall Series of the PGA Tour. It is played annually in October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament is held at the TPC at Summerlin and since 2008 it has been hosted by recording star Justin Timberlake.The event...
. He lost on the sixth playoff hole to Bryce Molder
Bryce Molder
Bryce Wade Molder is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Molder was born in Harrison, Arkansas and attended public school in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Conway, Arkansas...
. Baird has the distinction of being the richest golfer never to win a PGA Tour event, earning over $12 million during his career, but coming up short five times. Despite the loss, the finished moved Baird from 148th to 93rd on the Tour's money list, which meant avoiding Q School.
Professional wins (1)
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Frys.com Open Frys.com Open The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is a golf tournament in the Fall Series of the PGA Tour. It is played annually in October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament is held at the TPC at Summerlin and since 2008 it has been hosted by recording star Justin Timberlake.The event... |
 Bryce MolderBryce Molder Bryce Wade Molder is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Molder was born in Harrison, Arkansas and attended public school in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Conway, Arkansas... |
Lost to Molder birdie on sixth extra hole; Baird made par |
Nationwide Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 13, 2000 2000 Buy.com Tour The 2000 Buy.com Tour season ran from February 3 to October 29. The season consisted of 30 official money golf tournaments, of which 29 were played in the United States The top 15 players on the year-end money list earned their PGA Tour card for 2001.... |
BUY.COM Monterrey Open | 4 strokes |  Mark HensbyMark Hensby Mark Adam Hensby is an Australian professional golfer.Hensby was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He grew up in Tamworth, New South Wales and attended Tamworth High School, leaving at the age of 16 to work as a postie while spending most of his time on the golf course... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T40 | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T22 | T43 | T39 | T37 | DNP | DNP | DNP | T42 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.