Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel
Personal information
Full name	William John Horschel
Nickname	Baton Boy, Town Crier
Born	December 7, 1986 (age 37); Grant, Florida
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Residence	Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Spouse	Brittany Nelson (m. 2010)
Children	3
Career
College	University of Florida
Turned professional	2009
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour; European Tour
Former tour(s)	eGolf Professional Tour
Professional wins	11
Highest ranking	11 (June 5, 2022); (as of November 17, 2024)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	8
European Tour	3
Other	1
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	T17: 2016
PGA Championship	T8: 2024
U.S. Open	T4: 2013
The Open Championship	T2: 2024
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour; FedEx Cup winner
PGA Tour; FedEx Cup winner	2014

William John Horschel (born December 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.

Early years and amateur career

Horschel was born and raised in Grant, Florida. He attended Bayside High School in neighboring Palm Bay.

Horschel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 2006 to 2009.^[3] He was a four-time All-American, including three first-team honors, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) player of the year in 2007 and 2009.^[3] He was a 2008 PING southeast all-region selection. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2009. He represented the United States at the Palmer Cup on two occasions in 2007 and 2008 gaining 4.5 points. He posted a 3–1 record for the victorious 2007 Walker Cup team.

Horschel won the individual medalist honors at the 2006 U.S. Amateur, shooting a two-day score of 138 (60-78, −5) at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. His opening round of 60 was an 18–hole tournament and USGA record. He failed to make it past the third round of match play. He also played in the 2006 U.S. Open, but he missed the cut.

Professional career

Horschel turned professional in 2009. In December 2009, he gained a 2010 PGA Tour card through qualifying school.^[4] A wrist injury limited Horschel to four PGA Tour events that year, and he did not make the cut in any of them.

In December 2010, he regained his Tour card through qualifying school to back up his medical extension should he fail to earn enough to secure his Tour Card. In February 2011, he made the cut at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, his first in eleven PGA Tour starts, finishing T13. Horschel finished the season 140th on the money list, granting him conditional status for 2012.^[5]

Horschel finished third at the 2012 True South Classic, but only finished 147th on the 2012 money list. Horschel's best finish on the Web.com Tour is a 4th at the 2012 Stadion Classic at UGA.

After his third successful attempt in four trips to Q School, he earned his PGA Tour Card for 2013. He began his season making the cut in every tournament he entered. He had three consecutive top-10 finishes before his breakthrough win at the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in his 61st PGA Tour start. Horschel made six consecutive birdies in the fourth round and won by one stroke over D. A. Points. The win moved Horschel to third in the FedEx Cup standings, third on the PGA Tour money list, and 49th in the Official World Golf Ranking. It earned him entry to the 2013 PGA Championship, the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, The Players Championship, and the 2014 Masters Tournament. His world ranking also earned him entry into the U.S. Open. By the end of April 2013, Horschel led the PGA Tour in consecutive cuts made with twenty-three, dating from the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June 2012. That streak ended when he missed the cut at The Players Championship, the tournament he played in after his win.^[6]

In the 2013 U.S. Open, Horschel held the joint lead with Phil Mickelson, at the halfway stage of the tournament. Playing in his first major as a professional, he was one of only two players under par after the second round, hitting all 18 of Merion's greens in regulation. He shot rounds of 72–74 over the weekend to finish at five-over-par for the tournament and four strokes behind eventual winner Justin Rose. Horschel finished T4 in his first major as a professional and moved up to 34th in the world rankings and 4th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Horschel earned his second win at the 2014 BMW Championship and moved to 23rd in the world rankings. The next week, he won The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club and with it the FedEx Cup.^[7] The win also moved Horschel to 14th in the OWGR.

