Steve Flesch

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Steve Flesch

| image = Steve Flesch 2008 US Open cropped.jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| caption =

| fullname = Stephen J. Flesch

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|5|23}}

| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}

| weight = {{convert|165|lb|kg st|abbr=on}}

| nationality = {{USA}}

| residence =

| spouse = Rachel Flesch

| children = 2

| college = University of Kentucky

| yearpro = 1990

| tour = PGA Tour Champions

| extour = PGA Tour
Asia Golf Circuit
Hooters Jordan Tour

| prowins = 13

| pgawins = 4

| eurowins =

| japwins =

| asiawins =

| sunwins =

| auswins =

| nwidewins = 1

| chalwins =

| champwins = 4

| seneurowins =

| otherwins = 4

| majorwins =

| masters = T5: 2008

| usopen = T7: 2004

| open = T20: 2000

| pga = 6th: 2008

| wghofid =

| wghofyear =

| award1 = PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year

| year1 = 1998

| award2 =

| year2 =

| awardssection =

}}

Stephen J. Flesch (born May 23, 1967) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, and worked briefly as a TV golf analyst for Fox Sports and Golf Channel before joining the PGA Tour Champions.

Early life

Flesch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky. After graduation, he played golf at the University of Kentucky and turned professional in 1990.{{cite web |url=https://www.pgatour.com/players/player.07457.steve-flesch.html |title=Steve Flesch |publisher=PGA Tour |accessdate=January 29, 2019}}

Professional career

Flesch finished in the top ten on the Asia Golf Circuit Order of Merit in 1993, 1994 and 1996. He won the 1997 NIKE Tour Championship to earn a PGA Tour card for the following season, only the second left-hander to win on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour. His first win on the PGA Tour was the 2003 HP Classic of New Orleans, but is probably best known for his come-from-behind victory at the 2004 Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. He has been featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, reaching a career high of 22nd in 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.owgr.com/en/Ranking/PlayerProfile.aspx?playerID=4707 |title=Steve Flesch |publisher=Official World Golf Ranking |accessdate=January 29, 2019}}

Entering the 2008 Masters Tournament, Flesch was ranked number 107 in the world rankings.{{cite web |url=http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/archive/2008/owgr14f2008.pdf |title=Official World Golf Ranking; Week 14, 6 April 2008}} After three rounds, he was in third place at eight-under, three strokes behind leader and eventual champion Trevor Immelman. Playing in the penultimate pairing on breezy Sunday, Flesch posted a 78 to finish six strokes back, tied for fifth. This strong showing in a major tournament strengthened his world ranking by 28 slots, improving it to number 79.{{cite web |url=http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/archive/2008/owgr15f2008.pdf |title=Official World Golf Ranking; Week 15, 13 April 2008}}

Flesch last played a full season in 2011, then missed the cut in the 12 events he played during the 2012 season. In 2015, he finished T7 at the Barracuda Championship, his first top ten in four years.

In 2015, Flesch became an analyst for Fox Sports.{{cite news |url=http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/steve-flesch |title=Steve Flesch |work=Fox Sports |accessdate=January 29, 2019}} He also worked as an analyst for Golf Channel before returning to competition on the PGA Tour Champions in 2017.

Professional wins (13)

=PGA Tour wins (4)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner(s)-up

align=center|1

|align=right|May 4, 2003

|HP Classic of New Orleans

|−21 (67-70-65-65=267)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Estes

align=center|2

|align=right|May 23, 2004

|Bank of America Colonial

|−11 (66-69-67-67=269)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Chad Campbell

align=center|3

|align=right|Aug 5, 2007

|Reno–Tahoe Open

|−15 (63-69-69-72=273)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Kevin Stadler, {{flagicon|USA}} Charles Warren

align=center|4

|align=right|Sep 23, 2007

|Turning Stone Resort Championship

|−18 (66-65-66-73=270)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Michael Allen

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|1

|2003

|HP Classic of New Orleans

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Estes

|Won with birdie on first extra hole

=Asia Golf Circuit wins (1)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner-up

align=center|1

|align=right|Jan 21, 1996

|Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open

|−6 (66-75-71-70=282)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|AUS}} Craig Jones

Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (1–1)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|1

|1993

|Thai International Thailand Open

|{{flagicon|TWN}} Hsieh Chin-sheng, {{flagicon|AUS}} Craig Mann

|Mann won with birdie on second extra hole
Flesch eliminated by par on first hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|2

|1996

|Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open

|{{flagicon|AUS}} Craig Jones

|Won with par on second extra hole

=Nike Tour wins (1)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Legend

style="background:thistle;"

| Tour Championships (1)

Other Nike Tour (0)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner-up

style="background:thistle;"

|align=center|1

|align=right|Oct 19, 1997

|Nike Tour Championship

|−10 (69-68-68-73=278)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Chris Smith

=Hooters Jordan Tour wins (1)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner-up

align=center|1

|align=right|Jun 26, 1994

|Collins Pro Classic

|−12 (67-72-69-68=276)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Eric Johnson

=Other wins (2)=

1991 Kentucky Open
1993 Kentucky Open

=PGA Tour Champions wins (4)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of
victory!!Runner(s)-up

align=center|1

|align=right|Apr 14, 2018

|Mitsubishi Electric Classic

|−11 (66-71-68=205)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|DEU}} Bernhard Langer, {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Parel

align=center|2

|align=right|May 8, 2022

|Mitsubishi Electric Classic (2)

|−11 (67-73-65=205)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Fred Couples, {{flagicon|IRL}} Pádraig Harrington,
{{flagicon|USA}} David Toms

align=center|3

|align=right|Sep 25, 2022

|PURE Insurance Championship

|−11 (66-71-68=205)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|NZL}} Steven Alker, {{flagicon|ZAF}} Ernie Els,
{{flagicon|USA}} Paul Stankowski

align=center|4

|align=right|Sep 10, 2023

|Ascension Charity Classic

|−19 (66-66-62=194)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Kevin Sutherland

PGA Tour Champions playoff record (1–1)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|1

|2018

|Mitsubishi Electric Classic

|{{flagicon|DEU}} Bernhard Langer, {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Parel

|Won with birdie on second extra hole
Langer eliminated by birdie on first hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|2

|2021

|Sanford International

|{{flagicon|KOR}} K. J. Choi, {{flagicon|NIR}} Darren Clarke

|Clarke won with birdie on second extra hole
Flesch eliminated by par on first hole

Results in major championships

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1993

!1994

!1995

!1996

!1997

!1998

!1999

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|U.S. Open

|84

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

align=left|The Open Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T13

|T34

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!2000

!2001

!2002

!2003

!2004

!2005

!2006

!2007

!2008

!2009

!2010

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T17

|T29

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|T5

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|T38

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|T18

|CUT

|style="background:yellow;"|T7

|T67

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|The Open Championship

|T20

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|T54

|77

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|CUT

|T13

|T17

|CUT

|T37

|style="background:yellow;"|T10

|T24

|T23

|style="background:yellow;"|6

|T32

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" = tied

=Summary=

Totals	0	0	0	1	5	13	33	22
class=wikitable style=text-align:center !Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made
align=left\|Masters Tournament	0	0	0	1	2	3	6	5
align=left\|U.S. Open	0	0	0	0	1	2	10	4
align=left\|The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	3
align=left\|PGA Championship	0	0	0	0	2	7	12	10