David Frost (golfer)
Encyclopedia
David Laurence Frost is a South Africa
n professional golf
er who has more than twenty professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents.
Frost was born in Cape Town
, South Africa
and matriculated at Paarl Boys' High School
in 1977. He turned professional in 1981. He used to be a cigarette salesman. He scored his first professional win in his home country in 1983 and has continued to play in South Africa in the northern winter, but like other leading South African golfers he has spent far more time playing internationally. In line with many other Commonwealth
golfers his first move abroad was to the European Tour and he played that tour from 1982 to 1984.
From 1985 he was primarily on the U.S.-based PGA Tour
, where he went on to win ten tournaments, the most prestigious of which was the 1989 NEC World Series of Golf which he won by defeating Ben Crenshaw at the second playoff hole. He made the top ten on the PGA Tour money list twice, placing 9th in 1988 and 5th in 1993 and was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
for 86 weeks between 1988 and 1994. By his forties, he was no longer a regular contender on the tour, but in 2005 he set the all time PGA Tour 72-hole putting record with 92 putts at the MCI Heritage while finishing only tied 38th.
Since 2007 Frost has re-established his career on the European Tour.
Frost won the Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit in 1998/99. He was a member of the International Team in the first staging of the Presidents Cup
in 1994, and took part again in 1996. In 1997 and 1998 he captained South Africa to victory in the Alfred Dunhill Cup
in Scotland
. His team mates were Ernie Els
and Retief Goosen
.
Frost owns a wine business which produces vintages named after golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus
and Arnold Palmer
.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n 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 more than twenty professional tournament wins to his name, spread across four continents.
Frost was born in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and matriculated at Paarl Boys' High School
Paarl Boys' High School
Boys' High School, known in Afrikaans as Hoër Jongenskool Paarl is one of the oldest schools in South Africa. Built in 1868 the school's rich history is filled with tradition and pride. The school is situated at the heart of Paarl, a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa...
in 1977. He turned professional in 1981. He used to be a cigarette salesman. He scored his first professional win in his home country in 1983 and has continued to play in South Africa in the northern winter, but like other leading South African golfers he has spent far more time playing internationally. In line with many other Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
golfers his first move abroad was to the European Tour and he played that tour from 1982 to 1984.
From 1985 he was primarily on the U.S.-based 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...
, where he went on to win ten tournaments, the most prestigious of which was the 1989 NEC World Series of Golf which he won by defeating Ben Crenshaw at the second playoff hole. He made the top ten on the PGA Tour money list twice, placing 9th in 1988 and 5th in 1993 and was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
for 86 weeks between 1988 and 1994. By his forties, he was no longer a regular contender on the tour, but in 2005 he set the all time PGA Tour 72-hole putting record with 92 putts at the MCI Heritage while finishing only tied 38th.
Since 2007 Frost has re-established his career on the European Tour.
Frost won the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
Order of Merit in 1998/99. He was a member of the International Team in the first staging of the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
in 1994, and took part again in 1996. In 1997 and 1998 he captained South Africa to victory in the Alfred Dunhill Cup
Alfred Dunhill Cup
The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His team mates were Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
and Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen
Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S...
.
Frost owns a wine business which produces vintages named after golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
and Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
.
