Simon Thornton (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Simon Thornton is an Irish
professional golf
er who plays on the European Tour.
in 2009, finishing 51st before earning his European Tour card at qualifying school
at the end of the season. His debut season on the full tour was unsuccessful, and he returned to the Challenge Tour for 2011, finishing in 12th position to secure a quick return to the European Tour.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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 plays on the European Tour.
Career
Thornton was a late starter to golf, only taking up the sport in his late teens and turning professional at the advanced age of 28. He began as an assistant club professional at Royal County Down, playing in regional Irish PGA events, where his achievements included recording four straight monthly wins with the Ulster Golfers Alliance. He began playing on the Challenge TourChallenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
in 2009, finishing 51st before earning his European Tour card at qualifying school
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...
at the end of the season. His debut season on the full tour was unsuccessful, and he returned to the Challenge Tour for 2011, finishing in 12th position to secure a quick return to the European Tour.
Professional wins
- 2005 Ulster PGA Championship
- 2008 Bovey Castle Championship (PGA EuroPro TourPGA EuroPro TourThe PGA EuroPro Tour is a men's developmental professional golf tour. It was created in 2002 by the merger of two older development tours, the EuroPro Tour and the PGA Mastercard Tour. It is based mainly in the United Kingdom, with a few events in other countries...
) - 2011 Irish PGA ChampionshipIrish PGA ChampionshipThe Irish PGA Championship is a golf tournament played annually in Ireland since 1907. It is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the world, the oldest in the Emerald Isles, and has been played at many different golf courses in Ireland. It is the marquee event on the PGA Tour of Ireland's...