John Merrick (golfer)
Encyclopedia
John Sampson Merrick is an American
professional golfer
.
Merrick was born and raised in Long Beach, California
. He grew up playing Recreation Park municipal golf course, a classic layout by William F. Bell. He attended Wilson Classical High School
where he won the Moore League High School Championship. He is now a member of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, along with fellow golf professionals John Mallinger
and Peter Tomasulo
.
in 1994 to capture that title. In 2003, he medaled at the Pac-10 Men's Golf Championships, leading the UCLA Bruins
to their first championship victory since 1985. He shot a course-record 63 at Oakmont Glendale, with three eagles in one round, the only collegiate player to do so that year. At the 2002 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills, he tied for second in stroke play at three-under par 137 (71-66) and advanced to the second round before losing 2&1 to finalist Hunter Mahan
.
. He was a member of the Nationwide Tour
in 2006. He gained his 2007 PGA Tour card by finishing 21st on the money list in 2006 after his first professional win at the Peek'n Peak Classic
. He then went to Q-School and finished tied for fourth. He was the first player to improve his status through Q-School. He consistently ranks among the top players in statistics for total driving (length plus accuracy), greens in regulation, and overall ball-striking.
. After finishing 135th on the money list in 2007, Merrick went back to Q-School where he birdied the last hole to shoot -5 to regain his PGA Tour card for 2008.
, finishing T-7. He was medalist at the 2008 U.S. Open sectional qualifying event held at Cordova, Tennessee
, shooting 65-65.
At his second career U.S. Open, Merrick finished T-6 at Torrey Pines, a course he played frequently during his junior golf and amateur career. A long birdie putt on Merrick's 72nd hole earned a pass into the 2009 Masters as well as the 2009 U.S. Open. He qualified for the 2008 PGA Championship
with the 70th place ranking in official money standings.
Merrick ended the year 83rd on the money list and retained his card for 2009.
. He finished T-6 at the Puerto Rico Open
in March. A month later, playing in his first Masters, Merrick shot a final round 66 to finish T-6, equaling his best major result to date. Although he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, he rebounded to finish T-10 at the 2009 PGA Championship
. Merrick ended the year ranked 58th on the money list. He teamed with Nick Watney
in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
, finishing T7, on the strength of a tournament-record 62 for the final day foursome
s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
.
Merrick was born and raised in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. He grew up playing Recreation Park municipal golf course, a classic layout by William F. Bell. He attended Wilson Classical High School
Wilson Classical High School
Woodrow Wilson Classical High School is a secondary school in Long Beach, California. It is part of the Long Beach Unified School District and opened in 1925.-Overview:Wilson High School opened in 1925 as the second school in the city....
where he won the Moore League High School Championship. He is now a member of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, along with fellow golf professionals John Mallinger
John Mallinger
John Charles Mallinger is an American professional golfer.Mallinger was born in Escondido, California and is the youngest of four children. He graduated from Escondido High School and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from California State University, Long Beach...
and Peter Tomasulo
Peter Tomasulo
Peter Tomasulo is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Tomasulo was born in Long Beach, California. He attended the University of California and in 2004 was named a first team All-American and captained the University of California's NCAA championship team...
.
Amateur career
Merrick won the Southern California Golf Association Amateur Championship when he was only 19 years old, making him the youngest person since Tiger WoodsTiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
in 1994 to capture that title. In 2003, he medaled at the Pac-10 Men's Golf Championships, leading the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
to their first championship victory since 1985. He shot a course-record 63 at Oakmont Glendale, with three eagles in one round, the only collegiate player to do so that year. At the 2002 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills, he tied for second in stroke play at three-under par 137 (71-66) and advanced to the second round before losing 2&1 to finalist Hunter Mahan
Hunter Mahan
Hunter Myles Mahan is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Mahan was born in Orange, California. He had a successful amateur career, winning the 1999 5A Texas State High School Golf Championship while attending McKinney High School and the 1999 U.S. Junior...
.
Professional career
Merrick is currently a member of the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He was a member of the 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...
in 2006. He gained his 2007 PGA Tour card by finishing 21st on the money list in 2006 after his first professional win at the Peek'n Peak Classic
Peek'n Peak Classic
The Peek'n Peak Classic was a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It was played from 2002 to 2007 on the Upper Course of Peek'n Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York, USA.The 2007 purse was $600,000, with $108,000 going to the winner.-Winners:...
. He then went to Q-School and finished tied for fourth. He was the first player to improve his status through Q-School. He consistently ranks among the top players in statistics for total driving (length plus accuracy), greens in regulation, and overall ball-striking.