PGA Tour wins (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 2, 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Southern Open | Playoff |  Bob TwayBob Tway Robert Raymond Tway IV is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including eight PGA Tour victories. He spent 25 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 1986-87.... |
|
| 2 | Nov 6, 1988 1988 PGA Tour The 1988 PGA Tour season was played from January 14 to November 13. The season consisted of 47 official money events. Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, four, and there were 11 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Northern Telecom Tucson Open | 5 strokes | Mark Calcavecchia Mark Calcavecchia Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,... , Mark O'MearaMark O'Meara Mark Francis O'Meara is an American professional golfer who was a prolific tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s... |
|
| 3 | Aug 27, 1989 1989 PGA Tour The 1989 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 29. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Steve Jones and Tom Kite won the most tournaments, three, and there were nine first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament... |
NEC World Series of Golf | Playoff | Ben Crenshaw Ben Crenshaw Ben Daniel Crenshaw is an American professional golfer.Crenshaw was born in Austin, Texas. He attended and played golf at Austin High School and the University of Texas, where he won three NCAA Championships from 1971 to 1973... , |
|
| 4 | Apr 29, 1990 1990 PGA Tour The 1990 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Wayne Levi won the most tournaments, four, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
USF&G Classic | 1 stroke |  Greg NormanGreg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
|
| 5 | Jun 28, 1992 1992 PGA Tour The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners... |
Buick Classic | 8 strokes | Duffy Waldorf Duffy Waldorf James Joseph "Duffy" Waldorf, Jr. is an American professional golfer.Waldorf was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended UCLA where he was on the golf team from 1982-1985... |
|
| 6 | Sep 20, 1992 1992 PGA Tour The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners... |
Hardee's Golf Classic | 3 strokes | Tom Lehman Tom Lehman Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took... , Loren RobertsLoren Roberts Loren Lloyd Roberts is an American professional golfer.-Early life:Roberts was born in San Luis Obispo, California. He competed for San Luis Obispo Senior High School and Cal Poly-SLO... |
|
| 7 | Sep 12, 1993 1993 PGA Tour The 1993 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to October 31. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, four, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Canadian Open | 1 stroke | Fred Couples Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship... |
|
| 8 | Sep 19, 1993 1993 PGA Tour The 1993 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to October 31. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, four, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Hardee's Golf Classic | 7 strokes | Payne Stewart Payne Stewart William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.... , D. A. WeibringD. A. Weibring Donald Albert "D.A." Weibring, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including several on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
|
| 9 | Jun 26, 1994 1994 PGA Tour The 1994 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Canon Greater Hartford Open | 1 stroke | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... , |
|
| 10 | May 25, 1997 1997 PGA Tour The 1997 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
MasterCard Colonial | 2 strokes | Brad Faxon Brad Faxon Bradford John Faxon, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He has won eight times on the PGA Tour.-Early years and amateur career:Faxon was born in Oceanport, New Jersey and raised in Barrington, Rhode Island... , David OgrinDavid Ogrin David Ogrin is an American professional golfer.Ogrin was born in Waukegan, Illinois. He attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1980 with a degree in economics. He turned professional in 1980.... |
Sunshine Tour wins (6)
- 1983 Gordon's Gin Classic (South Africa)
- 1986 Southern Suns South African Open, South African MastersSouth African MastersThe Nashua Masters, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It is currently played in November with a prize fund of 1.2 million rand, and since 2001, has been held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal,...
- 1987 Safmarine Masters
- 1994 Lexington South African PGA Championship
- 1999 Mercedes-Benz - Vodacom South African Open (co-sanctioned with the European Tour)
European Tour wins (2)
- 1984 Compagnie de Chauffe Cannes Open
- 1999 Mercedes-Benz - Vodacom South African Open (co-sanctioned with the Sunshine TourSunshine TourThe Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
)
Other wins (5)
- 1989 Million Dollar ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(South Africa - unofficial event) - 1990 Million Dollar ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(South Africa - unofficial event) - 1992 Million Dollar ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(South Africa - unofficial event) - 1993 Hong Kong OpenHong Kong Open (golf)The Hong Kong Open is a golf tournament which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. It was founded in 1959 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 2001...
- 1994 Hong Kong OpenHong Kong Open (golf)The Hong Kong Open is a golf tournament which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. It was founded in 1959 and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 2001...
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T45 | 8 | T18 |
| 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 | DNP | T23 | T15 | T17 | CUT | T18 |
| 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... |
CUT | T47 | T28 | CUT | 6 | T7 | 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... |
DNP | DNP | CUT | T21 | T10 | CUT | T27 |
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | CUT | T32 | DNP | CUT | T35 | T5 | T10 | 37 | T26 | 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... |
T33 | CUT | DNP | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 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... |
CUT | CUT | DNP | T24 | T51 | T31 | T40 | CUT | T42 | T7 |
| 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... |
T31 | T48 | T73 | CUT | T25 | T67 | CUT | CUT | T56 | T21 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 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... |
CUT | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | 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... |
T55 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T15 | DNP | CUT | T51 | 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 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Team appearances
- Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing South Africa): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners) - World Cup of Golf (representing South Africa): 1998, 1999
- Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
(International Team): 19941994 Presidents Cup20 United States – 12 InternationalThe 1st Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1994 between September 16 and September 18. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 20–12. The honorary chairman was...
, 19961996 Presidents Cup16½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 2nd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1996 between September 13 and September 15. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 16½–15½. The honorary chairmen...