Tim Petrovic Bio
Tim Petrovic (born August 16, 1966) is an American professional golfer who has competed at the highest levels of the sport for more than three decades. Known for a steady, patient game, he is best recognized for capturing the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, his lone victory on the PGA Tour, and for a series of strong showings on the PGA Tour Champions after turning 50. A former NCAA Division I All-American, Petrovic has combined a durable work ethic with a career that has produced more than $12 million in official PGA Tour earnings. He continues to play a full schedule on the senior circuit, where he has posted multiple runner-up finishes in senior major championships.
Standing 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) and based in Austin, Texas, Petrovic remains a familiar face in professional golf, recognized for his calm temperament and durable ball-striking. He has represented the United States in competition and is widely respected as a grinder whose career arc, from developmental tours to senior majors, reflects persistence and consistency.
Early Life and Background
Tim Petrovic was born on August 16, 1966, in Northampton, Massachusetts, a small New England city with a strong tradition of amateur golf. Growing up in the region gave him early and regular access to courses, and he developed his game through junior and amateur circuits in the Northeast. The New England golf environment, with its demanding weather and short playing season, helped him build a patient, course-management style that has defined his professional career.
He later attended the University of Hartford, where he played college golf for the Hartford Hawks. During his time with the program, Petrovic emerged as one of the top amateur players in the country and was named an NCAA Division I All-American in 1988. At Hartford he was teammates with Jerry Kelly, a fellow New Englander who also went on to a long career on the PGA Tour, a pairing that gave both players a strong competitive foundation.
Path to Professional Golf
Following his All-American season at Hartford, Petrovic made the decision to turn professional in 1988, the same year he earned his collegiate honor. The transition from amateur to professional golf required patience, and the early years of his career were spent grinding on mini-tours and developmental circuits. He competed on the PGA Tour’s developmental tour in 1993, 1999, and 2001, gaining valuable experience and refining the parts of his game that would eventually translate to the big stage.
His most important developmental season came in 2001, when a successful year on the Buy.com Tour earned him his PGA Tour card for the 2002 season. He also captured the Golden Bear Tour money list in 2000, a key indicator that his game was ready for a higher level. By 2002, Petrovic had earned full status on the PGA Tour and was ready to test himself against the best players in the world.
Tim Petrovic Career
Early Career (1988–2001)
Petrovic’s early professional years were defined by steady progress through the developmental tiers of American professional golf. He played on the PGA Tour’s developmental tour in three separate seasons and used those opportunities to sharpen his competitive routine. His breakthrough moment on the developmental circuit came in 2000, when he won the Golden Bear Tour money list, confirming that his game was ready for the next step.
That next step arrived in 2001, when he posted a strong season on the Buy.com Tour, the primary feeder circuit to the PGA Tour at the time. The performance earned him his PGA Tour card for the 2002 season and marked the end of nearly a decade and a half of grinding on mini-tours and secondary circuits. He entered his thirties with momentum, a full PGA Tour card, and the experience needed to compete week in and week out.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2002–2010)
Petrovic made his PGA Tour card count immediately, posting more than $1.7 million in earnings in both 2003 and 2005. During this stretch he became a consistent presence on leaderboards, with the high point of his career coming at the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he won his only PGA Tour title. The victory elevated his Official World Golf Ranking to a career-high 65th later that year and cemented his status as a legitimate PGA Tour winner.
Throughout the late 2000s he remained a regular on the PGA Tour, continuing to play a full schedule and competing in major championships. Even as he approached the end of his fully exempt years, he kept his card through strong finishes and consistent play, building the kind of resume that has produced more than $12 million in career PGA Tour earnings.
PGA Tour Champions Era (2016–Present)
After spending five seasons without full exempt status on the regular PGA Tour, Petrovic joined PGA Tour Champions in August 2016, debuting at the Boeing Classic near Seattle shortly after turning 50. The transition to the senior circuit allowed him to continue playing a high-level competitive schedule against many of the same players he had competed against for years. He wasted little time establishing himself, posting strong finishes in his early senior events.
