Martin Wiegele

Martin Wiegele
Personal information
Born (1978-07-11) 11 July 1978 (age 46)
Graz, Austria
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Sporting nationality Austria
ResidenceGraz, Austria
SpouseClaudia Wiegele
Career
Turned professional2003
Current tour(s)Challenge Tour
Former tour(s)European Tour
Professional wins5
Number of wins by tour
European Tour1
Challenge Tour4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipT70: 2008

Martin Wiegele (born 11 July 1978) is an Austrian professional golfer.

Wiegele was born in Graz. He turned professional in 2003 when he joined the second tier Challenge Tour. He enjoyed some success during his first season finishing fourth on the end of season rankings to graduate to the top level European Tour for 2004. He almost won his first European Tour event he ever played, losing a playoff against Marcus Fraser in the 2003 BMW Russian Open. He could not keep his European Tour card and had to go back to the Challenge Tour. He struggled for form during the next few seasons due to massive swing changes, before picking up his first big victory at the 2007 Lexus Open. He went on to be medalist at the European Tour Qualifying School at the end of the season to regain his place at the top level.

Having finished 142nd on the Order of Merit in 2008, Wiegele returned to the Challenge Tour in 2009. He picked up his second tournament victory on the Challenge Tour in 2010 at the Kärnten Golf Open, before winning his first European Tour title at the Saint-Omer Open two weeks later which gave him a one-year exemption on the main tour. He gained his Tour card for the 2012 season by finishing 83rd in the 2011 Race to Dubai, a season in which he finished tied for third in the Barclays Scottish Open.[1]

Wiegele missed most of the 2012 season becaused of two hip surgeries, and lost his full playing rights on the European Tour after his 2013 season. Hip problems and poor form since has kept him outside the world top-1000 most of the time from 2013 to early 2017. In June 2017, he was a surprise winner of the KPMG Trophy, his best performance since 2011.

Because of his ongoing hip injury, he received a total hip replacement in early 2018.

  1. ^ "Martin Wiegele wins Saint-Omer Open to take first European Tour title". The Guardian. Associated Press. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.