Introduction
Stephen John Leaney (born 10 March 1969) is a professional golfer from Australia.
Born in Busselton, Western Australia, Leaney turned professional in 1992 and won several tournaments in Australia in the 1990s, despite having two ribs cut removed in December 1993 after doctors diagnosed a blood clot in his shoulder. Between 1998 and 2003 he made the top 15 on the European Tour Order of Merit three times and won four European Tour events. Since 2004 he has played mainly on the based PGA Tour, but he has performed only moderately. His best finish in the United States remains a second place at the U.S. Open in 2003. He has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Leaney has represented his country several times as an amateur and a professional and was a member of the International Team at the 2003 Presidents Cup.
Amateur wins (2)
- 1992 (2) Malaysian Amateur Championship, Lake Macquarie Amateur
Professional wins (13)
European Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 Mar 1998 | Moroccan Open | −17 (68-67-69-67=271) | 8 strokes |  Robert Karlsson |
| 2 | 26 Jul 1998 | TNT Dutch Open | −18 (66-63-70-67=266) | 1 stroke |  Darren Clarke |
| 3 | 30 Jul 2000 | TNT Dutch Open | −19 (66-70-65-68=269) | 4 strokes |  Bernhard Langer |
| 4 | 15 Sep 2002 | Linde German Masters | −22 (64-69-66-67=266) | 3 strokes | Alex Čejka |
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002 | Carlsberg Malaysian Open |  Alastair Forsyth | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (7)
- 1991 (1) Western Australian Open (as an amateur)
- 1994 (1) Western Australian Open
- 1995 (1) Victorian Open
- 1997 (3) Victorian Open, Western Australian Open, Western Australia PGA Championship
- 1998 (1) ANZ Players Championship
Other wins
- 2002 Western Australian Open
- 2004 Western Australian Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | 68 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T17 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 | T40 | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T37 | T65 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | CUT | DNP | CUT |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Totals | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 6 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 3 (2002 Open Championship – 2003 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Australia): 1992
Professional
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Australia): 1999, 2000
- Presidents Cup (International Team): 2003 (tie)
- World Cup (representing Australia): 2003, 2004