Danny Willett

Exempt status

• PGA TOUR: Winner, Masters Tournament (thru 2020-21)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR: 2015

PGA TOUR Victories (1)

• 2016 Masters Tournament

International Victories (6)

• 2012 BMW International Open [Eur]
• 2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge [Eur]
• 2015 Omega European Masters [Eur]
• 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic [Eur]
• 2018 DP World Tour Championship
• 2019 BMW PGA Championship

National Teams

• 2016 Summer Olympics
• 2016 Ryder Cup
• 2013 World Cup
• 2016 Eurasia Cup
• 2007 Walker Cup

Personal

• Son of a Church of England vicar (father) and math teacher (mother).
• Used to practice golf in a sheep pasture.
• Played two seasons at Jacksonville State University.
• Supports the Premier League club Liverpool.
• Won the 2016 Masters days after wife Nicole gave birth to the couple's first child, Zachariah.

Special Interests

• Football, music, pool

Career Highlights

2019 Season

Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs for the second time, finishing the season No. 85 in the FedExCup standings. Competed in the Playoffs for the first time but failed to advance to the BMW Championship after a T24 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. Claimed two top-10s and made 12 cuts in 19 starts.

• The Open Championship: Finished T6 at The Open Championship, his second top-10 in eight starts at the event. Third-round 65 was fourth career score of 65 or better on the PGA TOUR.
• RBC Canadian Open: With a T8 at the RBC Canadian Open, posted his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR since his 2016 Masters Tournament victory, snapping a streak of 35 starts without a top-10.

2018 Season

Played in six events with lone made cut coming at The Open Championship (T24).

• DP World Tour Championship: Won by two strokes at the DP World Tour Championship and earned his first victory since the 2016 Masters Tournament, a span of 953 days and 64 starts. Birdied three of his last five holes in the final round to card a 4-under 68. Notched his sixth European Tour victory and his first Rolex Series title.

2016 Season

Highlighted by his win at the Masters, collected a total of three top-10 finishes in just nine starts on the PGA TOUR. Claimed five top-10 finishes in 14 starts on the European Tour, one of which was a victory in Dubai.

• Ryder Cup: Making his first-ever start at the Ryder Cup, went 0-3 in the European team's 17-11 defeat to the United States at Hazeltine.
• Olympic Men's Golf Competition: Represented Great Britain when golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Finished T37 in 60-player field, while countryman Justin Rose took home the gold medal.
• PGA Championship: Despite finishing No. 75 in the FedExCup standings, did not compete in the Playoffs, with the PGA Championship his last start on the PGA TOUR in 2015-16.
• Masters Tournament: With the birth of the couple's first child, a boy, due in early April, opted against taking Special Temporary Membership to the PGA TOUR for the season. When his son, Zachariah James, was born in late-March, as opposed to the expected due date in early April, made a late decision to compete in his second Masters Tournament. The decision proved to be a life-changing one. Began the final round at Augusta National three strokes behind Jordan Spieth. At one point Sunday, his deficit to Spieth was five strokes. A bogey-free, 5-under 67, combined with a Spieth collapse, resulted in a three-stroke win over fellow Englishman Lee Westwood and Spieth, his first PGA TOUR win. The last time a Masters champion emerged from three or more strokes behind was in 2012, when Bubba Watson overcame a three-stroke deficit after 54 holes to beat Louis Oosthuizen in sudden death. His total of 28 putts in the final round included eight one-putts, five of which came on the last seven holes. His only three-putt for the week was No. 16 in round two. The victory marked the first European win at the Masters since Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999, and the fourth title for England, joining three-time winner Nick Faldo. His win moved him inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking to No. 9. As such, he became the highest-ranked Englishman in the OWGR and first for England in the standings for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. With his win, received a lifetime exemption into the Masters, along with five-year exemptions into the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, PGA Championship and THE PLAYERS. Following the win, joined the PGA TOUR as an official member. His non-member FedExCup points (44) from a start at the Valspar Championship also become retroactive and his total of 644 FedExCup points moved him to 27th in the standings entering the Valero Texas Open. Per PGA TOUR regulations, he did not receive retroactive FedExCup points for his three 2015-16 World Golf Championships starts.
• World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship: Carded a 3-under 69 in the final round of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship to finish T3, his third top-three finish in a World Golf Championships event in eight starts.
• Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Won his fourth European Tour title at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, held at the Emirates GC. After beginning the day with a one-shot lead, pushed that lead to three strokes on a couple different occasions during the final round but eventually needed a clutch 15-foot par putt on the last to cap off a 3-under 69 to finish 19-under 269, holding off Andy Sullivan and Rafa Cabrera Bello by one stroke. Joined Mark James (1989) and David Howell (1999) as English winners of the event.
• Eurasia Cup: Won all three matches, including a 3&1 singles result over Byeong Hun An, for the victorious Europe side in the Eurasia Cup in Kuala Lumpur in January.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: In his first start of the PGA TOUR season, finished T3 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Closed the tournament with a 10-under-par 62 for the low round of the day. Round was not recognized as tying the tournament record due to utilizing preferred lies.

2015 Season

Made seven of 10 PGA TOUR cuts, with two top-10s as a non-member. Earned Special Temporary Membership during the season and parlayed that into a top 125-finish on the FedExCup points list as a non-member to earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2015-16 season. Ultimately declined the membership.

