Davis Milton Love III (born April 13, 1964) is an American professional golfer who has won 21 events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship: the 1997 PGA Championship. He won the Players Championship in 1992 and 2003. He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for over 450 weeks, reaching a high ranking of 2nd. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 2012 and 2016. Love was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

Early life

Davis Milton Love III was born on April 13, 1964, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Davis Love Jr. and his wife, Helen, a day after his father competed in the final round at the 1964 Masters Tournament. His father, who was a former pro and nationally recognized golf instructor, introduced him to the game. His mother is also an avid low-handicap golfer. His father was killed in a 1988 plane crash. Love attended high school in Brunswick, Georgia, and graduated from its Glynn Academy in 1982.

Amateur career

Love played college golf at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he was a three-time All-American and all-Atlantic Coast Conference. He won six titles during his collegiate career, including the ACC tournament championship as a sophomore in 1984.

Professional career

In 1985, Love turned professional. He earned his PGA Tour card late in the season at 1985 PGA Tour Qualifying School. It was his first attempt at PGA Tour Qualifying school on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA Tour, winning his first tour event in 1987 at the MCI Heritage Golf Classic at Harbour Town Golf Links. He would later win this event four more times, setting a record for the most victories in the tournament. In 1994, Love founded Love Golf Design, a golf course architecture company with his younger brother and caddie, Mark Love. The company has been responsible for the design of several courses throughout the southeast United States. Completed in 1997, Ocean Creek is his first signature course and is located on Fripp Island, South Carolina. Love also designed the Dunes course at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which is ranked among Golf Magazine's Top 100 courses in the world. Love was a consistent contender and winner on the PGA Tour in the 1990s and early 2000s, but the most memorable win came at the 1997 PGA Championship, his only major championship victory. It was played at Winged Foot Golf Club near New York City, and just four players in the field finished under-par for the week. Love's winning score was 11-under-par, five strokes better than runner-up Justin Leonard. When Love sank his birdie putt on the final hole of the championship, it was under the arc of a rainbow, which appeared as he walked up to the 18th green. In the telecast, CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz made the connection between the rainbow and Love's late father, Davis Love Jr., who was a well-known and beloved figure in the golf world. This victory was the last major championship win achieved with a wooden-headed driver. Love has had success late in his regular career. On November 9, 2008, Love earned his 20th PGA Tour win at the Children's Miracle Network Classic, which gave him a lifetime exemption on Tour.

Senior career

After failing to qualify for the FedEx Cup in 2014, Love made his Champions Tour debut at the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship. Love's victory in the 2015 Wyndham Championship—at age 51—made him the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history, trailing only Sam Snead and Art Wall Jr. The win made Love the oldest PGA Tour winner in the PGA Tour Champions era (since 1980). It also brought Love into select company in another PGA Tour distinction: he became only the third player to win on the tour in four different decades, joining Snead and Raymond Floyd. Love's son Davis Love IV (better known as Dru Love) is also a professional golfer. Love has worked with his son at a number of tournaments. In 2015, his son earned a sponsor exemption into the RSM Classic while still an amateur; Love III serves as the host. After Love failed to qualify for the 2017 U.S. Open, he caddied for Dru, who made his professional debut. On December 16, 2018, Love and his son Dru won the Father/Son Challenge at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. Love has served as the captain of several national teams as a senior. In 2012, he was the captain of the American Ryder Cup team. Four years later, he was captain of the 2016 Ryder Cup. Six year later, Love captained the U.S. team to victory in the 2022 Presidents Cup. For the 2020 PGA Tour season, Love joined CBS as a full-time analyst. In July 2020, Love announced that he was leaving his role with CBS in order to "focus on my family, play a few tournaments, and bring some stability back in a difficult year."

Personal life

He and his wife Robin have two children. On March 27, 2020, Love's home in St. Simons Island, Georgia, was destroyed in a fire. Love and his wife escaped without injury. Love is a Republican, and has donated money to Johnny Isakson and George W. Bush.

Awards and honors

Amateur wins

Professional wins (37)

PGA Tour wins (21)

PGA Tour playoff record (2–7)

PGA of Japan Tour wins (1)

Other wins (15)

Other playoff record (1–3)

Major championships

Wins (1)

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order in 2020. {{legend|lime|Win}} {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

The Players Championship

Wins (2)

Results timeline

{{legend|lime|Win}} {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the halfway cut DQ = disqualified "T" indicates a tie for a place.

Results in World Golf Championships

Results not in chronological order before 2015. 1Cancelled due to 9/11 {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied WD = Withdrew NT = No tournament Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

PGA Tour career summary

*As of the 2021 season.

U.S. national team appearances

Amateur Professional