Paul Azinger Biography

Professional golfer Paul Azinger spent almost 300 weeks among the top 10 in the world golf rankings between 1988 and 1994.  Since turning professional upon his graduation from Florida State University in 1981, Azinger has won 14 professional golf championships, including the 1993 PGA Championship.  In 1987, Azinger was named PGA Player of the Year, and he was a member of four Ryder Cup teams (1989, 1991, 1993 and 2002) as well as the 2000 Presidents Cup.

Azinger's career was interrupted in 1993 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in his right shoulder.  In 1995, he was the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America's Ben Hogan Award, given to the individual who has continued to be active in golf despite physical handicap or serious illness.  Azinger went on to win the 2000 Sony Open in Hawaii after overcoming cancer and was named PGA Comeback Player of the Year later that year.

Azinger served as captain of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team, leading the team to its first win over the Europeans in nearly a decade.  In Cracking the Code (Looking Glass Books, June 2010), he and co-author Dr. Ron Braund recount the never-before-told inside story of the system that helped mastermind America's Ryder Cup win.  Amid a riveting account of crucial holes during the grueling three-day event, the authors lay out the core principles - the code - of their innovative plan and for the first time reveal the inner workings and dynamics of the American team.  

"There's only so much you can do as a captain," said Azinger.  "My philosophy was to create the best environment for our team to be successful - to put them on the right side of that razor-thin line between winning and losing."

Today Azinger serves as a golf analyst for ESPN/ABC, where he will be in the broadcast booth in July for the British Open.  Azinger made his debut in February 2010 on the PGA's Champions Tour.  Author of Zinger (HarperCollins, 1995), the story of his fight against cancer, Azinger and his wife Toni live in Bradenton, Fla., and have two daughters, Josie Lynn and Sarah Jean, and a son-in-law, Tim.

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Broadcaster: Serves as a lead analyst for ESPN/ABC's golf coverage

Overcomer: Diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in his right shoulder in 1993 and underwent six months of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiation

Author: Cracking the Code (Looking Glass Books, 2010) and Zinger (HarperCollins, 1995)

Innovator: Launched Golf Plan®, new iPhone golf app that offers quick tips and drills as well as a GPS for 30,000 courses; uses new Bionic Glove, the only golf glove designed by a leading orthopedic hand surgeon