Stephen Ames
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Stephen Ames (born April 28, 1964 in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago) is a golfer on the PGA TOUR holding dual citizenship of Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. Ames is of Portuguese/English descent, and much of his family still resides in the Caribbean nation.
Ames' golfing talent developed early in life, assisted by support and discipline from his father, Michael. In his Hoerman Cup debut at the age of 16 in 1980, he smashed the course record at Sandy Lane, Barbados, with a six-under-par total of 66.
Ames won his first professional tournament (the Pensacola Open) in 1991 on the Ben Hogan Tour. In France, he won the Lyon Open in 1993 on the Volvo European Tour and in 1996 in England, Ames captured the title in the Benson & Hedges tournament that year.
Ames, found a new level in his game in 2004. Until this year his main claim to fame in the US had been his runner up placing to Craig Perks at the 2002 Players Championship, however Stephen enjoyed his first PGA tour victory in July 2004 winning the Cialis Western Open among a field that included many of the best professionals in the world, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Davis Love III. [1] (http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r028)
This win, along with subsequent performances, propelled Stephen in the world golf rankings, and in August 2004 he held 18th place in the overall world ranking (according to official stats posted to officialworldgolfranking.com).
Sadly, despite these achievements, Stephen has never received the sportsman of the year award in Trinidad and Tobago. [2] (http://www.witco-sports.com/sportspersonframe.htm) He was, however, awarded the Chaconia Medal (Gold), the nation's second highest honour, in 2004.
Not so much that he had not been performing, but more to the fact he has been up against other competition and also that the judges do not choose to appreciate the game of golf, or recognize Stephen's achievements in this particular public forum.
One comparison is in order: While Ato Boldon, who won Trinidad and Tobago two Olympic bronze medals in 1996, was voted sportsman of the year, Tiger Woods, who won three amateur tournaments in the USA, and was about to turn professional, was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year over Michael Johnson, gold medallist in the 200 metres ahead of Ato and gold medallist in the 400 metres in world record time, at the Atlanta Olympics. In 1996, Tiger Woods held a world golf ranking of 33: [3] (http://www.pgatour.com/stats/1996/r_186.html)
PGA Tour victories
- 2004 - Cialis Western Open
External links
- Biography from the National Library and Information System Authority of Trinidad and Tobago [4] (http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bio_StephenAmes.html)[5] (http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/StephenAmes2.htm)
- Golf Stars Online (http://www.golfstarsonline.com/A/Stephen_Ames/) - profiles and features