Tommy Gainey
Encyclopedia
Tommy Gainey also known as "Two Gloves", is an American professional golfer
on the PGA Tour
.
. He attended the Central Carolina Technical College
just outside of Darlington. Prior to becoming a professional golfer, he worked on an assembly line
in South Carolina, wrapping insulation around hot water heaters for A.O. Smith Corporation. He turned professional in 1998, and for the next several years played golf on smaller tours in the southern United States. Gainey has won four events on the Egolf Tarheel Tour
, two in 2006 and one in 2007. He also won an event on the NGA Hooters Tour
, and he has played on the Gateway Tour
.
vs Europe
, and The Reunion
. He is the first Big Break alumnus to earn a PGA Tour card.
, and earned his PGA Tour
card through graduating from Q-School, finishing the six rounds T-19, after going through all three elimination stages of qualifying, a total of 14 rounds.
. In the last round, playing the Magnolia Course, he shot a 64 and finished second only to Davis Love III
by one stroke. This runner-up finish vaulted Gainey inside the top 150 (148th, an 80-spot leap) on the money list, and gave him conditional status for the 2009 season. He struggled on the PGA Tour (eight cuts in fifteen events, 202nd on the money list) and returned to the Nationwide Tour for 2010.
at the Melwood Prince George's County Open
. Gainey won the event by one stroke over Frank Lickliter II and Jin Park. His second win came later that year in July at the Chiquita Classic
, winning by three strokes over Joe Affrunti
. He finished fourth on the Nationwide's money list and returned to the PGA Tour in 2011.
, and was in contention late in the final round, but made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 17th hole; he finished tied for 8th. He posted a fifth-place finish at the Honda Classic
in Florida
a few weeks later. Gainey's best 2011 Tour finish came at The Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, when he had a 15-foot putt on the 72nd green to tie clubhouse leader Brandt Snedeker
, but missed it to finish in third place. Gainey's strong play in 2011 has boosted his world ranking to a personal best of 89. He also played in his first major, the 2011 PGA Championship
.
, where wearing two batting gloves is common. He simply transferred that practice to golf when he picked up this sport.
Gainey uses the very rare baseball grip on full shots, where he hooks his left (top) thumb behind his right hand; normal position for the left thumb for a righthander in golf is under the right thumb. His swing is also notably jerky and eccentric, and has been described as "trying to kill a snake with a garden hose."
His early employer A.O. Smith continues to sponsor Gainey. His other sponsors include Under Armour
, Adams Golf
and The Dow Group.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
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;...
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...
.
Early pro career
Gainey was born in Darlington, South CarolinaDarlington, South Carolina
Darlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He attended the Central Carolina Technical College
South Carolina Technical College System
The South Carolina Technical College System is a statewide network of 16 technical colleges in South Carolina. It also includes the Center for Accelerated Technology Training, or CATT. The System is run by the SC State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. It provides learning...
just outside of Darlington. Prior to becoming a professional golfer, he worked on an assembly line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
in South Carolina, wrapping insulation around hot water heaters for A.O. Smith Corporation. He turned professional in 1998, and for the next several years played golf on smaller tours in the southern United States. Gainey has won four events on the Egolf Tarheel Tour
Egolf Tarheel Tour
The eGolf Professional Tour, formerly the Tarheel Tour, is a third-level men's professional golf tour based in Charlotte, North Carolina with about twenty tournaments conducted annually in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.The Tarheel Tour was founded in 2002 by...
, two in 2006 and one in 2007. He also won an event on the NGA Hooters Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
The National Golf Association Pro Golf Tour is a developmental men's professional golf tour in the United States. It includes approximately twenty 72-hole Pro Series events and three 54-hole Qualifying School Prep Series events each year throughout the US South and Midwest. The NGA Pro Golf Tour...
, and he has played on the Gateway Tour
Gateway Tour
The Gateway Tour is a third-level men's professional golf tour headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that runs tournaments in Arizona, California, and Florida. The top level of men's professional golf in the United States is the PGA Tour. The second level is the Nationwide Tour, which is the official...
.
The Big Break
Gainey appeared in 2005 on the Golf Channel's Big Break USAThe Big Break
The Big Break is the Golf Channel's reality television program. The show's premise is to award an aspiring professional golfer exemptions into selected events on certain tours. The series debuted on October 6, 2003, and has become very popular. As of November 2011, Big Break is in its 16th...
vs Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and The Reunion
The Reunion
The Reunion is the second studio album by rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga. It is not as critically acclaimed as their first album, The War Report, but did feature a number of well-received tracks, most notably "Invincible," produced by the legendary DJ Premier...
. He is the first Big Break alumnus to earn a PGA Tour card.
Nationwide Tour
In 2007 he played the Nationwide TourNationwide 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...
, and earned his 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...
card through graduating from Q-School, finishing the six rounds T-19, after going through all three elimination stages of qualifying, a total of 14 rounds.
