Introduction
Christopher McClain Smith (born April 15, 1969) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Web.com Tour.
Early life
Smith was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, graduating from Rochester Community High School; during his sophomore season (1985), he was the Boys State High School Champion, in his senior season (1987), he finished as the state runner-up in the boys state golf championship. He was awarded the Fred Keesling Award following his high school career.
Amateur career
He attended Ohio State University, where he completed a successful collegiate career. He won seven individual titles, including the 1990 Big Ten Championship, the 1991 Robert Kepler Intercollegiate and 5 other events. He was a four-time All-Conference selection in the Big Ten from 1988 to 1991; his other Big Ten Awards include the 1988 Freshman of the Year, the 1990 Player of the Year and the 1990 Les Bolstad Award for lowest stroke average. He was named an All-America selection in 1990 as a junior (honorable mention) and in 1991 as a senior (first team). Smith won the Indiana State Amateur Championship in 1990 and competed in the Sun Bowl Golf Classic in 1990. He was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 2000.
Professional career
In 1997, Smith became the first golfer on the Nike Tour to immediately move up to the PGA Tour by way of the "battlefield promotion," which is awarded to a player who wins three tournaments in one Nike Tour season. He was named the Nike Tour Player of the Year in 1997 and also led the money list.
Smith has won one tournament on the PGA Tour, the 2002 Buick Classic. Smith struggled on the PGA Tour after the win. Smith's best result on the PGA Tour since his sole win in 2002 was when he finished 3rd place at the 2004 Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.
In 2013 Smith was inducted into the Indiana Golf Hall Of Fame and has been quite successful in the Indiana Golf Association.
Smith held a share of the 54-hole lead at the 2015 Puerto Rico Open, but stumbled with a final-round 73 to finish T10. It was his first PGA Tour top-10 in ten years.
In 2018, Smith collected several professional wins on the Indiana Tour becoming the Indiana PGA Player of the Year. He also won the 2020 Indiana PGA Championship.
Personal life
On June 21, 2009, Smith's wife was killed in an automobile accident. His two children were also critically injured.
Amateur wins
- 1985 IHSAA Boys State Championship
- 1985 Indiana (Boys) State Junior
- 1986 Indiana (Boys) State Junior
- 1988 Western Junior
- 1990 Indiana State Amateur, Big Ten Championship (individual)
- 1991 Robert Kepler Intercollegiate
- 1988-91 Six additional intercollegiate events
Professional wins (15)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 9, 2002 | Buick Classic | −12 (66-69-67-70=272) | 2 strokes | David Gossett, Pat Perez, Loren Roberts |
Nike Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 23, 1995 | Nike Gateway Classic | −13 (68-65-70=203)* | Playoff | Glen Hnatiuk |
| 2 | Aug 6, 1995 | Nike Dakota Dunes Open | −16 (70-69-66-67=272) | 1 stroke | Greg Hamilton, Clarence Rose |
| 3 | Jun 1, 1997 | Nike Upstate Classic | −21 (66-64-67-70=267) | 3 strokes | Terry Price |
| 4 | Aug 3, 1997 | Nike Dakota Dunes Open (2) | −20 (66-67-68-67=268) | 2 strokes | Glen Hnatiuk |
| 5 | Aug 10, 1997 | Nike Omaha Classic | −26 (63-65-64-66=258) | 11 strokes | Barry Cheesman |
Nike Tour playoff record (1–3)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995 | Nike Gateway Classic | Glen Hnatiuk | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1997 | Nike Wichita Open | Ben Bates, Jeff Brehaut, Carl Paulson | Bates won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2000 | Buy.com Richmond Open | Steve Runge | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2000 | Buy.com Dayton Open | Ian Leggatt | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Hooters Jordan Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 10, 1994 | Coca-Cola Classic | −20 (67-67-67-67=268) | 1 stroke | Bryan Gorman |
Other wins (8)
- 1990 Indiana Match Play
- 1992 Ohio Open
- 1994 Ohio Open
- 2018 Indianapolis Open, Monticello Open, Indiana Section Tournament Series, Southern Open
- 2020 Indiana PGA Championship
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T60 | T62 | CUT | CUT | CUT | |||
| The Open Championship | T75 | 71 | ||||||
| PGA Championship | T29 | T53 |
Note: Smith never played in the Masters Tournament.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Results in The Players Championship
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Match Play | |
| Championship | |
| Invitational | T55 |
"T" = Tied