Two days after winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup, Horschel became a father for the first time.^[8]

In May 2017, Horschel won the AT&T Byron Nelson in a playoff over Jason Day.^[6]

In April 2018, Horschel won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Scott Piercy.^[6]

In March 2021, Horschel won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play defeating Scottie Scheffler 2 & 1 in the final. This was his first World Golf Championship victory.^[9] In September later that year, he won the BMW PGA Championship by shooting a final-round 65. It was his second European Tour victory.^[10]

In June 2022, Horschel won Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, his seventh PGA Tour title.^[11]

In September 2022, Horschel was selected for the U.S. team in the 2022 Presidents Cup; he won one and lost two of the three matches he played.^[12]

In September 2024, Horschel became the first American golfer to win the BMW PGA Championship twice when he made an eagle putt to beat Rory McIlroy in a playoff.^[13]

Personal life

Horschel met Brittany Nelson when both were golfers at the University of Florida. They were married in 2010 and have three children.^[14] Horschel is also a supporter of West Ham United F.C.^[15]

Professional wins (11)

PGA Tour wins (8)

Legend
World Golf Championships (1)
FedEx Cup playoff events (2)
Other PGA Tour (5)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Apr 28, 2013	Zurich Classic of New Orleans	67-71-66-64=268	−20	1 stroke	D. A. Points
2	Sep 7, 2014	BMW Championship	68-66-63-69=266	−14	2 strokes	Bubba Watson
3	Sep 14, 2014	Tour Championship	66-66-69-68=269	−11	3 strokes	Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy
4	May 21, 2017	AT&T Byron Nelson	68-65-66-69=268	−12	Playoff	Jason Day
5	Apr 29, 2018	Zurich Classic of New Orleans (2) (with Scott Piercy)	65-73-61-67=266	−22	1 stroke	Jason Dufner and Pat Perez
6	Mar 28, 2021	WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play	2 and 1			Scottie Scheffler
7	Jun 5, 2022	Memorial Tournament	70-68-65-72=275	−13	4 strokes	Aaron Wise
8	Apr 21, 2024	Corales Puntacana Championship	67-69-66-63=265	−23	2 strokes	Wesley Bryan

PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2016	RSM Classic	Blayne Barber, Mackenzie Hughes, Henrik Norlander, Camilo Villegas	Hughes won with par on third extra hole Horschel eliminated by par on first hole
2	2017	AT&T Byron Nelson	Jason Day	Won with par on first extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

Legend
World Golf Championships (1)
Flagship events (1)
Rolex Series (2)
Other European Tour (0)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Mar 28, 2021	WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play	2 and 1			Scottie Scheffler
2	Sep 12, 2021	BMW PGA Championship	70-65-69-65=269	−19	1 stroke	Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Laurie Canter, Jamie Donaldson
3	Sep 22, 2024	BMW PGA Championship (2)	67-69-65-67=268	−20	Playoff	Thriston Lawrence, Rory McIlroy

The 2021 BMW PGA Championship was also a Rolex Series tournament.

European Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	2024	BMW PGA Championship	Thriston Lawrence, Rory McIlroy	Won with eagle on second extra hole Lawrence eliminated by birdie on first hole

eGolf Professional Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Aug 8, 2009	Columbia Championship	68-65-66-69=267	−17	3 strokes	Dane Burkhart

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament	2006	2007	2008	2009
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open	CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

Tournament	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Masters Tournament		T37	CUT	T17		CUT
U.S. Open	T4	T23	T25	T32	CUT
The Open Championship	CUT	CUT	T30	CUT	CUT
PGA Championship	CUT	T58	T25	T79	T48	T35

Tournament	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Masters Tournament	T56	T38	T50	43	52
PGA Championship	T23	T43	T23	68	CUT	T8
U.S. Open	T32	T38	CUT	CUT	T43	T41
The Open Championship	CUT	NT	T53	T21	CUT	T2

Top 10

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Tournament	2nd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	1	9	7
PGA Championship	0	0	1	4	12	10
U.S. Open	0	1	1	3	12	8
The Open Championship	1	1	1	2	10	4
Totals	1	2	3	10	43	29

Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times, current)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
The Players Championship	CUT	T26	T13	T28	CUT	T37	T26	C	T58	WD	CUT	CUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
WD = withdrew
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

World Golf Championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
2021	WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play	n/a	2 and 1		Scottie Scheffler

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Championship		T50	T46	41			T45	T9	T2
Match Play		R32	T17	T38			T24	NT¹	1	R16	R16
Invitational	T44		T33		T74		T9	T25	T17
Champions	T35	T73				T11	T24	NT¹	NT¹	NT¹

¹Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Win