2008 and 2009: PGA Tour
He played on the PGA Tour in 2008, but was not very successful for most of the season. He made only five cuts in 23 events and was 228th on the money list entering the last event of the season, the Children's Miracle Network Classic at the Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
. In the last round, playing the Magnolia Course, he shot a 64 and finished second only to Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
by one stroke. This runner-up finish vaulted Gainey inside the top 150 (148th, an 80-spot leap) on the money list, and gave him conditional status for the 2009 season. He struggled on the PGA Tour (eight cuts in fifteen events, 202nd on the money list) and returned to the Nationwide Tour for 2010.
2010: Nationwide Tour
His first big win on a significant golf tour came in 2010 on the Nationwide TourNationwide 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...
at the Melwood Prince George's County Open
Melwood Prince George's County Open
The Melwood Prince George's County Open is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. In 2010, it was played on the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Maryland...
. Gainey won the event by one stroke over Frank Lickliter II and Jin Park. His second win came later that year in July at the Chiquita Classic
Chiquita Classic
The Chiquita Classic is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It was played for the first time in July 2010 at TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tommy Gainey won the inaugural event in 2010 by 3 strokes at 27-under-par. The 2011 purse was US$550,000, with $99,000 going to the...
, winning by three strokes over Joe Affrunti
Joe Affrunti
Joe Affrunti is an American professional golfer.Affrunti turned professional in 2004. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2010, and earned his 2011 PGA Tour card by finishing 22nd on the money list, with two runner-up finishes...
. He finished fourth on the Nationwide's money list and returned to the PGA Tour in 2011.
2011: PGA Tour
Gainey's second chance at the PGA Tour in 2011 has seen him struggle initially, but then hit peak form. After missing the cut for his first three events, he made six consecutive cuts. Gainey challenged strongly at the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, and was in contention late in the final round, but made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 17th hole; he finished tied for 8th. He posted a fifth-place finish at the Honda Classic
Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
a few weeks later. Gainey's best 2011 Tour finish came at The Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, when he had a 15-foot putt on the 72nd green to tie clubhouse leader Brandt Snedeker
Brandt Snedeker
Brandt Snedeker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Early years through College:Snedeker was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He was introduced to golf by his maternal grandmother, who managed a golf course in Missouri...
, but missed it to finish in third place. Gainey's strong play in 2011 has boosted his world ranking to a personal best of 89. He also played in his first major, the 2011 PGA Championship
2011 PGA Championship
The 2011 PGA Championship was the 93rd PGA Championship. Keegan Bradley won his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Jason Dufner. The tournament began on Thursday, August 11, 2011 and concluded on Sunday, August 14...
.
Playing style, sponsors
Gainey wears black, wet-weather golf gloves, one on each hand, at all times when playing golf -- even while putting. Gainey's first sport was baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, where wearing two batting gloves is common. He simply transferred that practice to golf when he picked up this sport.
Gainey uses the very rare baseball grip on full shots, where he hooks his left (top) thumb behind his right hand; normal position for the left thumb for a righthander in golf is under the right thumb. His swing is also notably jerky and eccentric, and has been described as "trying to kill a snake with a garden hose."
His early employer A.O. Smith continues to sponsor Gainey. His other sponsors include Under Armour
Under Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
, Adams Golf
Adams Golf
Adams Golf Inc. is a NASDAQ listed golf club manufacturer based in Plano, Texas.In 1983 Barney Adams joined Dave Pelz Golf in Abilene, Texas. When Pelz's Preceptor Golf went bankrupt in 1988, Adams bought the assets and started Adams Golf...
and The Dow Group.
Nationwide Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 6, 2010 2010 Nationwide Tour The 2010 Nationwide Tour was the 21st Nationwide Tour season. It ran from January 28 to October 31. The season consisted of 29 official money golf tournaments; six of which were played outside of the United States. The top 25 players on the year-end money list earned their PGA Tour card for 2011.-... |
Melwood Prince George's County Open Melwood Prince George's County Open The Melwood Prince George's County Open is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. In 2010, it was played on the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Maryland... |
1 stroke |  Frank Lickliter II,  Jin Park |
|
| 2 | Jul 18, 2010 2010 Nationwide Tour The 2010 Nationwide Tour was the 21st Nationwide Tour season. It ran from January 28 to October 31. The season consisted of 29 official money golf tournaments; six of which were played outside of the United States. The top 25 players on the year-end money list earned their PGA Tour card for 2011.-... |
Chiquita Classic Chiquita Classic The Chiquita Classic is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It was played for the first time in July 2010 at TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tommy Gainey won the inaugural event in 2010 by 3 strokes at 27-under-par. The 2011 purse was US$550,000, with $99,000 going to the... |
3 strokes | Joe Affrunti Joe Affrunti Joe Affrunti is an American professional golfer.Affrunti turned professional in 2004. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2010, and earned his 2011 PGA Tour card by finishing 22nd on the money list, with two runner-up finishes... |
Other wins (5)
- 2006 Patriots Point Open (Egolf Tarheel Tour), River Run Classic (Egolf Tarheel Tour)
- 2007 Oldfield Open (Egolf Tarheel Tour), Bentonville Open (Hooters Tour)
- ???? One win in 2004 or 2005 (Egolf Tarheel Tour)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2011 |
|---|---|
| The Masters | 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 |
| 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 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.