Player Profiles: Retief Goosen

Retief Goosen

Retief Goosen is considered one of the best golfers of his generation and a truly global professional, holding membership on three official PGA Tours (European Tour, PGA Tour and Sunshine Tour).

He was awarded Springbok Colours for his outstanding contribution to amateur golf before turning professional in 1990. Goosen followed 30 amateur wins with tournament victories in every corner of the globe including US Open Championship wins in 2001 and 2004. Since 1995, Goosen has won at least once on one of the world’s major Tours. The new millennium heralded his arrival as a truly world class player with a victory at the Trophee Lancôme and his debut for the International side in the President’s Cup. In 2001, he won the US Open in a dramatic 18-hole play-off from American Mark Brooks and became only the fifth foreign player to win the US Open since WWII. He followed wins at the Scottish Open and Telefonica Open de Madrid. That same year Goosen combined with Ernie Els in Japan to win the World Cup for South Africa. To cap a successful year, Goosen received the Harry Vardon Trophy for winning the European Tour Order of Merit.

His international tally recently grew to 31 with his victory at the Sunshine Tour’s Africa Open in February and the Transitions Championship on the PGA Tour. A runner-up finish at the Canadian Open and a handful of top-10 finishes this year has seen the Goose inch his way back into the world top-20, a marked improvement over the 40th place ranking he held at the start of the season.