| Steve Melnyk | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Steven Nicholas Melnyk |
| Born | (1947-02-26)February 26, 1947 (age 78) Brunswick, Georgia, U.S. |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | University of Florida |
| Turned professional | 1971 (reinstated amateur ~2009) |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | T12: 1972 |
| PGA Championship | T17: 1975 |
| U.S. Open | T16: 1977 |
| The Open Championship | T41: 1970 |
Steven Nicholas Melnyk (born February 26, 1947) is an American formerprofessional golfer and golf sportscaster best known for his success as an amateur golfer. Melnyk won both theU.S. Amateur andBritish Amateur.
Melnyk was born inBrunswick, Georgia.[1] He attendedGlynn Academy in Brunswick for his high school education.[1] Melnyk won theGeorgia Open as an 18-year-old amateur golfer in 1965.[2]
Melnyk attended theUniversity of Florida inGainesville, Florida, where he played for coachBuster Bishop'sFlorida Gators men's golf team inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1967 to 1969.[3] He was a two-timeAll-American at Florida,[4] and was the number one golfer on the 1968 team that won their firstNCAA Division I Golf Championship.[3][5] Melnyk graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in industrial management in 1969.
Melnyk won the 1969U.S. Amateur atOakmont Country Club, shooting a 2-over-par 286 to beatVinny Giles by five shots at stroke play. He claimed theBritish Amateur with a 3 & 2 victory over fellow AmericanJim Simons atCarnoustie Golf Links in 1971. Melnyk also had wins at theWestern Amateur andEastern Amateur and played on the 1969 and 1971Walker Cup teams. He won the 1965Georgia Open as an amateur. He was low amateur in the 1970British Open (tie for 41st) and at the1971 Masters Tournament (tie for 24th).
In 1971, Melnyk turned professional after his British Amateur win and started playing on thePGA Tour. He did not find the success he had as an amateur carried over to his professional career. He never won a tournament on the PGA Tour but he did place second four times: the 1973Phoenix Open, 1974Houston Open, 1979First NBC New Orleans Open and 1981Pensacola Open. His best finish in amajor was a tie for 12th at the1972 Masters Tournament. He did win the 1972Masters Par 3 Contest.
At the 1982 Phoenix Open, Melnyk slipped and broke his right elbow. While recuperating from the injury, he became an on-course reporter forCBS Sports. He resumed playing later that year and both played and reported through the 1984 season when he retired from playing. He stayed with CBS until 1992, when joinedABC Sports. He retired from television in 2004, after 22 years as a reporter and analyst for CBS Sports, ABC Sports and ESPN. He has also designed or co-designed several golf courses.[6]
In the late 2000s, Melnyk retired from professional golf and broadcasting but has regained his amateur golfer status and continues to play.[7] He remains actively involved as a University of Florida alumnus and serving a ten-year stint on the board of directors of the Gators athletic boosters, including a term as its president.[7]
He lives inJacksonville, Florida.[7]
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 43 | T24LA | T12 | T34 | 51 | |||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T35 | T29 | CUT | T16 | T35 | CUT | |||
| The Open Championship | T41LA | T49 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | T17 | T44 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |||
| U.S. Open | T53 | ||
| The Open Championship | |||
| PGA Championship | CUT |
LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Amateur
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
