Residence: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
DOB: 28/04/1964 |
Stephen Ames was born in Trinidad – where his grandmother was a two-time Trinidad and Tobago champion. At the age of 16 in 1980, Ames beat the course record at the famous Sandy Lane Course in Barbados with a six-under-par 66. Although he turned professional in 1987, he failed to make it onto the main PGA Tour and decided to try his luck in Europe – where he spent a successful 5 years – with wins in the 1994 French Open and 1996 B&H International. Spurred on by the success, he headed back to the US where he finally earned full playing privileges – but it was not until 2004 that he posted his first win on the US Tour – at the Cialis Western Open – which helped catapult him into the top 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings. In 2006, he bagged another win by blowing away the strongest field in golf with a 5-under 67 in the final round at Sawgrass to win the Players Championship, becoming the second-oldest champion in championship history and taking his career earnings past the $10m mark. |