Michael McGowan

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2015
• Korn Ferry Tour: 2019

Personal

• Comes from a golf-playing family.
• His father, Pat, was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year in 1978 after an All-American career at BYU. He played on TOUR for 15 years and also spent a couple of seasons on PGA TOUR Champions Tour. Mother, Bonnie, played collegiate golf at the University of North Carolina.
• While in high school, was the leading scorer on soccer team and second-leading scorer on basketball team. Earned all-state honors in both sports in 2009.
• Favorite courses he's played are St. Andrews' The Old Course, Cypress Point GC, Caves Valley CC and Seminole GC.
• Favorite teams are the North Carolina Tarheels and the Carolina Panthers. Tiger Woods and LeBron James are his favorite athletes to watch. Bruno Mars and Liquid Pleasure are his favorite entertainers. Bald Head Island, N.C., is his favorite vacation spot.
• Tiger Woods, Bobby Jones and his grandmother would round out his dream foursome.
• Favorite quote: "Cashin' checks, breakin' necks."
• He and his family are involved with The First Tee of the Sandhills in North Carolina, raising money, awareness and helping with instruction.
• He caddied for hid dad at age 15 when he qualified and played in the 2006 Senior Open Championship at Turnberry. "It isn't my earliest golf memory, but it is my most memorable being inside the ropes and all."
• Grandmother Peggy Kirk Bell played on the LPGA and was one of the Founding Members of that Tour. Winner of the Titleholders Championship in 1949 and part of the 1950 Curtis Cup team. Recipient of the Bob Jones Award in 1990, the highest honor the USGA awards. Was also the recipient of the LPGA Patty Berg Award in 2013, which exemplifies diplomacy, sportsmanship, goodwill and contributions to the game of golf. She was the first woman voted into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame in 2002, as well.
• Says he is always searching for that one coin to use as a ball mark that "works for me very well on the greens."
• Says he can grow a beard surprisingly quick.
• Says he can perform "about every dance there ever was."
• Uncles Kelly Miller and Kirk Bell and Aunt Peggy Miller all played college golf at the University of Alabama.

Special Interests

• Duck hunting, all sports

CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

• PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament Mexico: A second-round 66 and a closing 69 at Estrella del Mar in mid-November led to a T13 finish, good for conditional PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status.

Career Highlights

2023 Season

• PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament Mexico: A second-round 66 and a closing 69 at Estrella del Mar in mid-November led to a T13 finish, good for conditional PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status.

2022 Season

• PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament USA 2: Finished T31 at the CC of Ocala in mid-November in Florida to earn conditional PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status.

2020 Season

• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Mexico: Opened with a 66 on his way to a T13 with three others at Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort in Mazatlan in mid-January. Earned conditional exemption for the first half of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.

2019 Season

Finished the season at No. 158 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season points list. Recorded seven made cuts in 22 starts, including a season-best T23 finish at the Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation. Also made two PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts, getting to the weekend once.

2018 Season

Played in seven PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournaments, making four cuts, recording two top-10s and finishing 63rd on the final Order of Merit.

• 113 VISA Open de Argentina presentado por Macro: A week after taking medalist honors at the Korn Ferry Tour second-stage Qualifying Tournament in Florida, finished T8 in Argentina's national open. Was solid through the first 54 holes, with rounds of 68-67-71 before a Sunday 74 dropped him into a T8 with Tyson Alexander, Matt Gilchrest, Ricardo Gonzalez and Leandro Marelli.
• Sao Paulo Golf Club Championship: Was in contention into the final round until a Sunday, even-par 71 derailed his chances. Opened 66-67-67 at Sao Paulo GC to T4, leaving him sharing the position with Evan Harmeling and Eric Steger.
• Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-USA WEST 2: Rounds of 70-69-69-72 left him tied at the end of regulation with Evan Bowser. Prevailed in the playoff to earn fully-exempt status for the entire Mackenzie Tour season.

2017 Season

Competed on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Recorded four top-25 finishes in 15 starts. Finished at No. 41 on the Order of Merit.

• Quito Open presentado por Diners Club: Earned a T4 in Ecuador, shooting a final-round 68. Finished six shots behind winner Curtis Yonke.
• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Colombia: After finishing T9, he survived a four-way playoff for three spots inside the top-11 to earn exempt status for the first half of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.

2016 Season

Played in only four PGA TOUR Latinoamérica events, with one top-10 finish. Closed the year 101st on the Order of Merit.

• San Luis Championship: Earned a T8 finish, his best showing of the year, in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in September.
• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-USA: Earned PGA TOUR Latinoamérica conditional status with a T23 finish at the U.S. Q-School in Sebring, Fla.

2015 Season

Made the cut in nine of 14 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts, collecting one top-10 and four top-25s to finish the year ranked 62nd on the Order of Merit.

• Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort: Turned in his best results of the year, a T7, by carding a 9-under 63 to share the opening-round lead.
• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Argentina: Competing as an amateur, earned PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status by finishing T3. Shot 68-66 over the last two rounds to charge into the top five.

Amateur Highlights

• Played college golf at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he earned the golf team's lowest stroke average award for three years.
• At North Carolina, earned the Mike McLeod Memorial Award (MVP/Attitude) in both 2010 and 2011. Was the Andy Hacskaylo Memorial Award honoree for the team's low stroke average for three consecutive years, beginning in 2011. Was also a Ping All-East Region
• Was the 2008 North Carolina Junior Player of the Year and a first-team all-state golf selection. Was a Winternational Junior All-American team member from 2006-09; Medalist at the NCISAA 2A Golf in both 2006 and 2009. Was the runner-up in 2007 and 2008..
• Also played high school basketball and soccer, and was one of the team's leading goal scorers in soccer in both 2008 and 2009.

Q SCHOOL GRADUATE

• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2020
• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2022
• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2023