Thomas Bjørn

Bjørn started his career playing on the Challenge Tour from 1993 to 1995. In 1995 he won four tournaments on the Challenge Tour to earn his card for his debut year on the European Tour in 1996. Bjørn made his breakthrough immediately winning his maiden tour title in his debut season at the Loch Lomond World Invitational. He became the first golfer from Denmark to win a tournament on the European Tour.{{cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=1996/tournamentid=1996034/news/newsid=112913.html#round+summary |title=First Danish winner on the European Tour |publisher=PGA European Tour |date=22 September 1996 |access-date=7 September 2011}} He finished the 1996 season placed tenth on the Order of Merit.

The follow-up season in 1997 was steady with a number of top ten finishes without a win, however Bjørn did not have long to wait until his next win arrived. He won early in the 1998 season in Perth, Australia taking the Heineken Classic for his second European Tour title. Despite an over par final round of 74, Bjørn won by a single stroke from Ian Woosnam. In April 1998, after a five-week break from competitive golf, Bjørn won for the second time that year at the Peugeot Open de España after a final round 66 took him to 21 under and one stroke ahead of the chasing pack. He later said: "I didn’t really expect this after taking five weeks off, but when your confidence has gone like mine did after winning in Perth, it just shows it’s best to take a break and regroup."{{cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=1998/tournamentid=1998026/news/newsid=103331.html#bjorn+wins |title=Bjorn wins for the second time in two months |publisher=PGA European Tour |date=26 April 1998 |access-date=7 September 2011}} After his two wins he finished the year 6th on the Order of Merit.

After a winless period due to injuries and the birth of his first child, Bjørn returned to the winner's circle in October 1999 at the Sarazen World Open. This was his fourth career European Tour win and after an unspectacular year, he jumped up the standings to finish the season 14th on the Order of Merit.

He has finished in the top ten on the Order of Merit eight times with a best finish of fifth in 2000. He came close to winning a major championship at the 2003 Open Championship when he was in the lead with 4 holes to play before a slump handed victory to Ben Curtis. At the 2005 PGA Championship, he was tied for the lead before finishing as runner-up to Phil Mickelson in a second-place tie with Steve Elkington.

Bjørn picked up his first European Tour win in four years and 10th of his career in 2010 at the Estoril Open de Portugal, winning with a score of 23-under-par, five better than Richard Green. He followed this with three more wins at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in February 2011, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in August 2011, winning in a five-man playoff on the fifth extra hole, birdieing the final three holes and the Omega European Masters in September 2011. In December 2013, Bjørn won the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.{{cite web|date=8 December 2013|title=Nedbank Challenge: Thomas Bjorn wins by two shots in Sun City|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/golf/25291927|access-date=11 December 2013|work=BBC Sport}} It was Bjørn's 14th career European Tour win.

Bjørn was a member of the winning European Ryder Cup teams in 1997, 2002 and 2014. He also captained the 2018 European Ryder Cup team, winning over the United States with 17½ points to 10½ at Le Golf National, Paris, France.

He made the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for one week in 2001 after a second-place finish at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.[http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/2007%20Stats/86TO0810.pdf 69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking]{{cite web|date=15 July 2001|title=Official World Golf Ranking – Week 28 – 2001|url=http://dps.endavadigital.net/owgr/doc/content/archive/2001/owgr28f.pdf}}

In 2005 and 2006, Bjørn sponsored the Thomas Bjørn Open, an event on the Challenge Tour played in his home country.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/4373339.stm |title=Bjorn to sponsor new Danish event |work=BBC Sport |date=22 March 2005 |access-date=6 August 2010}} In 2007, Bjørn was elected chairman of the European Tour's tournament committee. In May 2022, Bjørn was named vice-captain by Team Europe's captain Henrik Stenson for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.{{Cite news |date=2022-05-11 |title=Bjorn named Team Europe's vice captain for 2023 Ryder Cup |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/bjorn-named-team-europes-vice-captain-2023-ryder-cup-2022-05-11/ |access-date=2022-05-11}}

Bjørn's last name is sometimes written Björn or Bjorn outside Denmark. The Danish (and Norwegian) letter 'ø' represents approximately the same sound as 'ö' in German and Swedish. Literally translated, his surname means bear in Danish.

