PGA tour player of the year 1993 and '94, Zimbabwean golfer Nick Price is a man whose "great talent and undying search for perfection have brought great rewards, and it is no mean accomplishment when his peers say he is one of the best ballstrikers of all time" - David Leadbetter
Out of Africa
Nick was born in Durban, South Africa on 28 Janury 1957. In 1961 he moved to Rhodesia, the country where he would discover golf.
Growing up with the usual British colonial fare of school-boy sports such as cricket, soccer, swimming, field hockey and rugby, an eight year old Nick was "fascinated at this amazing array of utensils in a canvas bag full of holes" that his brother had bought from a pawn shop. After putting enough divots in their own garden, the boys snuck out to the holes farthest from the Sherwood Golf Club-house to play a few holes without being seen. Nick, being the little brother, was the designated caddie, but of course had to have a go himself, "...it was at the monstrous 340-yard par-four fourteenth hole that [he] took [his] first swing at a ball."
Raw Talent
After this first glimpse, he played hard with his friends across the fairways of Warren Hills, Sherwood, Royal, Wingate and Chapman golf-courses, develping his talents in the sheltered environment of Southern Africa.
School holidays were a time for medal competitions, one every day of the week, with running junior
handicaps calculated after every game. Each competition was held at a different golf course and lovingly organised by their mothers. Then bigger championships beckoned, Mashonaland and beyond.
This interest in golf was a concern for his headmaster at Prince Edward School. The man even went so far as not to release him from school to attend the World Junior because there was no future in golf.
Nonetheless, at seventeen, he flew off (with his mom) to California and ended up winning the 1974 Junior Title.(no comment about the headmaster's judgement)
After his national service in the airforce, Nick headed straight into golf.
In 1982, Nick made the world sit up and take notice when he led the British open by four or five strokes. Unfortunately he let it slip in the last few holes. Winning this event could have ignited his career.
Persistence! Persistence! Persistence!
This was, and still is, Nick's guiding principle. He writes the three words, complete with exclamation marks, in the back of each diary he owns.
The need to improve his game, in particularly his swing, led Nick to entreat the aid of David Leadbetter. Consistent hard work with David's guidance developed Nick's game over the next decade to a world beating level.
Fruits of Labour
Nick's hard work has definitely paid off. He has enjoyed thirty-two tournament wins in Africa, Europe, Asia and America.
The Players Golfing Association (PGA) have recognised his achievements, naming him the PGA player of the year in 1993 and '94.
He has finished first on the PGA tour 19 times and is ranked T97th [(tied for 97th)] in putting average on the PGA Tour. - PGAtour.com
For a full list of Nick's achievements, see his impressive bio on : http://www.golfweb.com/players/00/19/68/bio.html.
Values
First and foremost, Nick has proven to be a man of values, both on and off the green.
Nick Was the first recipient, in 2002, of the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award, given to a professional player for his cooperation, quotability and accommodation to the media, and for reflecting the most positive aspects of the working relationship between athlete and journalist" - USopen.com
Nick is an undisputed family man. Over the years, he has received great support from his wife, Sue and children Gregory (8/9/91), Robyn Frances (8/5/93), Kimberly Rae (9/9/96). They are very dear to him and have always taken top priority in his life. He even pulled out of the latest PGA Championship because he wanted to extend a family holiday.
Nick is truly a gentleman of the game and is an ambassador for the sport, in the words of Greg Norman,
"a man who is loved and respected by all in the golfing community".
References
- PGAtour.com/golfweb.com (interwoven sites)
- USopen.com
- The Swing - Nick Price- 1997
- Living memory
Noded as part of
an Everything Quest.