Thomas Aiken

Thomas Aiken
Personal information
Full name Thomas Edward Aiken
Born (1983-07-16) 16 July 1983
Johannesburg, South Africa
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight 150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Nationality  South Africa
Residence Johannesburg, South Africa
Career
Turned professional 2002
Current tour(s) European Tour
Sunshine Tour
Web.com Tour
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Professional wins 11
Number of wins by tour
European Tour 3
Asian Tour 1
Sunshine Tour 8
Other 1
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open T25: 2015
The Open Championship T7: 2012
PGA Championship CUT: 2011, 2012
Achievements and awards
Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit winner		 2014

Thomas Edward Aiken (born 16 July 1983) is a South African professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Following a successful amateur career, which included being named the South African Amateur of the Year in 2001, Aiken turned professional at the start of 2002. In 2004, he won three times on the Sunshine Tour's Winter Swing. The following year, he topped the money list on the Winter Swing with two further victories.

In 2007, Aiken competed on the Nationwide Tour, but made only three cuts, with a best finish of tied 13th in the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He gained his European Tour card for 2008 through the qualifying school, and went on to finish 131st in the money list, with a best of tied 13th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his only finish inside the top-30.

The 2009 season saw Aiken register his maiden top-10 finish on the European Tour, with a tied 4th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, having led going into the final day after a course record 61 in the third round.[1] That, along with several other top-10 finishes, including a win in the Platinum Classic, meant Aiken ended the 2008 Sunshine Tour in third place on the Order of Merit.

A number of top-10 finishes on the European Tour in 2009, including one each in the majors and the World Golf Championships, helped Aiken reach the Dubai World Championship despite holding only partial status on the tour. He finished the season ranked 46th on the Race to Dubai.

In May 2011, Aiken won his first title on the European Tour at the Open de España, winning by two strokes from Anders Hansen. After winning Aiken dedicated the win to home hero Seve Ballesteros who had died the previous day. "I definitely want to dedicate this win to him with it being his home Open and what he gave to his home fans and to golf," said Aiken.[2]

Aiken picked up his second European Tour win at the 2013 Avantha Masters, a tournament co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.[3]

In 2014, Aiken won the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit, overtaking Danie van Tonder in the final tournament.[4]

Aiken has participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational charity tournament.

Professional wins (11)

European Tour wins (3)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1 8 May 2011 Open de España −10 (68-68-72-70=278) 2 strokes Denmark Anders Hansen
2 17 Mar 2013 Avantha Masters1 −23 (67-69-62-67=265) 3 strokes India Gaganjeet Bhullar
3 16 Feb 2014 Africa Open2 −20 (66-65-66-67=264) Playoff England Oliver Fisher

1 Co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour
2 Co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2014 Africa Open England Oliver Fisher Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 2018 Nordea Masters England Paul Waring Lost to par on first extra hole

Asian Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1 17 Mar 2013 Avantha Masters1 −23 (67-69-62-67=265) 3 strokes India Gaganjeet Bhullar

1 Co-sanctioned with the European Tour

Sunshine Tour wins (8)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
1 2 Jul 2004 Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour at Zimbali −12 (66-72-66=204) Playoff South Africa Keith Horne
2 23 Jul 2004 Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour at Sun City −12 (67-66-71=204) 3 strokes South Africa Des Terblanche
3 21 Oct 2004 Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour Championship −5 (68-73-73=214) 7 strokes South Africa Jean Hugo
4 2 Sep 2005 Telkom PGA Pro-Am −15 (68-66-67=201) 6 strokes South Africa Henk Alberts
5 15 Oct 2005 MTC Namibia PGA Championship −15 (64-67-67=198) 4 strokes South Africa Michiel Bothma, Zimbabwe Sean Farrell,
South Africa Werner Geyer, South Africa Keith Horne
6 6 May 2006 Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open (8-24-9-18=59 points) 9 points South Africa Steve Basson
7 1 Nov 2008 Platinum Classic −19 (65-68-64=197) 5 strokes South Africa Desvonde Botes, South Africa Nic Henning,
South Africa Keith Horne
8 16 Feb 2014 Africa Open1 −20 (66-65-66-67=264) Playoff England Oliver Fisher

1 Co-sanctioned with the European Tour

Other wins (1)

Results in major championships

Tournament 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open T25 CUT T58
The Open Championship CUT T39 T8 T74 CUT T7 CUT 80
PGA Championship CUT CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied for place

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament00000000
U.S. Open00000132
The Open Championship00002285
PGA Championship00000020
Totals000023137
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 3 (2008 Open Championship – 2010 Open Championship)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

Results in World Golf Championship events

Results not in chronological order prior to 2015.

Tournament2009201020112012201320142015
Cadillac Championship T7 T35 T23
Cadillac Match Play Championship
Bridgestone Invitational
HSBC Champions T68 70 T28 T54
  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "On-song Aiken grabs Dunhill lead". BBC Sport. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  2. ↑ "Aiken dedicates first win to Seve". BBC Sport. 8 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  3. ↑ "Thomas Aiken wins Avantha Masters". ESPN. Associated Press. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  4. ↑ "Aiken pips Van Tonder to OoM title". Sunshine Tour. 12 January 2015.
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