Thomas Aiken

Thomas Aiken
Thomas Aiken
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Edward Aiken
Born	16 July 1983 (age 41); Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationality	South Africa
Residence	Johannesburg, South Africa; Tequesta, Florida
Career
Turned professional	2002
Current tour(s)	European Tour; Sunshine Tour; Web.com Tour
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	11
Highest ranking	73 (8 May 2011)
Number of wins by tour
European Tour	3
Asian Tour	1
Sunshine Tour	8
Other	1
Best results in major championships;
Masters Tournament	DNP
PGA Championship	CUT: 2011, 2012
U.S. Open	T25: 2015
The Open Championship	T7: 2012
Achievements and awards
Sunshine Tour; Order of Merit winner
Sunshine Tour; Order of Merit winner	2014

Thomas Edward Aiken (born 16 July 1983) is a South African professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Career

Following a successful amateur career, which included being named the South African Amateur of the Year in 2001, Aiken turned professional at the start of 2002. In 2004, he won three times on the Sunshine Tour's Winter Swing. The following year, he topped the money list on the Winter Swing with two further victories.

In 2007, Aiken competed on the Nationwide Tour, but made only three cuts, with a best finish of tied 13th in the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He gained his European Tour card for 2008 through the qualifying school, and went on to finish 131st in the money list, with a best of tied 13th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his only finish inside the top-30.

The 2009 season saw Aiken register his maiden top-10 finish on the European Tour, with a tied 4th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, having led going into the final day after a course record 61 in the third round.^[2] That, along with several other top-10 finishes, including a win in the Platinum Classic, meant Aiken ended the 2008 Sunshine Tour in third place on the Order of Merit.

A number of top-10 finishes on the European Tour in 2009, including one each in the majors and the World Golf Championships, helped Aiken reach the Dubai World Championship despite holding only partial status on the tour. He finished the season ranked 46th on the Race to Dubai.

In May 2011, Aiken won his first title on the European Tour at the Open de España, winning by two strokes from Anders Hansen. After winning Aiken dedicated the win to home hero Seve Ballesteros who had died the previous day. "I definitely want to dedicate this win to him with it being his home Open and what he gave to his home fans and to golf," said Aiken.^[3]

Aiken picked up his second European Tour win at the 2013 Avantha Masters, a tournament co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.^[4]

In 2014, Aiken won the Sunshine Tour's Order of Merit, overtaking Daniel van Tonder in the final tournament.^[5]

Aiken has participated several times in the Gary Player Invitational charity tournament.

Professional wins (11)

European Tour wins (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	8 May 2011	Open de España	−10 (68-68-72-70=278)	2 strokes	Anders Hansen
2	17 Mar 2013	Avantha Masters¹	−23 (67-69-62-67=265)	3 strokes	Gaganjeet Bhullar
3	16 Feb 2014	Africa Open²	−20 (66-65-66-67=264)	Playoff	Oliver Fisher

¹Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
²Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2014	Africa Open	Oliver Fisher	Won with birdie on first extra hole
2	2018	Nordea Masters	Paul Waring	Lost to par on first extra hole

Sunshine Tour wins (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	2 Jul 2004	Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zimbali	−12 (66-72-66=204)	Playoff	Keith Horne
2	23 Jul 2004	Vodacom Origins of Golf (2) at Sun City	−12 (67-66-71=204)	3 strokes	Des Terblanche
3	21 Oct 2004	Vodacom Origins of Golf Final (3)	−5 (68-73-73=214)	7 strokes	Jean Hugo
4	2 Sep 2005	Telkom PGA Pro-Am	−15 (68-66-67=201)	6 strokes	Henk Alberts
5	15 Oct 2005	MTC Namibia PGA Championship	−15 (64-67-67=198)	4 strokes	Michiel Bothma, Sean Farrell, Werner Geyer, Keith Horne
6	6 May 2006	Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open	59 pts (8-24-9-18=59)	9 points	Steve Basson
7	1 Nov 2008	Platinum Classic	−19 (65-68-64=197)	5 strokes	Desvonde Botes, Nic Henning, Keith Horne
8	16 Feb 2014	Africa Open¹	−20 (66-65-66-67=264)	Playoff	Oliver Fisher

¹Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Sunshine Tour playoff record (2–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	2004	Vodacom Origins of Golf at Zimbali	Keith Horne	Won with par on first extra hole
2	2014	Africa Open	Oliver Fisher	Won with birdie on first extra hole

PGA EuroPro Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	3 Jul 2003	Stoke by Nayland Club Championship	−14 (68-67-67=202)	Playoff	Ian Keenan

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament	2006	2008	2009
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship	CUT	T39	T8
PGA Championship

Tournament	2010	2011	2012	2013	2015	2016	2017
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open					T25	CUT	T58
The Open Championship	T74	CUT	T7	CUT	80
PGA Championship		CUT	CUT

Tournament	2020	2021
Masters Tournament
PGA Championship
U.S. Open		CUT
The Open Championship	NT

Top 10

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied for place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Tournament	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	0	0	0	0
U.S. Open	0	1	4	2
The Open Championship	2	2	8	5
PGA Championship	0	0	2	0
Totals	2	3	14	7

Most consecutive cuts made – 3 (2008 Open Championship – 2010 Open Championship)
Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

Results in World Golf Championships

Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament	2009	2011	2012	2015
Championship	T7	T35		T23
Match Play
Invitational
Champions	T68	70	T28	T54