Mark Calcavecchia
Mark Calcavecchia has been the most successful Nebraska born golfer on the PGA Tour, winning 13 tournaments including the 1989 Open Championship, and has won twice on the Champions Tour.
The Laurel native was born to Jorn and Marjorie Calcavecchia. John Calcavecchia, an insurance agent who was manager of the town’s bowling center, joined others in building Cedar View Country Club so they wouldn’t have to travel 15 miles to Wayne to play golf. Mark started playing when he was 8 and he was playing 36 to 45 holes a day at Cedar View before the family moved to Florida because of his father’s health.
Mark’s amateur career began by winning the Florida Junior and Orange Bowl Junior titles. He lettered from 1978 to 1980 at the University of Florida, where he was All-SEC in 1980. He turned pro in 1981 and made the PGA Tour in 1982, winning for the first time in 1986. In 1989 he defeated Australians Wayne Grady and Greg Norman in the four-hole aggregate playoff at the Open Championship.
He has played for the United States in four Ryder Cups and one Presidents Cup. He has won more than $30 million on the PGA and Champions Tours. His favorite course is Sand Hills.
