Thomas Aiken

JOINED TOUR

• Korn Ferry Tour: 2015
• PGA TOUR: 2016

International Victories (10)

• 2004 Vodacom Legends Tour at Zimbali [SAf]
• 2004 Vodacom Legends Tour at Sun City [SAf]
• 2004 Vodam Origins of Golf Tour Championship [SAf]
• 2005 Telkom PGA Championship [SAf]
• 2005 MTC Namibian PGA Championship [SAf]
• 2010 Platinum Classic [SAf]
• 2011 Open de Espana [Eur]
• 2011 Open de Espana [Eur]
• 2013 Avantha Masters [Eur]
• 2014 Africa Open [Eur]

Personal

• At age 9, Martin Witcher had become his coach. Later joined the Randpark GC Academy, where he played alongside Anton Haig.
• Played cricket at the provincial level as a fast bowler and was also an accomplished tennis player. He eventually opted to focus on golf because he says "the scenery was more interesting."
• Got his start in golf from his brother. Lists Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan as his heroes. Cites being in the hunt to win as his biggest thrill in golf. Accomplished sportsman in high school, excelling in tennis, cricket, rugby, soccer and swimming.

Special Interests

• Rugby, fishing, cricket, water sports, movies, wine

Career Highlights

2016 Season

Made 23 starts on the PGA TOUR during the 2015-16 season with 12 made cuts on his way to a 166th-place finish in the FedExCup. Made three starts in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Had a a 51st-place finish on the Finals money list.

• Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship: T29 at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship.
• Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco: T24 at the Albertsons Boise Open.

2015 Season

Was 46th on the final priority-ranking order.

• Web.com Tour Championship: Played in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals as one of six non-members seeking to secure 2015-16 PGA TOUR status. After missing the cut in the first three Finals' tournaments, needed a big week at TPC Sawgrass and the Web.com Tour Championship to have any chance of earning his PGA TOUR card for the first time. Rounds of 69-67-69 and a Sunday 65 turned out to be just enough. His T5 was worth $35,125, allowing him to capture the 23rd spot on the Finals'-money list by $2,919. Was one of five players who was outside top 25 and played his way into a card at the Web.com Tour Championship.
• Omega Dubai Desert Classic: On the European Tour, had four under-par rounds at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, including a 66-69 weekend to T9 with Graeme McDowell, Robert Rock and Lee Westwood.

2014 Season

• BMW PGA Championship: Finished T7 at the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship in late-May in England.
• Joburg Open: Finished T5 at the Joburg Open in early February. Struggled to a six-bogey, four-birdie 74 on the final day at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC after shooting a 9-under 63 that put him in contention with 18 holes to play.
• Commercial Bank Qatar Masters: Had four under-par rounds at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters to T5 in late-January.
• Volvo Golf Champions: Enjoyed a T8 at the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban, South Africa, in mid-January, his first top-10 of the campaign.
• Africa Open: Won on the European Tour for a second consecutive season, capturing the Africa Open in a playoff in February. Finished regulation tied with Oliver Fisher at 20-under 264 at East London GC in South Africa. On the first extra hole, made a birdie to Fisher's par that gave him his ninth international title. Worst round of the week was his final-round 67. Opened 66-65-66 through the first 54 holes.

2013 Season

• Volvo World Match Play Championship: Made it to the semifinals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria. Missed making it to the finals when he lost to Thongchai Jaidee, 3 and 2, at Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort. Had already lost to Jaidee in early round play, 1-down. Also enjoyed match victories during the week against Ian Poulter and Shane Lowry.
• Open de Espana: Entered the Open de Espana on the European Tour with a two-stroke lead and proceeded to shoot a 2-under 70 Sunday, which was enough to hold off Anders Hansen by the same two-stroke margin. The victory was his first on the European Tour, and he dedicated the win in Spain to World Golf Hall of Famer Seve Ballesteros, who died two days earlier.
• Avantha Masters: Won for the first time since 2011, capitalizing on a third-round 62 at the Avantha Masters and then coming back with a Sunday 67 to edge Gaganjeet Bhullar by three shots. Enjoyed four rounds in the 60s at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa in India to earn his second European Tour title and his eighth championship overall.

2012 Season

• The Open Championship: Making his sixth start at The Open Championship, was T7, finishing inside the top 10 for the second time (T8 in 2009). Only other major championship start was a missed cut at the 2011 PGA Championship.
• Volvo Golf Champions: Earned his first top-10 of the campaign when he recovered from a third-round, 4-over 77 at The Links at Fancourt to T9 at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa.

2011 Season

• CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar: Finished solo fifth at the Castello Masters.
• Madrid Masters: Finished solo fifth at the Madrid Masters.

