| San Diego's Homegrown Golfers |
We all know San Diego County is home to some great golf courses - 92 and counting, in fact. But did you know that San Diego is also known for its homegrown and resident golfing talent? Yep. And the list of past and present golfers is like a who's who of PGA and LPGA golf royalty.
From past greats like Mickey Wright, Gene Littler and Billy Casper to present-day stars Phil Mickelson, Chris Riley and Pat Perez, San Diego's favorable golfing climate has cultivated an impressive crop of professional golfers. Not only do we mean climate in terms of weather, but also the climate of exposure to the sport because of the presence of San Diego's renown Junior Golf program, from which Mickelson and others learned to love the game. Heck, we might even kinda sorta claim Tiger Woods as one of our own. Though he hailed from Cypress, a couple hours north of here, his presence was felt so often during his years on the junior circuit that he might as well be a San Diegan. His affinity for the area is reflected in his presence each year at the Buick Invitational played at Torrey Pines.
Here's a list of some well-known professional golfers who grew up, live or formerly resided in San Diego for a period while making their mark on their respective circuits (PGA & LPGA):
- Mickey Wright
- Gene Littler
- Billy Casper
- Craig Stadler
- Phil Mickelson
- Dennis Paulson
- Chris Riley
- Mark O'Meara
- Leta Lindley
- Lenny Clements
- Pat Perez
For more about PGA Tour players
For more about LPGA Tour players
~ Inigo Figuracion
