Billy Horschel

William John Horschel (born December 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.

Billy Horschel
Personal information
Full nameWilliam John Horschel
NicknameBaton Boy, Town Crier[1]
Born (1986-12-07) December 7, 1986 (age 37)
Grant, Florida
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceJacksonville Beach, Florida
Spouse
Brittany Nelson
(m. 2010)
Children3
Career
CollegeUniversity of Florida
Turned professional2009
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
European Tour
Former tour(s)eGolf Professional Tour
Professional wins10
Highest ranking11 (June 5, 2022)[2]
(as of June 30, 2024)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour8
European Tour2
Other1
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT17: 2016
PGA ChampionshipT8: 2024
U.S. OpenT4: 2013
The Open ChampionshipT21: 2022
Achievements and awards
FedEx Cup Champion2014

Early years and amateur career

Horschel was born and raised in Grant, Florida. He attended Bayside High School in neighboring Palm Bay.

Horschel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, Gainesville, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 2006 to 2009.[3] He was a four-time All-American, including three first-team honors, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) player of the year in 2007 and 2009.[3] He was a 2008 PING southeast all-region selection. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2009. He represented the United States at the Palmer Cup on two occasions in 2007 and 2008 gaining 4.5 points. He posted a 3–1 record for the victorious 2007 Walker Cup team.

Horschel won the individual medalist honors at the 2006 U.S. Amateur, shooting a two-day score of 138 (60-78, −5) at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. His opening round of 60 was an 18–hole tournament and USGA record. He failed to make it past the third round of match play. He also played in the 2006 U.S. Open, but he missed the cut.

Professional career

Horschel turned professional in 2009. In December 2009, he successfully gained a 2010 PGA Tour card through qualifying school.[4] A wrist injury limited Horschel to four PGA Tour events that year, and he did not make the cut in any of them.

In December 2010, he regained his Tour card through qualifying school to back up his medical extension should he fail to earn enough to secure his Tour Card. In February 2011, he made the cut at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, his first in eleven PGA Tour starts, finishing T13. Horschel finished the season 140th on the money list, granting him conditional status for 2012.[5]

Horschel finished third at the 2012 True South Classic, but only finished 147th on the 2012 money list. Horschel's best finish on the Web.com Tour is a 4th at the 2012 Stadion Classic at UGA.

After his third successful attempt in four trips to Q School, he earned his PGA Tour Card for 2013. He began his season making the cut in every tournament he entered. He had three consecutive top-10 finishes before his breakthrough win at the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in his 61st PGA Tour start. Horschel made six consecutive birdies in the fourth round and won by one stroke over D. A. Points. The win moved Horschel to third in the FedEx Cup standings, third on the PGA Tour money list, and 49th in the Official World Golf Ranking. It earned him entry to the 2013 PGA Championship, the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, The Players Championship, and the 2014 Masters Tournament. His world ranking also earned him entry into the U.S. Open. By the end of April 2013, Horschel led the PGA Tour in consecutive cuts made with twenty-three, dating from the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June 2012. That streak ended when he missed the cut at The Players Championship, the tournament he played in after his win.[6]

In the 2013 U.S. Open, Horschel held the joint lead with Phil Mickelson, at the halfway stage of the tournament. Playing in his first major as a professional, he was one of only two players under par after the second round, hitting all 18 of Merion's greens in regulation. He shot rounds of 72–74 over the weekend to finish at five-over-par for the tournament and four strokes behind eventual winner Justin Rose. Horschel finished T4 in his first major as a professional and moved up to 34th in the world rankings and 4th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Horschel earned his second win at the 2014 BMW Championship and moved to 23rd in the world rankings. The next week, he won The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club and with it the FedEx Cup.[7] The win also moved Horschel to 14th in the OWGR.

Two days after winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup, Horschel became a father for the first time.[8]

In May 2017, Horschel won the AT&T Byron Nelson in a playoff over Jason Day.[6]

Horschel's tee shot at the 2018 BMW Championship.

In April 2018, Horschel won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Scott Piercy.[6]

In March 2021, Horschel won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play defeating Scottie Scheffler 2 & 1 in the final. This was his first World Golf Championship victory.[9] In September later that year, he won the BMW PGA Championship by shooting a final-round 65. It was his second European Tour victory.[10]

In June 2022, Horschel won Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, his seventh PGA Tour title.[11]

In September 2022, Horschel was selected for the U.S. team in the 2022 Presidents Cup; he won one and lost two of the three matches he played.[12]

Personal life

Horschel met Brittany Nelson when both were golfers at the University of Florida. They were married in 2010 and have three children.[13] Horschel is also a supporter of West Ham United F.C.[14]

Professional wins (10)

PGA Tour wins (8)

Legend
World Golf Championships (1)
FedEx Cup playoff events (2)
Other PGA Tour (5)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Apr 28, 2013Zurich Classic of New Orleans67-71-66-64=268−201 stroke D. A. Points
2Sep 7, 2014BMW Championship68-66-63-69=266−142 strokes Bubba Watson
3Sep 14, 2014Tour Championship66-66-69-68=269−113 strokes Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy
4May 21, 2017AT&T Byron Nelson68-65-66-69=268−12Playoff Jason Day
5Apr 29, 2018Zurich Classic of New Orleans (2)
(with Scott Piercy)
65-73-61-67=266−221 stroke Jason Dufner and Pat Perez
6Mar 28, 2021WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play2 and 1 Scottie Scheffler
7Jun 5, 2022Memorial Tournament70-68-65-72=275−134 strokes Aaron Wise
8Apr 21, 2024Corales Puntacana Championship67-69-66-63=265−232 strokes Wesley Bryan

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
12016RSM Classic Blayne Barber, Mackenzie Hughes,
Henrik Norlander, Camilo Villegas
Hughes won with par on third extra hole
Horschel eliminated by par on first hole
22017AT&T Byron Nelson Jason DayWon with par on first extra hole

European Tour wins (2)

Legend
World Golf Championships (1)
Flagship events (1)
Rolex Series (1)
Other European Tour (0)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Mar 28, 2021WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play2 and 1 Scottie Scheffler
2Sep 12, 2021BMW PGA Championship70-65-69-65=269−191 stroke Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Laurie Canter,
Jamie Donaldson

eGolf Professional Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
1Aug 8, 2009Columbia Championship68-65-66-69=267−173 strokes Dane Burkhart

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament2006200720082009
Masters Tournament
U.S. OpenCUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship
Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018
Masters TournamentT37CUTT17CUT
U.S. OpenT4T23T25T32CUT
The Open ChampionshipCUTCUTT30CUTCUT
PGA ChampionshipCUTT58T25T79T48T35
Tournament201920202021202220232024
Masters TournamentT56T38T504352
PGA ChampionshipT23T43T2368CUTT8
U.S. OpenT32T38CUTCUTT43T41
The Open ChampionshipCUTNTT53T21CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament00000197
PGA Championship0000141210
U.S. Open000113128
The Open Championship00000193
Totals0001294228
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
The Players ChampionshipCUTT26T13T28CUTT37T26CT58WDCUTCUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
WD = withdrew
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

World Golf Championships

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner-up
2021WGC-Dell Technologies Match Playn/a2 and 1 Scottie Scheffler

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament20132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
ChampionshipT50T4641T45T9T2
Match PlayR32T17T38T24NT11R16R16
InvitationalT44T33T74T9T25T17
ChampionsT35T73T11T24NT1NT1NT1

1Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022. The Champions was discontinued from 2023.

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

References