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Ross Ian Thomas McGowan (born 23 April 1982) is an English professional golfer. He won the 2009 Madrid Masters on the European Tour.
Early life and amateur career
McGowan was born in Basildon, Essex, and grew up in Banstead, Surrey and educated at Epsom College. With the assistance of College Prospects of America, he went to university in the United States and played collegiate golf at the University of Tennessee. McGowan won the 2006 English Amateur, where he defeated Oliver Fisher in the final by the score of 5&4. Shortly after that he turned professional.
Professional career
McGowan led the 2007 Challenge Tour Rankings going into the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, thanks to two wins and three runner-up finishes during the year. Having finished in a tie for 28th place in the final event of the season, he dropped to second place on the money list, as Michael Lorenzo-Vera won the tournament and jumped to the top of the Challenge Tour's money list.
Courtesy of his final Challenge Tour Rankings position in 2007, McGowan graduated to the European Tour for the 2008 season. He moved into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings in January of that year, and in June played in his first major championship, the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. He made the halfway cut and eventually finished in 77th place.
McGowan won his first European Tour event in 2009 at the Madrid Masters, most notably for shooting 12 under par 60 in the third round. He finished at −25, winning by three strokes over Mikko Ilonen. McGowan finished second at the inaugural Dubai World Championship, and was ranked 12th in the Race to Dubai.
Following this McGowan suffered injuries and his form slumped.He lost his full playing rights at the end of the 2011 season. From 2012 to 2015 he played on the Challenge Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He showed a return to form in 2015, winning for the first time on the Sunshine Tour in April at the Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open, finishing two strokes ahead South African golfer Danie van Tonder. In May he was runner-up in the D+D Real Czech Challenge, a stroke behind Jens Fahrbring. At the end of the year he finished tied for 4th in the 2015 European Tour Qualifying School final stage at PGA Catalunya Resort to regain his European Tour card for 2016.
Amateur wins
- 2006 English Amateur
Professional wins (7)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Oct 2009 | Madrid Masters | −25 (66-66-60-71=263) | 3 strokes | Mikko Ilonen |
Sunshine Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 Apr 2015 | Mopani/Redpath Zambia Open | −13 (68-69-71-67=275) | 2 strokes | Danie van Tonder |
Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 | Lion of Africa Cape Town Open | Jaco Ahlers, Hennie Otto | Ahlers won with par on fourth extra hole Otto eliminated by par on first hole |
Challenge Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Jun 2007 | Oceânico Developments Pro-Am Challenge | −15 (66-63-69-67=265) | Playoff | Mike Lorenzo-Vera |
| 2 | 1 Jul 2007 | Estoril Challenge de Portugal | −12 (68-68-70-66=272) | 3 strokes | Stuart Manley |
| 3 | 26 May 2019 | D+D Real Czech Challenge | −18 (66-66-66-68=266) | 4 strokes | Ricardo Santos |
MENA Golf Tour wins (2)
- 2012 Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open
- 2015 Royal Golf Dar es Salaam Open
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | 77 | T40 | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | ||
| PGA Championship | 70 |
Note: McGowan never played in the Masters Tournament.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing England): 2006
- St Andrews Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2006 (winners)