Adam Long Bio
Adam Gordon Long (born September 25, 1987) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He first gained national attention when he won the 2019 Desert Classic in only his fifth start on tour, finishing at 26 under par. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Long is a Duke University graduate who turned professional in 2010. He currently resides in Jupiter, Florida.
Early Life and Background
Adam Gordon Long was born on September 25, 1987, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Gordon and Jane Long. After spending his earliest years in New Orleans, his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he grew up. He is the brother of Lindsay Long. As a child, Long was a multi-sport athlete, with a particular passion for hockey. That broad athletic foundation shaped his competitive approach to golf, even if he did not yet know the sport would become his profession.
Long attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Missouri, graduating in 2006. During his four years on the high school golf team, he was selected to the All-State All-Metro team in every season, an unusually long run of recognition. In 2008, he added the Metropolitan Amateur Championship in St. Louis to his résumé, a title regarded as one of the most coveted amateur trophies in the region. Originally, Long had verbally committed to play golf at the University of Florida, but a second visit convinced him that Duke University was the better fit.
Path to Professional Golf
Long arrived at Duke in 2006 and quickly established himself in the lineup. As a freshman, he posted a 72.9 stroke average, second best on the Blue Devils roster, and earned All-ACC honors. During his sophomore season, he collected three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a 208 (−8) total at the Coca-Cola Duke Golf Classic that broke the school’s 54-hole record. A Ping All-East selection in 2008, he led the team in stroke average as a junior.
By the end of his college career, Long ranked second in Duke history in career stroke average and received All-America Academic recognition in two seasons. He graduated from Duke in 2010 with a degree in Sociology. Later that same year, he turned professional and began his climb through the developmental tours.
Adam Long Career
Early Career (2010–2013)
After turning professional in 2010, Long spent several years sharpening his game on smaller circuits. He played the NGA Hooters Tour and the eGolf Tour, building the competitive base that would eventually support his rise. In 2012, he made 17 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, advancing past the cut in six of them, and he picked up a victory on one of the developmental circuits during this stretch.
These early professional years were a period of steady accumulation. While he did not produce a signature win, the reps he logged on mini-tours and the Korn Ferry Tour helped him develop the consistency he would later need to break through.
Korn Ferry Tour Breakthrough (2014–2018)
Long earned status on PGA Tour Canada in 2014, where he made 10 starts and recorded two top-10 finishes, including a T2 at the Great Waterway Classic and a T8 at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic. From 2015 to 2017, he made 79 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing inside the top 10 seven times, including a runner-up result at the 2015 United Leasing & Finance Championship.
His most decisive Korn Ferry Tour season came in 2018. He made 27 starts, posted four top-10 finishes, and reached the winner’s circle at the Ellie Mae Classic with a T4 performance that locked up his PGA Tour card. He ended the year 13th on the regular-season money list with $192,463 in earnings, securing the promotion he had been chasing since turning professional in 2010.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2019)
2019 was Long’s first season on the PGA Tour. After making the cut in only one of his first four starts, he caught fire at the Desert Classic, winning at 26 under par and beating Phil Mickelson and Adam Hadwin in a tight finish. The victory made him one of the most talked-about first-time winners of the year. He added a T10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational a few months later and qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, finishing 69th overall and earning $1,648,007 in his rookie season.
PGA Tour Establishment (2020)
In 2020, Long built on his rookie year with a series of strong finishes. He was the runner-up at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, losing to Brendon Todd, and posted a solo eighth at the Phoenix Open. He also recorded a solo second at the 3M Open behind Michael Thompson. These results confirmed that his 2019 breakthrough was no fluke and that he had settled in as a regular PGA Tour contender.
Driving Style and Strengths
Long is known for his calm, methodical approach on the course and his ability to pile up birdies on scoring-friendly layouts. His college background as a record-setting scorer at Duke translates into a putting-influenced style that paid off in his 26-under victory at the Desert Classic. He pairs technical consistency with the patience required to grind out birdies in bunches, especially on resort-style courses where scoring goes low.
Notable Events and Milestones
Long’s signature moment remains his 2019 Desert Classic win, which made him a PGA Tour champion in his first full season on tour. The 26-under-par total stands among the lowest winning scores in recent tour history, and the presence of Phil Mickelson and Adam Hadwin on the leaderboard gave the victory additional weight. His runner-up finish at the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic was another milestone, reinforcing his place among the tour’s consistent performers.
Adam Long Career Wins
Adam Long has accumulated wins at the developmental, Korn Ferry, and PGA Tour levels. His breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour came at the 2019 Desert Classic, and he previously won on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Ellie Mae Classic in 2018. He also claimed a title on one of the smaller professional circuits in his early years.
PGA Tour Highlights
Long’s only PGA Tour victory to date is the 2019 Desert Classic, won at 26 under par. He has added multiple top finishes since, including runner-up results at the 2020 Mayakoba Golf Classic and the 2020 3M Open. He has also recorded a T10 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs in his rookie season.
Other Wins and Performances
Long captured the Ellie Mae Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018 to clinch his PGA Tour card. He also secured a runner-up finish at the 2015 United Leasing & Finance Championship and logged two top-10 results on PGA Tour Canada in 2014, including a T2 at the Great Waterway Classic. As an amateur, he won the 2008 Metropolitan Amateur Championship in St. Louis.
Adam Long Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Adam Gordon Long is the son of Gordon and Jane Long and the brother of Lindsay Long. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Long is married to his wife, Emily Armstrong, and the couple lives in Jupiter, Florida.
Personal Life
Long’s multi-sport upbringing, including years of competitive hockey, shaped the athletic mindset that carried him into professional golf. A leg injury during his youth forced him to step back from hockey and channel his energy into golf, a pivot that ultimately launched his career. Today, he and his wife, Emily Armstrong, make their home in Jupiter, Florida, a popular base for many PGA Tour professionals.
2025 Season Performance
Adam Long enters the 2025 season as a veteran PGA Tour member with a breakthrough win already on his résumé. His experience from the 2019 Desert Classic victory and the steady top finishes that followed in 2020 have given him a track record of competing in scoring events against elite fields. With his PGA Tour card secure and a calm, birdie-oriented style, he is positioned to remain a regular presence in the weekend field.
Long’s strengths should continue to serve him well on the tour’s resort-style scoring courses, where his putter and patience have historically produced low numbers. He will be aiming to add a second PGA Tour title to his record, building on the playoff-level form he has shown in seasons past. As the 2025 season unfolds, consistency and a return to the kind of late-week birdies that defined his 2019 run will be central to his campaign.