His senior career has been highlighted by four runner-up finishes in senior major championships: the 2018 and 2021 Senior PGA Championship, the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, and the 2019 Senior Players Championship. He also finished third in the 2019 Senior British Open Championship, a result that underlined his comfort on links-style layouts. These performances have placed him among the more consistent American competitors on PGA Tour Champions.
Driving Style and Strengths
Petrovic’s game has long been built on accuracy off the tee, dependable iron play, and a calm, methodical approach to scoring. He is comfortable on a wide range of course types, but he has been particularly effective on layouts that reward positioning and patience. His durable, low-risk style has aged well into the senior ranks, where course management often separates contenders from the field.
Notable Events and Milestones
His signature career moment remains the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, his only PGA Tour victory. He reached a career-high 65th in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2005, and he has surpassed $12 million in PGA Tour career earnings. On the senior circuit, his four runner-up finishes in senior major championships and a third-place finish in the 2019 Senior British Open Championship stand as the defining results of his Champions era.
Tim Petrovic Career Wins
Tim Petrovic’s professional record includes one PGA Tour victory, multiple wins on the Golden Bear Tour, and a series of high finishes in senior major championships. His single PGA Tour title came at the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, while his developmental success was anchored by the Golden Bear Tour money list title in 2000. On PGA Tour Champions, he has yet to capture a victory, but he has come close on several occasions, including four runner-up finishes in senior major championships.
PGA Tour Highlights
Petrovic’s lone PGA Tour win came at the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a title that remains the centerpiece of his regular-tour resume. He earned more than $1.7 million in both 2003 and 2005, and he reached a career-high 65th in the Official World Golf Ranking in 2005. His most recent PGA Tour victory remains the 2005 Zurich Classic, a result that defined his prime years on the regular circuit.
Other Wins and Performances
On the Golden Bear Tour, Petrovic captured four career wins, including the 2000 season-long money list title. He also posted a successful campaign on the Buy.com Tour in 2001, which secured his PGA Tour card. These developmental results laid the foundation for his PGA Tour breakthrough in 2002 and the rest of his career.
Tim Petrovic Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Petrovic is married to his wife, Julie, with whom he has built a life centered on golf and family. The couple has long been based in Austin, Texas, where they have settled away from his New England roots. Public details about his broader family, including parents and children, have not been widely reported, and he has generally kept his personal life out of the spotlight.
Personal Life
Outside of competition, Petrovic has built a stable personal life with his wife, Julie, and has made Austin, Texas, his long-term home. The relocation to Texas placed him in a warmer climate well suited to year-round practice and play. He remains a respected figure in American golf, both for his playing career and for the longevity he has shown across multiple tours.
2025 Season Performance
Tim Petrovic is continuing his PGA Tour Champions schedule in 2025, with a focus on adding a Champions victory to a resume that already includes his 2005 PGA Tour title. As a veteran competitor in his late fifties, he is playing a measured schedule built around the senior major championships and the events where his steady ball-striking tends to travel well. His previous close calls in senior majors, including runner-up finishes in the 2018 and 2021 Senior PGA Championship, the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, and the 2019 Senior Players Championship, suggest that a breakthrough remains a realistic goal.
Throughout 2025, Petrovic’s results have reflected the same qualities that have defined his career: accuracy, patience, and consistency. While he has not yet added a Champions title this season, he has remained in contention in several starts and continues to be a familiar presence on weekend leaderboards. With multiple senior major championships on the calendar and a full slate of regular Champions events, the season offers a clear path back into contention.
Looking ahead through the remainder of 2025, Petrovic’s outlook centers on translating his durable senior-game into a long-awaited first PGA Tour Champions victory. His track record of contending in the biggest events on the senior schedule gives him a credible platform to build on, and his experience in pressure situations, sharpened over more than three decades as a professional, remains his most reliable asset.