SPORTS DAVIS LOVE III
G
rand gentleman top winner
Born in North Carolina and a graduate of Glynn Academy, Sea Island touring pro Davis Love III first made a name for himself in golf as a collegian in the 1980s. Today, his name resonates not only in the Golden Isles, where he lives on St. Simons Island, but throughout golf. A three-time All-American at the University of North Carolina, Love won six collegiate titles, including the 1984 Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship. He turned pro in 1985 and won his first PGA Tour title in 1987, at the MCI Heritage Classic on Hilton Head Island, S.C. He captured his one major tournament title at the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot, in New York. In November 2008, Love notched his 20th career PGA Tour title, winning the Children’s Miracle Network Classic after closing
with back-to-back rounds of 64 to finish 25 under par. He was the captain of the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup team, which pairs America’s best golfers against Europe’s best, and in February received the 2013 Bob Jones Award of the United States Golf Association, that body’s highest honor. Now in his third decade of playing professionally, his 20 career victories is a number few golfers reach, and one that gives him a lifetime exemption for qualifying for PGA Tour events. Considered one of golf’s grander gentlemen, Love is one of the most respected players on the PGA Tour. His name and reputation played a key role in the Golden Isles earning a stop on the PGA Tour, the McGladrey Classic, played annually in the fall since 2010. – Dave Jordan
The Brunswick News / Saturday, March 23, 2013 33