Derek Ernst (born May 16, 1990) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2013 Wells Fargo Championship.
| Derek Ernst | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 16, 1990 Woodland, California |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Dallas, Texas |
| Spouse | Laney Ernst |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| College | UNLV |
| Turned professional | 2012 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour (past champion status) Korn Ferry Tour |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | CUT: 2014 |
| PGA Championship | CUT: 2013 |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Early life and amateur career
editErnst was born in Woodland, California to Mark and Dawn Ernst. He attended Clovis East High School in Clovis, California and played college golf at UNLV, where he was a four-time All-American and was twice named Mountain West Conference player of the year.[1][2][3] He was runner-up at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links championship, losing the final on the 37th hole to Clemson's Corbin Mills.[4] Ernst represented the United States at the 2012 Palmer Cup, and he turned pro following the 2012 U.S. Amateur.[5][6]
Professional career
editErnst made his professional debut at the 2012 Frys.com Open, where he finished T-41.[2][7] He earned a 2013 PGA Tour card through qualifying school, surviving all four stages. He finished T-59 in his season debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii. After missing the cut in each of his next five starts, he rehired Aaron Terry, his first golf instructor, as his caddy. Ernst finished T-47 in his next event, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.[8] In May, he notched his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship, defeating David Lynn in a playoff.
Ernst was the fourth alternate and 1,207th in the world rankings at the start of the week. He was scheduled to play on the Web.com Tour's Stadion Classic at UGA when he received a last-minute call that tee times were available; a number of golfers withdrew due to weather and unfavorable course conditions. The win also moved Ernst from 196th to 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings, and earned him entry into The Players Championship as the final guaranteed entrant, the 2013 PGA Championship, and the 2014 Masters Tournament, plus a PGA Tour exemption through 2015. Ernst was the second consecutive Q school graduate to win, following Billy Horschel's win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He also skyrocketed to 123rd in the Official World Golf Ranking and was the first alternate to win a PGA Tour event since Wes Short Jr.'s victory at the 2005 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas.
Personal life
editErnst has two sisters, Brianna and Shawna. He has blurry vision in his right eye as the result of an injury he sustained in the second grade. Using a children's tool set at home while making a Valentine's Day present for his mother, a shard of PVC bounced up and cut his eye, requiring 10 stitches. Scar tissue remains in the eye and his depth perception is poor.[9]
Professional wins (1)
editPGA Tour wins (1)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 5, 2013 | Wells Fargo Championship | 67-71-72-70=280 | −8 | Playoff |  David Lynn
|
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 | Wells Fargo Championship | David Lynn
|
Won with par on first extra hole |
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | ||
| The Open Championship | ||
| PGA Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in The Players Championship
edit| Tournament | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
Results in World Golf Championships
edit| Tournament | 2013 |
|---|---|
| Match Play | |
| Championship | |
| Invitational | T57 |
| Champions | T61 |
"T" = Tied
U.S. national team appearances
editAmateur
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Player Profile". Golfweek. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Ex-Clovis East star Derek Ernst shoots 65 in PGA Tour debut". Fresno Bee. October 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Wollard, Jeff (September 29, 2011). "UNLV men's golf opens year with flair". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ "Medalist Mills of Clemson tops Ernst of UNLV to win U.S. Public Links". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ "Barber, Williams, Yun back on US Palmer Cup squad". Golf Digest. April 25, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Martin, Sean (December 3, 2012). "Q-School: Player-by-player look at 26 graduates". Golfweek. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Fine, Larry (May 5, 2013). "Rookie Ernst beats Lynn in playoff at Quail Hollow". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Crouse, Karen (May 2, 2013). "A Tour Rookie Reaches Into His Past". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Scott, David (May 2, 2013). "PGA Tour rookie Derek Ernst has 'sweet' day at Quail Hollow". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
External links
edit- Derek Ernst at the PGA Tour official site
- Derek Ernst at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
- Profile on UNLV's official athletic site