Bjørn has three children, Filippa and twins Oliver and Julia with his former wife Pernilla. Bjørn currently resides in London.{{cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=6207/bio/index.html |title=Bjorn player profile |publisher=PGA European Tour |access-date=7 September 2011}} Perth-born air stewardess Dagmara Leniartek had a five-year affair with Bjørn. Bjørn initially cut relations with Leniartek and denied he was the father of her daughter. However, Danish media reported a DNA test had subsequently proved Bjørn was the father of the child – a girl named Isabella.{{Cite news |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/perth-air-stewardess-caught-up-in-golfing-affair-scandal/news-story/b13ac4eeeb24fbd679bc1c3eeeff811a |title=WA hostie and the Danish golf star |work=Perth Now |first=Anthony |last=Deceglie |date=14 August 2010 |access-date=2 January 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/mamma-mia-barmy-dane-is-bjorn-again-8btswrn9jqb |title=Mamma mia! 'Barmy' Dane is Bjorn again |newspaper=The Times |first=Nick |last=Greenslade |date=21 September 2014 |access-date=2 January 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.seoghoer.dk/nyheder/jul-uden-far |title=Thomas Bjørns talentfulde datter: Jul uden far |language=da |first=Anders |last=Sundling |date=28 December 2015 |access-date=2 January 2018 |trans-title=Thomas Bjørns talented daughter: Christmas without father}}

Bjørn is a football fan and a keen follower of Liverpool F.C. Alongside football he also states his other interest to be movies.{{cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=6207/bio/index.html |title=Bjorn a supporter of Liverpool F.C. |publisher=PGA European Tour |access-date=7 September 2011}}

¹Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

²Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (3–2)

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (1–0)

Challenge Tour playoff record (1–0)

Other playoff record (1–1)

European Senior Tour playoff record (1–0)

File:Thomas Björn 02.jpg

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

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

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" = tied

• Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (1999 Open Championship – 2000 PGA)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2000 Open Championship – 2000 PGA)

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

CUT = missed the halfway cut

WD = withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results not in chronological order prior to 2015.

¹Cancelled due to 9/11

{{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

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

WD = Withdrew

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

"T" = Tied

NT = No tournament

Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Amateur

• Jacques Léglise Trophy (representing the Continent of Europe): 1988
• European Youths' Team Championship (representing Denmark): 1990{{cite magazine |date=September 1990 |title=Hemmaseger i JEM-rysare, Lag-EM Juniorer |trans-title=Home victory in exciting European Youth's Team Championship |url=http://www.e-magin.se/paper/j0btbf03/paper/1#/paper/8ssgg0nt/84 |magazine=Svensk Golf |language=sv |page=84 |number=9/1990 |accessdate=2023-01-01}}
• St Andrews Trophy (representing the Continent of Europe): 1990
• European Amateur Team Championship (representing Denmark): 1991
• Eisenhower Trophy (representing Denmark): 1992

Professional

• World Cup (representing Denmark): 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2013
• Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 1997 (winners), 2002 (winners), 2014 (winners), 2018 (non-playing captain) (winners)

• Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2000 (winners), 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 (non-playing captain), 2011, 2013 (winners)
• Royal Trophy (representing Europe): 2006 (winners)
• EurAsia Cup (representing Europe): 2014, 2018 (non-playing captain, winners)

• List of golfers with most European Tour wins

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

• {{EuroTour player|6207}}
• {{PGATour player|10944}}
• {{JapanTour player|10884}}
• {{OWGR|5725}}

{{Sir Henry Cotton Rookies of the Year}}

{{Navboxes|title=Thomas Bjørn in the Ryder Cup

|list1={{European Ryder Cup Captains}}

{{1997 European Ryder Cup team}}

{{2002 European Ryder Cup team}}

{{2014 European Ryder Cup team}}

{{2018 European Ryder Cup team}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjorn, Thomas}}

Category:Danish male golfers

Category:European Tour golfers

Category:Ryder Cup competitors for Europe

Category:Sportspeople from Silkeborg

Category:Golfers from Gothenburg

Category:1971 births

Category:Living people