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Nick Price Biography Quotes 3 Report mistakes

3 Quotes
Occup.Athlete
FromZimbabwe
BornJanuary 28, 1957
Durban, South Africa
Age68 years
Early Life and Background
Nick Price was born in 1957 in Durban, South Africa, and raised in Rhodesia, the country that later became Zimbabwe. Growing up in and around Salisbury (now Harare), he found the game early and showed the kind of repeatable rhythm and focus that would define his career. Like many young men of his generation in Rhodesia, he completed national service, an interlude that delayed but did not deter his professional ambitions. The international mix of cultures around him, plus the competitive camaraderie with fellow Zimbabwean talents such as Mark McNulty, Tony Johnstone, and Denis Watson, shaped both his identity and his game. That group, supported by the sharp eye of coach David Leadbetter, gave southern African golf a distinctive stamp in the 1970s and 1980s.

Turning Professional and Early Contention
Price turned professional in 1977 and steadily earned his place on circuits in Europe and the United States. His powerful, compact swing and smooth tempo traveled well, and by 1982 he had announced himself to a worldwide audience at The Open Championship at Royal Troon. There he held a three-shot 54-hole lead before Tom Watson surged past on the final day. The narrow loss, with legends such as Watson and Seve Ballesteros in the frame, stung but also confirmed that the quiet young professional from Zimbabwe belonged at the top echelon of the sport. The following seasons brought wins and near-misses; the promise was unmistakable, but consistency at the very highest level still lay ahead.

Rebuilding and Rise
In the mid-1980s Price confronted the kind of technical and confidence challenges that test even the most gifted players. He re-committed to fundamentals, working closely with David Leadbetter to refine a motion that matched his natural rhythm. That partnership, along with his relentless work ethic, helped him turn from a contender into a closer. He gained a reputation for calm decision-making and a brisk pace of play, a combination that unnerved opponents and delighted fans. He also formed bonds with caddies who understood his no-nonsense approach, notably Mike "Squeaky" Medlin, whose presence on the bag during Price's rise became part of golf lore.

Breakthrough and Major Championships
A defining episode unfolded in 1991 when Price withdrew from the PGA Championship to be with his wife, Sue, for the birth of their child. His caddie, Squeaky Medlin, picked up John Daly's bag, and Daly, a late alternate, won. One year later, Price returned to that major and captured the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive, an emphatic answer to the what-ifs of the previous summer.

The early 1990s became his era. He won The Players Championship in 1993, then ascended to a sustained peak in 1994. That year he captured The Open Championship at Turnberry, holing clutch putts down the stretch to outlast Jesper Parnevik, and followed it with a commanding victory at the PGA Championship. By late 1994 he was ranked world No. 1, a position he held for much of the next year, amid head-to-head battles with contemporaries like Greg Norman and Nick Faldo. His play was so complete that he swept the PGA Tour's top honors, including Player of the Year and the season money title in both 1993 and 1994.

Team Competitions and Leadership
Price represented Zimbabwe with pride in international team events, partnering at various times with compatriots such as McNulty and Johnstone in competitions that showcased the country's surprising depth in elite golf. When the Presidents Cup was created, he became a cornerstone of the International Team in the 1990s, including the memorable 1998 victory under captain Peter Thomson. Years later he returned as captain himself, leading the International side in 2013, 2015, and 2017 against United States teams captained by Fred Couples, Jay Haas, and Steve Stricker. His captaincies reflected his reputation as a thoughtful strategist and a mentor who balanced competitive fire with fairness.

Playing Style and Competitive Traits
Price's swing, often described as compact and beautifully sequenced, generated effortless power and a penetrating flight under pressure. He favored decisive course management and kept an unhurried mind even as he maintained a brisk physical tempo. Those habits produced one of the most consistent stretches of golf in modern history during his 1993, 1994 prime. He was known among peers for sportsmanship and straight talk, traits that endeared him to players, caddies, and officials alike.

Later Career and Course Design
After his peak, Price remained competitive, winning across multiple tours and later moving into the senior ranks, where his desire to compete never dulled. He also expanded into course design, applying the same clarity of thought that shaped his game to routing, strategy, and playability. His work emphasized thoughtful angles, fairness off the tee, and green complexes that reward imagination, sensibilities shaped by decades of testing himself on the world's great courses.

Personal Life
Family anchored Price's choices. The decision to step away from the 1991 PGA Championship to be with Sue became one of the most human moments in golf's modern era, linking him to one of the sport's famous stories while underscoring his priorities. He later made his home in the United States while maintaining close ties to Zimbabwe and to the southern African golf community that nurtured him. Friends and colleagues frequently pointed to his humility and steadiness away from the spotlight as qualities equal to his competitive brilliance.

Honors and Legacy
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003, Price is widely regarded as one of Africa's greatest golfers and one of the finest players of the 1990s. His career arc, from a young talent shaped by Rhodesian fairways, to a rebuilding pro mastering the game's mechanics, to a dominant world No. 1 and respected team captain, presents a model of persistence and excellence. The people around him, family, coach David Leadbetter, caddie Squeaky Medlin, compatriots Mark McNulty, Tony Johnstone, and Denis Watson, and rivals such as Tom Watson, Greg Norman, and Nick Faldo, helped define the stages of his journey. Through victories, leadership, and example, Nick Price left an enduring imprint on global golf and on the generations who followed him.

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