Sam Little (golfer)
Sam Little (born 31 August 1975) is an English professional golfer and sports agent. He won five times on the Challenge Tour.[1]
| Sam Little | |
|---|---|
Little at the 2011 Telenet Trophy | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 31 August 1975 London, England |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb; 13.1 st) |
| Sporting nationality | England |
| Residence | Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England |
| Spouse | Maria (m. 2006) |
| Children | 4 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1997 |
| Former tour(s) | European Tour Challenge Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| Challenge Tour | 5 (Tied 7th all time) |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 2006 |
Early and personal life edit
Little was born in London, England, and is Jewish and has been a member of Hendon Reform Synagogue.[2][3][4]
Career edit
Little turned professional in 1997, and joined the Challenge Tour in 1999, where he recorded his first win in 2001.[5] In 2004 he won for the second time at that level,[6] and graduated to the European Tour at the end of the season via qualifying school. He became renowned for last-gasp performances to maintain his Tour playing rights, ending narrowly inside the top 115 qualifiers in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and finishing runner-up in the final tournament of 2007 to move up to 76th in the Order of Merit from outside the top 170. This remains his best season-end finish.
After the 2010 season Little lost his playing rights on the European Tour, having finished 182nd, and returned to the Challenge Tour.
In 2011, Little won three events from mid-September to mid-October, the M2M Russian Challenge Cup, the Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse, and the Roma Golf Open, to regain his European Tour card for the remainder of 2011 and 2012.[7][8]
Little served on the Maccabi GB Golf Management Team for the 2013 Maccabiah Games.[9]
Family edit
Little has a wife, Maria, and four children including twin girls. His brother Jamie is also a professional golfer who has played on the European Tour and Challenge Tour.
Professional wins (5) edit
Challenge Tour wins (5) edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Sep 2001 | Formby Hall Challenge | −12 (71-72-64-69=276) | 1 stroke | Grant Hamerton |
| 2 | 17 Jul 2004 | Texbond Open | −19 (71-65-67-66=269) | 3 strokes | Henrik Nyström, Massimo Scarpa |
| 3 | 18 Sep 2011 | M2M Russian Challenge Cup | −11 (74-69-68-66=277) | 1 stroke | Andrew Johnston |
| 4 | 25 Sep 2011 | Allianz Golf Open Grand Toulouse | −16 (66-68-66-68=268) | 1 stroke | Simon Thornton |
| 5 | 16 Oct 2011 | Roma Golf Open | −11 (66-68-71-68=273) | Playoff | Pelle Edberg |
Challenge Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Roma Golf Open | Pelle Edberg | Won with par on fourth extra hole |
Results in major championships edit
| Tournament | 2006 |
|---|---|
| The Open Championship | CUT |
Note: Little only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
See also edit
References edit
- ^ McGarr, Rob (13 November 2015). "What's it like being a Tour pro who's not making millions?". Today's Golfer.
- ^ Silver, Craig (2 November 2017). "Classic Little marks his card". The Jewish Chronicle – via PressReader.com.
- ^ "Jewish golfer wins tourney". Jewish Post. 17 November 1999. p. NAT 3 – via Hoosier State Chronicles.
- ^ "Ryder Cup stars lead £40K drive for care home". thejc.com.
- ^ "2001 Schedule - Challenge Tour". European Tour.
- ^ "2004 Schedule - Challenge Tour". European Tour.
- ^ "2011 Schedule - Challenge Tour". European Tour.
- ^ "Sam Little". European Tour.
- ^ "Maccabi GB announce Golf Management Team for the Maccabiah Games". www.maccabigb.org.
- ^ Squires, Neil (4 August 2015). "England's Sam Little believes not all golfers have it as good as Rory McIlroy". Express.
- ^ "10Ten Talent launch golf division - 10Ten Talent". www.10tentalent.com.
External links edit
- Sam Little at the European Tour official site
- Sam Little at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Sam Little on Twitter