Brian Gay

A military brat, Gay was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but was raised primarily at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where his father was a U.S. Army non-commissioned officer involved in flight operations. His father was also a member of the All-Army golf team in his spare time. As an only child, Gay spent much of his youth at the Fort Rucker golf course, first at the practice area, then on the course. Encouraged by a group of military retirees he often played with, he dominated the local tournament scene as a tween.

Gay's success as a teenager led to his receiving an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1991 to 1994.{{cite web|url=http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/men/media/2010/supplement.pdf |title=Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement |publisher=University Athletic Association |location=Gainesville, Florida |pages=34, 37, 39, 41 |year=2010 |access-date=January 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035020/http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/men/media/2010/supplement.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2012 }} During his time as a Gator golfer, the team won four consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (1991–1994), and the 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships.{{cite magazine |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1155104/index.htm |title=Family Guy |date=May 4, 2009 |first=Alan |last=Shipnuck |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=January 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510005544/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1155104/index.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2009 }} As a collegian, he was the SEC Freshman of the Year (1991), a five-time individual medalist, two-time SEC individual champion (1992, 1994), three-time first-team All-SEC selection (1992–1994), and two-time All-American (1992, 1993).{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/men/media/2008/pdf/5_history.pdf |title=2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide |publisher=University Athletic Association |location=Gainesville, Florida |page=36 |year=2008 |access-date=January 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322012152/http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/men/media/2008/pdf/5_history.pdf |archive-date=March 22, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Gay was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2010.{{Cite web |publisher=F Club, Hall of Fame |url=http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats |title=Gator Greats |access-date=December 15, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=16714 |title=Eight Former Letterwinners Announced to be Hall of Fame Inductees |publisher=GatorZone.com |date=October 15, 2009 |access-date=January 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004070851/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=16714 |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Gay turned pro in 1994 and mostly competed on mini-tours in the United States, winning several tournaments, before qualifying for the PGA Tour in 1999. He picked up his first win on the tour at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun in 2008 after 293 starts, with his second win coming at the Verizon Heritage in 2009.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8007442.stm |title=Gay triumphs in Heritage Classic |date=April 19, 2009 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=January 22, 2013}} He won the event by ten strokes, finishing at 20-under par. The ten stroke victory is one of the biggest wins in the PGA Tour's history. His best position on the year-end money list was 13th in 2009. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, ranking as high as 35th in 2009.{{Cite web |title=Brian Gay |url=https://www.owgr.com/playerprofile/brian-gay-5951 |access-date=2024-02-07 |publisher=Official World Golf Ranking}}

Gay was not exempt to play in the 2009 U.S. Open heading into the St. Jude Classic. He was one of seven golfers who could earn the last spot in the U.S. Open by winning the St. Jude Classic, using the "Winners of multiple PGA Tour events since the last Open" exemption.{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/news/2009/06/11/live_report_stjude.html |title=Round 1: St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx – What's at Stake |publisher=PGA Tour |date=June 11, 2009 |access-date=January 22, 2013}} Gay went on to win by five strokes over David Toms and Bryce Molder for his second wire-to-wire win of the season.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8099920.stm |title=Gay strolls to victory in St Jude |date=June 15, 2009 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=January 22, 2013}}

In 2013, Gay won for the first time in four years at the Humana Challenge, the fourth victory of his PGA Tour career. He defeated Charles Howell III on the second hole of a three-man sudden-death playoff when he made birdie. Earlier, David Lingmerth had been eliminated on the first extra hole.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/8863531/brian-gay-prevails-3-man-playoff-take-pga-tour-humana-challenge |title=Brian Gay wins 4th tour title |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=January 20, 2013 |access-date=January 22, 2013}} This performance helped Gay earn the PGA Tour Player of the Month award for January.

Gay did not play during the 2014–15 season after back surgery and played the next two seasons on a Major Medical Extension. A T6 at the 2017 Valero Texas Open secured his return to the PGA Tour.

In November 2020, Gay won his fifth PGA Tour event (and first in seven years) at the Bermuda Championship when he defeated Wyndham Clark in a playoff.{{cite web |url=https://golf.com/news/brian-gay-wins-bermuda-championship/ |title=Brian Gay rallies to win Bermuda Championship in playoff |website=Golf.com |date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=November 1, 2020}}

Gay was mentioned frequently in Bud, Sweat and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour by Alan Shipnuck, which profiled Rich Beem's rookie year on the PGA Tour. Steve Duplantis, who became Gay's caddy following a split with Beem, was chronicled as well in Shipnuck's book.

PGA Tour playoff record (2–1)

• 1995 Timbercreek Classic (Gulf Coast Tour), Killearn tournament (Emerald Coast Tour), St. Lucie West tournament (Gold Coast Tour), Emerald Dunes tournament (Gold Coast Tour), PGA Estates tournament (South Florida Tour)

• 1996 Key Biscayne Open

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}

CUT = missed the half-way cut

WD = withdrew

"T" = tied

NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

• Most consecutive cuts made – 2 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 0

{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}

CUT = missed the halfway cut

WD = withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place

C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

{{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}}

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Amateur

• Walker Cup: 1993 (winners)

{{Portal|Biography}}

• 1998 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• 1999 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• 2003 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• List of Florida Gators men's golfers on the PGA Tour
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|www.briangay.com}}
• {{PGATour player|19846}}
• {{OWGR|5951}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay, Brian}}

Category:American male golfers

Category:Florida Gators men's golfers

Category:PGA Tour golfers

Category:Golfers from Alabama

Category:Golfers from Florida

Category:Golfers from Fort Worth, Texas

Category:People from Fort Rucker, Alabama

Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American sportsmen