Australian professional golfer
Geoff Ogilvy has won three World
Golf Championship titles in a long and illustrious career that has spanned more than a decade.
With a number of highly-ranked finishes in recent seasons, the colourful player became world famous for his nail-biting triumph at the 2006
US Open, where he took the title over sporting greats
Colin Montgomerie and
Phil Mickelson.
During the event at Winged Foot, his Scottish opponent dropped two shots at the last hole when it seemed a first major title was in his grasp, while Mickelson - who needed only par to win - double-bogeyed the 18th hole to fall into a three-way tie for second place.
"I think I was the beneficiary of a little bit of charity," said a shell-shocked Ogilvy about his win. "I feel for Phil. But he's won a few majors recently, so I can take one away."
Born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1977, Ogilvy was given a cut-down club by his father at the age of seven and progressed to a scratch handicap by 16. He was a talented junior athlete in a number of sports and triumphed tournaments at state and national level.
He turned professional in May 1998 and won a European Tour card at that year's qualifying school, as well as competing on the 1999 and 2000 European Tour. He finished 65th on the money list in his first season and 48th in his second, then joined the PGA Tour in 2001.
The PGA Tour Chrysler Classic of Tuscon event in 2005 saw Ogilvy take his first professional tournament title, while his triumph at the following year's US Open saw him become the first Australian to win a men's golf major since Steve Elkington at the 1995 PGA Championship.
His success moved him into the top ten of the official world golf rankings for the first time, as he jumped up to eighth position. Ogilvy has spent more than 80 weeks in the high end of the official rankings during his career.
In late June 2008, Ogilvy rose to third in the rankings and continued an impressive run during the following year at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He also triumphed at the WGC-CA Championship and the 2009 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
The 34-year-old has also enjoyed a successful 2011 season, which included a third-place finish at the BMW Championship. He has favoured the use of a Cobra ZL Driver, Cobra S9-1 Pro 3 Wood and Vokey Design pitching wedge.
