Paul Azinger Biography

Azinger was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts on 6th January 1960. He moved down to Sarasota, Florida where he attended and graduated from Sarasota High School. After graduating from Brevard Community College, he attended Florida State University before he turned professional in 1981.

In 1987 he finished one shot behind the winner Nick Faldo in the Open Championship. From 1987 to 1993 he won eleven tournaments on the PGA Tour, climaxing in his one major title, at the 1993 PGA Championship. Subsequently he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His treatment included six months of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiation in California. He wrote a book called Zinger about his battle with the disease and was the recipient of GWAA Ben Hogan Award in 1995, given to the individual who has continued to be active in golf despite physical handicap or serious illness. In 2000, he won his first tournament in seven seasons at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Azinger was the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2008 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.He led the team to its first victory over the European squad since 1999. The team's victory was largely credited to his innovative strategy.

In February 2010 he made his Champions Tour debut at The ACE Group Classic.