Philip Parkin
Encyclopedia
Andrew Philip Parkin is a Welsh
professional golf
er who has also worked as a golf commentator
and analyst.
Parkin was born in Doncaster
, England
and raised in Newtown, Powys
. He attended Texas A&M University
in the United States
, where he was the first person to receive a full scholarship for the university's golf team. He went on to become the first Aggie
and first European to become 1st Team All-American. In 1983 he won The Amateur Championship
to add to the British Youth Championship won the previous year, becoming the only player to hold both trophies at the same time. He appeared in the Walker Cup
later that year, and turned professional after playing in the U.S. Masters in 1984.
Parkin was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in his début season on the European Tour in 1984, having finished in 65th place on the Order of Merit despite only joining the tour in July. He earned enough money in his first event as a professional, during the 1984 Open Championship
at St Andrews, to become the quickest affiliate member in the history of the European Tour. He ended the 1985 and 1986 seasons inside the top 35, even though he played less than 20 tournaments, both seasons, before he moved to the United States to play on the PGA Tour
. He finished tied for 3rd at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament
to earn his card for 1987. In his rookie season, he finished outside the top 200 on the money list to lose his playing rights, but did also play 14 events on the European Tour and retained his European Tour card. He returned to Europe with more success, twice making the top 100 on the European Tour Order of Merit. His form faded as he was troubled by an eye problem, which ended his playing career at the age of 31.
Parkin represented Wales 47 times on international teams including two World Cup's, in 1984 and 1989 placing 4th and 5th respectively, and five Alfred Dunhill Cup
's, reaching two semi-finals. Since leaving the tour, Parkin has worked as a golf coach and as a commentator and analyst for many different broadcasters.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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 also worked as a golf commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and analyst.
Parkin was born in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and raised in Newtown, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
. He attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was the first person to receive a full scholarship for the university's golf team. He went on to become the first Aggie
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
and first European to become 1st Team All-American. In 1983 he won The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
to add to the British Youth Championship won the previous year, becoming the only player to hold both trophies at the same time. He appeared in the Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
later that year, and turned professional after playing in the U.S. Masters in 1984.
Parkin was named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in his début season on the European Tour in 1984, having finished in 65th place on the Order of Merit despite only joining the tour in July. He earned enough money in his first event as a professional, during the 1984 Open Championship
1984 Open Championship
The 1984 Open Championship was the 113th Open Championship held from 19-22 July at the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Seve Ballesteros won his second Open Championship and fourth major title by two strokes over Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer....
at St Andrews, to become the quickest affiliate member in the history of the European Tour. He ended the 1985 and 1986 seasons inside the top 35, even though he played less than 20 tournaments, both seasons, before he moved to the United States to play 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...
. He finished tied for 3rd at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
to earn his card for 1987. In his rookie season, he finished outside the top 200 on the money list to lose his playing rights, but did also play 14 events on the European Tour and retained his European Tour card. He returned to Europe with more success, twice making the top 100 on the European Tour Order of Merit. His form faded as he was troubled by an eye problem, which ended his playing career at the age of 31.
Parkin represented Wales 47 times on international teams including two World Cup's, in 1984 and 1989 placing 4th and 5th respectively, and five 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...
's, reaching two semi-finals. Since leaving the tour, Parkin has worked as a golf coach and as a commentator and analyst for many different broadcasters.
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | CUT | 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 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 | T31 | T25 | T21 | CUT | 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... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10