2010 Season

• Hassan II Golf Trophy: Had another good chance to win later in the year, at the Trophy Hassan II. Was three strokes off the pace after 36 holes and only four behind Louis Oosthuizen following the third round. He shot a final-round 71 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco to T3.
• Africa Open: Came close to winning the Africa Open. He was tied with Trevor Fisher through 54 holes at East London GC, shot a final-round, 3-under 70 but watched as Charl Schwartzel stormed from behind to win by one.

2009 Season

Recorded 10 top-10s on two Tours, with his top performances a pair of fourth-place showings.

• World Golf Championships-CA Championship: Playing in his first World Golf Championships event, he T7 at the Cadillac Championship in Florida with friend Trevor Fisher as his caddie. He had finished second to Fisher, a South African professional, earlier in his career at the 2006 Eskom Power Cup.
• Alfred Dunhill Championship: He later added a T4 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour.
• Telkom PGA Championship: His first came on the Sunshine Tour, at the Telkom PGA Championship.
• Italian Open: Top-five came at the BMW Italian Open.

2008 Season

He had a pair of fourth-place outings on the Sunshine Tour.

• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: His top performance on the European Tour was a T13 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• Dunhill Links Championship: Finished fourth at the Dunhill Championship, two strokes behind Richard Sterne's winning 271 total.
• Dimension Data Pro-Am: Finished fourth at the Dimension Data Pro-Am.

2007 Season

Played his rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Made 10 Korn Ferry Tour appearances, getting to the weekend three times.

• Price Cutter Charity Championship Presented by Dr. Pepper: Best finish on the circuit was a T13 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship.
• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Of his five European Tour starts, his best finish was a T45 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• Telkom PGA Championship: On the Sunshine Tour, his best outing of the campaign was a T11 at the Telkom PGA Championship.

2006 Season

He finished seventh on the Sunshine Tour order of merit despite not winning. He was runner-up in five tournaments. He missed the cut in his lone Asian Tour start and missed all four cuts in his European Tour appearances.

• The Open Championship: Played in his first major championship, The Open Championship, missing the cut.
• Platinum Classic: His final close call of the season was at the Platinum Classic where Groenwald again won, this time by one stroke.
• MTC Namibian PGA Championship: He again finished second in Namibia, at the MTC Namibian PGA Championship, where he shot a final-round 63 but fell just short of Anton Haig, losing by one shot.
• Eskom Power Cup: At the Eskom Power Cup, his friend Trevor Fisher outlasted him by three strokes.
• Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour @ Pretoria: At the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Pretoria, a 54-hole event, he finished six strokes behind Vaughn Groenwald.
• Telkom PGA Championship: His first runner-up performance came at the Telkom PGA Championship, losing by six strokes to Gregory Bourdy.

2005 Season

Had a four-tournament Sunshine Tour stretch, where he won twice and was runner-up twice.

• MTC Namibian PGA Championship: His second Sunshine Tour win came at the MTC Namibian PGA Championship, when he opened with a 63 and beat a quartet of players by four strokes.
• Telkom PGA Pro-Am: Rolled to his first professional title, at the Sunshine Tour's Telkom PGA Pro-Am in September. At the 54-hole event, he shot three rounds in the 60s and cruised to a six-shot win over Henks Alberts.
• BearingMan Highveld Classic Hosted by Witbank: At the 54-hole BearingMan Highveld Classic, three straight sub-70 rounds left him two strokes shy of winner Bradford Vaughan.
• Vodacom Origins of Golf @ Erinvale: At the Vodacom Origins of Golf, he dropped a one-stroke decision to Hennie Otto.

2004 Season

Won three times on the Sunshine Tour and added two other top-five finishes. He finished 14th on the order of merit.

• Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour Championship: His final win of the year, at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour Championship, came during difficult weather conditions on the final two days. Despite shooting back-to-back 73s to end the tournament, he still defeated Jean Hugo by seven strokes.
• Vodacom Legends Tour at Sun City: At the Vodacom Legends Tour at Sun City, he defeated Des Terblanche by three strokes.
• Vodacom Legends Tour at Zimbali: The first professional victory of his career came at the Vodacom Legends Tour at Zimbali, where he forced a playoff with Keith Horne and then went on to win.

2003 Season

After his top-five finish at Limpopo Industrelek Classic, he made two other starts, making the cut in both and finished 93rd on the order of merit.

• Limpopo Industrelek Classic: Made his professional debut at the Sunshine Tour's Limpopo Industrelek Classic, where he T5.

Amateur Highlights

• Was the South African Amateur of the Year in 2001, capturing 10 titles and adding five other top-three finishes.