Introduction
Robert Anthony May (born October 6, 1968) is an American professional golfer. He is most notable for losing to Tiger Woods in a three-hole playoff for the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Early life and amateur career
May was born on October 6, 1968. He attended Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, California, and was featured in the Faces in the Crowd section in Sports Illustrated at age 16 in 1984. He played college golf at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, and was a member of the American Walker Cup team in 1991 before turning professional later that year.
Professional career
May joined the PGA Tour in 1994. He did not win on the Tour, but he finished second three times, including a playoff loss to Tiger Woods at the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and most recently at the 2006 B.C. Open at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, where he lost by one to John Rollins. However he won the 1999 Victor Chandler British Masters on the European Tour. His career was curtailed by a back injury in 2003, and in 2006 he played the PGA Tour on a Major Medical Exemption. After the 2007 season, he lost his PGA Tour card. From 2008 through 2010, May played primarily on the Nationwide Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) along with some PGA Tour events. He lost his status on the minor-league tour after missing 15 of 25 cuts in 2010; he played in only eight tournaments in 2011 and just twice in 2012. May was in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for much of 2000 and 2001.
Professional wins (1)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Sep 1999 | Victor Chandler British Masters | −19 (69-67-66-67=269) | 1 stroke | Colin Montgomerie |
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 | PGA Championship | Tiger Woods | Lost three-hole aggregate playoff; Woods: −1 (3-4-5=12), May: E (4-4-5=13) |
Playoff record
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 | PGA Championship | Tiger Woods | Lost three-hole aggregate playoff; Woods: −1 (3-4-5=12), May: E (4-4-5=13) |
Ben Hogan Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | Ben Hogan Wichita Charity Classic | Jeff Woodland | Lost to birdie on sixth extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T43 | |||
| U.S. Open | T23 | T30 | ||
| The Open Championship | 74 | T11 | CUT | |
| PGA Championship | 2 | 73 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Results in The Players Championship
| Tournament | 2002 |
|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T36 |
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Play | R32 | ||
| Championship | T20 | T11 | NT |
| Invitational |
Canceled due to 9/11
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No Tournament
Results in senior major championships
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | NT | ||||
| Senior PGA Championship | T60 | NT | CUT | ||
| U.S. Senior Open | NT | T58 | CUT | ||
| Senior Players Championship | |||||
| Senior British Open Championship | T79 | NT |
"T" indicates a tie for a place
CUT = missed the halfway cut
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
U.S. national team appearances
Amateur
- Walker Cup: 1991 (winners)