Chris Wood

Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Weight: 189 lb (86 kg; 13.5 st)

Birthday: 26 November 1987

College: –

Year turned pro: 2008

Birthplace: Bristol, England

Country: England

Sponsor: –

Born in Bristol, England in 1987, Wood originally had an ambition to play soccer professionally, at Bradford City, before a knee injury forced him to concentrate on his other sporting love of golf. Wood was already a skilled golfer, having joined Long Ashton Golf Club, near his Bristol home, when he was just nine years old. By the time he was twelve Wood had a handicap that was in single figures.

Wood’s first bigger win as an amateur came at the Welsh Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Conwy, in 2008. The same year, Wood was big news when he started the Open Championship, with his father as his caddy. There was much speculation that he would become the first amateur to win at the event since Bobby Jones. In the end Wood actually finished in joint fifth place. This was still an impressive performance, and Wood won the silver medal, as the best amateur in the competition.

The Open Championship success persuaded Wood to turn professional and he gained his card for the European Tour by finishing in a tie for 5th place at qualifying school. Wood’s first season on the European Tour was a relatively successful one. He made the cut in 13 out of 17 events, and he was in contention to win the 2009 Open Championship. He needed a birdie on the last hole to win, but ended with a bogie and tied for third place. As a result of his impressive performance Wood was named rookie of year for the European Tour. His finish at the Open Championship also meant that he won a spot at the 2010 Masters Tournament, although he didn’t make the cut. 

In 2012, Wood won his first tournament, the Thailand Open on the OneAsia Tour. The following year he achieved his first win on the European Tour, at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

As of the end of 2014, Wood had yet to achieve a PGA Tour win, but had amassed total prize money of $551,778.