• The Open Championship: Had a strong start to The Open Championship in July at St. Andrews Old Course. Opened 66-69 and held the 36-hole lead at the year's third major championship. Finished 2-under on the weekend (72-70) to fall into a T6 with three others.
• World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship: Defeated Jim Furyk, 3 and 2, in the consolation match to finish third in his first start in the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play. Lost to Gary Woodland in the semifinal match, 3 and 2. Turned in a 6-1 match-play record at TPC Harding Park. Had to finish third or better to earn enough FedExCup points to take up Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR. Had 131 non-member FedExCup points entering the Cadillac Match Play and earned 200 points by finishing third to take his season total to 331 points, surpassing the 323 points needed. Back on the European Tour in May, finished T6 at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down GC.
• Open D'Italia: Turned in four sub-70 rounds in mid-September, at the Open D'Italia to earn a T3 with six others, a stroke out of the Rikard Karlberg-Martin Kaymer playoff. Eagled the par-5 14th hole to move into contention and made birdies at Nos. 16 and 17. But could only manage a par on No. 18 to miss joining the playoff.
• Omega European Masters: Picked up his second victory of the season when he was triumphant at the Omega European Masters in July. Entered the final round at Crans-sur-Sierre GC in Switzerland tied with Matthew Fitzpatrick. Fired a Sunday, 5-under 65 which was enough to edge Fitzpatrick by a stroke and a hard-charging Tyrell Hatton, who shot an 8-under 62 to finish two shots back. Was bogey-free, with three of his five birdies coming midway through his back nine (Nos. 13-15).
• Nedbank Golf Challenge: Had a superb week in Sun City, South Africa, in the first week of December 2014. Opened with a 1-under 71 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC. Moved into contention in the second round with a 4-under 68 then played his final 36 holes in 13-under to coast to a four-shot victory over Ross Fisher. The win was his second on the European Tour. Was bogey-free over his final 23 holes and only had three bogeys all week.
• World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: Earned a T3 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Fired a bogey-free 62 on Sunday, his lowest round on TOUR. The top-five performance is tied for his best showing on TOUR.

2014 Season

Made three PGA TOUR starts, all at major championships. Finished 25th on the European Tour's Race to Dubai standings in 27 starts.

• PGA Championship: T30 at the PGA Championship.
• The Open Championship: Missed the cut at The Open Championship.
• U.S. Open: T45 at the U.S. Open.
• Portugal Masters: At the Portugal Masters in mid-October, shot rounds of 65-67 to T7 with four others at the weather-shortened event at Oceanico Victoria GC. Had an up-and-down final round at the Turkish Airlines Open in November, with six birdies and three bogeys that left him at 3-under 69 and T4 with Andy Sullivan, Miguel Angel Jimenez and 54-hole leader Wade Ormsby.
• Omega European Masters: Had weekend rounds of 64-63 at the Omega European Masters to T5 in Switzerland, two shots out of the David Lipsky-Graeme Storm playoff at Crans-sur-Sierre GC.
• BMW International Open: Held a share of the first- and second-round leads at the BMW International Open in Germany. Shot rounds of 64-68-71-68 at GC Gut Larchenhof to T8, two shots out of the four-man playoff.
• Irish Open: Finished T3 at the Irish Open in mid-June. Had the round of the tournament, a third-round, 8-under 63 to go with a second-round 66. An opening, 2-over 73 hurt his chances at winning at Fota Island Resort.
• Alfred Dunhill Championship: Finished T9 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in early December 2013.

2013 Season

• Volvo Golf Champions: Earned his first top-10 of the campaign when he shot four under-par rounds at Durban CC to T5 at the European Tour's Volvo Golf Champions in mid-January.

2012 Season

• Omega European Masters: Enjoyed four sub-70 rounds at the Omega European Masters (67-67-68-69) to T2 in late-August at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland.
• BMW International Open: Earned his first professional victory, at the BMW International Open. Finished regulation tied with Marcus Fraser but prevailed in a four-hole playoff at GC Gut Larchenhof when he made a par to Fraser's bogey. The duo played the 18th hole four times to determine a winner.
• Africa Open: Opened his season on the European Tour, with a solo-seventh at the Africa Open.
• Maybank Malaysia Open: Contended in April at the Maybank Malaysia Open. Entered the final round two strokes behind leader Louis Oosthuizen. Shot a 1-under 71 Sunday at Kuala Lumpur G&CC to T3.

2011 Season

Had a disappointing campaign on the European Tour. Although he made 17 cuts in 30 starts, only recorded one top-10 finish.

• Volvo China Open: T7 at the Volvo China Open. Had a late surge with a final-round 65 in Chengdu.

2010 Season

• PGA Championship: Made his first PGA TOUR start, at the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
• Hassan II Golf Trophy: Finished T7 at the Hassan II Golf Trophy.
• Maybank Malaysian Open: Finished sixth at the Maybank Malaysian Open.
• Open de France ALSTOM: Was fifth at the Open de France ALSTOM.
• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Had a runner-up showing at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he T2, three strokes behind Martin Kaymer.
• Austrian Golf Open: Played well late in the year, with a T3 at the Austrian Golf Open.
• BMW PGA Championship: With a fifth-place showing at the BMW PGA Championship, he moved into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time.

2009 Season

Emerged from the European Tour qualifying tournament to earn his playing privileges and finished 58th in the Race to Dubai, with eight top-10 finishes.

• Celtic Manor Wales Open: T4 at the Celtic Manor Wales Open in June.
• Joburg Open: T4 at the Joburg Open in South Africa in January.

Amateur Highlights

• In 2007, won the English Amateur. Later in the year, represented Europe at the Walker Cup at Royal County Down.
• In March 2008, he ascended to No. 1 in the world amateur rankings.