2007
In his rookie year, Merrick played in 29 events, making 16 cuts. His best finish was T-4 at the Reno-Tahoe OpenReno-Tahoe Open
The Reno-Tahoe Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in northwestern Nevada. Founded in 1999, it is an alternate event played annually in August at the , located midway between Reno and Lake Tahoe. Opened in 1997, the par-72 course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and plays at ; its...
. After finishing 135th on the money list in 2007, Merrick went back to Q-School where he birdied the last hole to shoot -5 to regain his PGA Tour card for 2008.
2008
On his second full year on tour, Merrick exceeded $1 million in earnings by virtue of 4 top-ten finishes. He got off to a strong start with a T-16 in the Bob Hope Classic (playing as the last alternate into the field) and a career-best T-3 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun. He was the leader after the third round at the rain-plagued Zurich Classic of New OrleansZurich Classic of New Orleans
The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana; its historic date has been in April, but was moved to March in 2008. Zurich Financial Services is the main sponsor of the tournament.From the event's inception through...
, finishing T-7. He was medalist at the 2008 U.S. Open sectional qualifying event held at Cordova, Tennessee
Cordova, Tennessee
Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies on Memphis' northeast side, north of Germantown, and northwest of Collierville....
, shooting 65-65.
At his second career U.S. Open, Merrick finished T-6 at Torrey Pines, a course he played frequently during his junior golf and amateur career. A long birdie putt on Merrick's 72nd hole earned a pass into the 2009 Masters as well as the 2009 U.S. Open. He qualified for the 2008 PGA Championship
2008 PGA Championship
The 2008 PGA Championship was the 90th PGA Championship played from August 7 through August 10 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with a purse of $7.5 million. It was the first major championship contested at Oakland Hills in twelve years, since the...
with the 70th place ranking in official money standings.
Merrick ended the year 83rd on the money list and retained his card for 2009.
2009
Merrick earned his best result on tour to date at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic, finishing 2nd by three strokes to Pat PerezPat Perez
Patrick P. Perez is an American professional golfer.Perez was born in Phoenix, Arizona and is of Mexican American descent. He experienced his first PGA Tour victory in 2009 at the Bob Hope Classic...
. He finished T-6 at the Puerto Rico Open
Puerto Rico Open
The Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com is a professional golf tournament played for the first time on the PGA Tour from March 20 to March 23, 2008. The prize fund was US$3.5 million with $630,000 going to the winner. The tournament was played at the Trump International Golf Club Puerto...
in March. A month later, playing in his first Masters, Merrick shot a final round 66 to finish T-6, equaling his best major result to date. Although he missed the cut at the U.S. Open, he rebounded to finish T-10 at the 2009 PGA Championship
2009 PGA Championship
The 2009 PGA Championship was the 91st PGA Championship and was played from August 13–16 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Prior to 2009 the last major played at Hazeltine was the 2002 PGA Championship, won by Rich Beem. The 2009 course is notable for having a greater length...
. Merrick ended the year ranked 58th on the money list. He teamed with Nick Watney
Nick Watney
Nicholas Alan Watney is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. The highlight of Watney's career to date is his victory at the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship....
in the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup
The 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams...
, finishing T7, on the strength of a tournament-record 62 for the final day foursome
Foursome (golf)
A foursome, also known as alternate shot, is a type of match in the sport of golf.Golfers compete in teams of two, using one ball, and taking alternate shots until the hole is completed. Team members also take turns in teeing off on each hole, i.e...
s.
Amateur wins (4)
- 2001 Long Beach City Amateur, Southern California Golf Association Amateur
- 2002 Long Beach City Amateur
- 2003 Pac-10 Men's Golf Championship (individual)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T6 |
| 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 | DNP | T6 | 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 |
| 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 | T52 | T10 |
| Tournament | 2010 |
|---|---|
| The Masters | 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... |
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... |
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... |
CUT |
U.S. national team appearances
- World Cup: 20092009 Omega Mission Hills World CupThe 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams...
See also
- 2006 Nationwide Tour graduates2006 Nationwide Tour GraduatesThis is a list of players who graduated from the Nationwide Tour in 2006. The top 22 players on the Nationwide Tour's money list in 2006 earned their PGA Tour card for 2007.*PGA Tour rookie for 2007.T = Tied...
- 2006 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2006 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 40 players who earned their 2007 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2006.-2007 Results:T = Tied Green background indicates the player retained his PGA Tour card for 2008 ....
- 2007 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates2007 PGA Tour Qualifying School GraduatesThis is a list of the 26 players who earned their 2008 PGA Tour card through Q School in 2007.*Players in yellow are 2008 PGA Tour rookies.-2008 Results:T = Tied...