Nick Watney Bio
Nicholas Alan Watney (born April 25, 1981) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and playing from Las Vegas, Nevada, Watney has built a steady career highlighted by five PGA Tour titles and a World Golf Championships victory. His biggest triumphs came in 2011, when he captured the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the AT&T National, briefly rising into the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Over more than two decades on tour, Watney has been recognized for his calm demeanor, accurate ball striking, and ability to post low numbers in favorable conditions. He is also remembered for becoming the first PGA Tour player to test positive for COVID-19, in 2020.
Early Life and Background
Nicholas Alan Watney was born on April 25, 1981, in Sacramento, California, and raised in nearby Davis. He attended Davis Senior High School, where he played on the golf team and developed the game that would eventually take him to the professional ranks. Watney came from a family with deep ties to the sport, including an uncle who had played the PGA Tour in the 1970s.
After high school, Watney enrolled at Fresno State University, where he played collegiate golf under his uncle Mike Watney. Nick had to walk on to the Bulldogs squad, as his uncle did not offer him a scholarship, but he made the most of the opportunity, earning three-time All-America honors. His college experience sharpened his competitive edge and prepared him for the transition to tournament golf.
Path to Professional Golf
Watney turned professional in 2003, following in the footsteps of his uncle Mike. His first professional victory came that same year at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial on the Canadian Tour, a confident start that signaled his readiness for higher-level competition. In 2004, he advanced to the Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour’s primary developmental circuit.
His breakout moment on the Nationwide Tour came when he won the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship, securing his PGA Tour card for the following season. That victory capped a steady climb through the developmental ranks and set the stage for his arrival on golf’s biggest stage.
Nick Watney Career
Early Career (2003-2006)
Watney’s earliest years as a professional were spent sharpening his game on the Canadian and Nationwide Tours. After capturing his first professional title in 2003, he spent the 2004 season on the Nationwide Tour, where consistent play earned him a shot at promotion. His breakthrough came late in 2004 with a win at the Nationwide Tour Championship, which granted him full PGA Tour status for 2005.
Over the next two seasons, Watney worked to establish himself among the world’s best players, learning the rhythms of full-field PGA Tour events and building the course-management skills that would later define his prime years.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2007-2010)
Watney announced himself as a PGA Tour winner in 2007, capturing the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and moving into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Two years later, in 2009, he added the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, edging John Rollins by one stroke. That win lifted him to number 76 in the world rankings, his highest position to that point.
The 2010 season brought one of the most dramatic swings of his career. At the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Watney took a three-shot lead into the final round, only to shoot 81 and fall to a tie for 18th. The result, while painful, served as motivation heading into a breakthrough year in 2011.
Career-Defining 2011 Season
Watney’s 2011 campaign ranks among the finest of his career. In March, he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, his first World Golf Championships title. Trailing by two entering the final round, he fired a 67, including four birdies in five holes, and finished with a birdie at the 18th to beat Dustin Johnson by two strokes. The victory pushed him to number 15 in the world.
A few months later, in July, he won the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club, beating K. J. Choi by two strokes. A third-round 62, which included a back-nine 27, set a course record and gave him the lead he would not relinquish. The win moved him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings and, for the first time, into the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking. He also contributed a key Sunday singles victory over Choi at the 2011 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, helping the United States defeat the International team 19-15. He finished the season third on the PGA Tour money list.
Later Career (2012-2020)
In 2012, Watney made more history at the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, holing out for a double eagle on the par-five 17th hole in the first round, becoming only the third player to record a double eagle in U.S. Open history. Later that summer, he won The Barclays at Bethpage Black, the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, finishing fourth in the final standings. He closed 2012 with a win at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, an Asian Tour event co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour, where he set a course-record 61 in the final round.
The years that followed were less spectacular but still productive. He posted a runner-up finish at the 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and a tie for second at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. A herniated disc in his lower back limited him to five events in 2016, and he played the 2016-17 season on a Major Medical Extension. On June 19, 2020, while playing the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, Watney became the first PGA Tour player to test positive for COVID-19.
Notable Events and Milestones
Watney’s career is studded with signature moments: a clutch closing birdie at Doral in 2011, a course-record 62 at Aronimink, a rare U.S. Open double eagle, and a FedEx Cup playoff win at Bethpage Black. He also became the first PGA Tour player known to test positive for COVID-19, a sobering milestone in the sport’s pandemic era.
Nick Watney Career Wins
Watney has recorded nine professional victories across multiple tours, including five PGA Tour titles. His wins span the Canadian Tour, Nationwide Tour, PGA Tour, and Asian Tour, with his most prestigious victories coming at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the AT&T National in 2011.
PGA Tour Highlights
Watney’s five PGA Tour titles began with the 2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and continued with the 2009 Buick Invitational, the 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship, the 2011 AT&T National, and the 2012 Barclays. His first WGC win at Doral remains the crown jewel of his career, earned with a final-round 67 to overtake Dustin Johnson.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the PGA Tour, Watney won the 2003 Lewis Chitengwa Memorial on the Canadian Tour, the 2004 Nationwide Tour Championship, and the 2012 CIMB Classic on the Asian Tour. He has also recorded multiple runner-up finishes, including at the 2013 BMW Championship, the 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.
Nick Watney Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Watney’s uncle, Mike Watney, played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and later coached his nephew at Fresno State University. Watney’s cousin is journalist Heidi Watney, reflecting a family with strong ties to both sport and media.
Personal Life
Watney resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born and raised in the Sacramento, California area, and has long been associated with the West Coast golf scene.
2025 Season Performance
As of the 2025 PGA Tour season, Nick Watney continues his long tenure on tour, drawing on more than two decades of experience. With five career PGA Tour titles and a World Golf Championships victory on his resume, he remains a respected veteran presence in the field, capable of contending on courses that reward accurate ball striking and patience.
Looking ahead, Watney’s 2025 outlook centers on consistency, making cuts, and capitalizing on the form that has carried him through more than 20 professional seasons. His track record of clutch final-round play, including the 2011 Doral rally and the 2012 Barclays comeback, suggests he can still rise to the occasion when his game clicks.