Mark William McNulty (born 24 March 1953) is a Rhodesian-born professional golfer who has represented Ireland for much of his career. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, and featured in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992.69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking
Early life and amateur career
McNulty was born in Bindura, Southern Rhodesia. He was raised on a farm in the Centenary area of Zimbabwe. When McNulty was one year old, his natural father was killed in a shooting accident. His step-father was an amateur pilot who had an airstrip on the farm. When his step-father was diagnosed with epilepsy, he was forced to give up flying. He converted the airstrip into a three-hole golf course, where Mark first learned to play golf.
McNulty represented Rhodesia at the 1974 Eisenhower Trophy in the Dominican Republic.
Professional career
In 1978, McNulty began his professional career on the Southern African Tour and also played on the European Tour. His first professional win was at the Greater Manchester Open on the European Tour in 1979. His first win on the Southern African Tour was at the 1980 Holiday Inns Invitational in Swaziland.
By 1986, he was a dominant player on the Southern African Tour picking up seven official wins in that year and also winning South Africa's most lucrative event, the Million Dollar Challenge. In the same year, he finished in the top-10 on the European Tour's Order of Merit for the first time, placing sixth. He had six top-10 European Order of Merit finishes in total, including second places in 1987 and 1990. The last of these was in 1996, when he came fifth. His win tally on the European Tour was 16, including the 1996 Volvo Masters, which was the European equivalent of the PGA Tour's Tour Championship. He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit nine times.
In July 1990, at the 119th Open Championship at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland, with a closing round of 65 (−7), the lowest score of the last round, McNulty finished tied second with Payne Stewart, after winner Nick Faldo.
McNulty represented Zimbabwe seven times at the Alfred Dunhill Cup and eight times at the World Cup. The Zimbabwe team twice finished runner-up to United States, 1993, when McNulty teamed up with Nick Price at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, and at the 1994 World Cup of Golf in Puerto Rico, where the team of McNulty and Tony Johnstone finished second and McNulty finished tied 4th in the individual competition.
Senior career When McNulty turned fifty and became eligible to play senior golf he chose to take part in the U.S.-based Champions Tour. His first full season in 2004 was highly successful with three wins (including the Charles Schwab Cup Championship) and a seventh-place finish on the money list. In 2007 he won the JELD-WEN Tradition, one of the five major championships on the over-50 tour. It was McNulty's sixth career win on the Champions Tour. His seventh win came in 2009 at the Principal Charity Classic with a playoff win over Nick Price and Fred Funk. In 2011 he won the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.
Personal life In November 1981, McNulty received serious facial and neck injuries when his car in high speed collided with a bus near his parents' farm in Zimbabwe, on his way to the ICL International in Johannesburg, South Africa. Despite his injuries, McNulty played in the 1981 South African Open the following month and won a tournament in Durban in January 1982, eight weeks after the accident.
McNulty became an Irish citizen in 2003 at the age of 50. He was eligible to do so because his maternal grandmother was born in Ballymena in Northern Ireland. He stated that his reason for doing so was his concern that as a non-resident Zimbabwean it could take him up to two years to get his passport renewed if he lost it. Commentators elaborated that the farm that his family had been managing for 40-something years had been confiscated by the Mugabe regime.
He now lives in Sunningdale, England. He has two children.
McNulty is the Director of the Mark McNulty Junior Golf Foundation. It is a non-profit organisation whose objective is to use golf as a medium to improve a child's development on and off the golf course while growing the game of golf.
Amateur wins 1974 Rhodesia Amateur Championship 1977 South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship
Professional wins (59) European Tour wins (16) Legend Tour Championships (1) Other European Tour (15) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up124 Jun 1979Greater Manchester Open−13 (64-66-71-66=267)5 strokes Manuel Piñero224 Aug 1980Braun German Open−8 (71-70-70-69=280)1 stroke Tony Charnley, Neil Coles326 Oct 1986Portuguese Open−18 (66-69-69-66=270)1 stroke Ian Mosey431 May 1987London Standard Four Stars National Pro-Celebrity−15 (70-67-69-67=273)Playoff Sam Torrance57 Jun 1987Dunhill British Masters−14 (71-65-71-67=274)1 stroke Ian Woosnam630 Aug 1987German Open (2)−25 (65-66-65-63=259)3 strokes Antonio Garrido717 Apr 1988Cannes Open−9 (72-71-70-66=279)3 strokes Ron Commans, Joey Sindelar88 Jul 1989Torras Monte Carlo Open−15 (68-64-64-65=261)6 strokes José María Cañizares, Jeff Hawkes916 Apr 1990Credit Lyonnais Cannes Open (2)−8 (69-71-69-71=280)1 stroke Ronan Rafferty1026 Aug 1990Volvo German Open (3)−18 (67-68-70-65=270)3 strokes Craig Parry1125 Aug 1991Volvo German Open (4)−15 (68-67-72-66=273)Playoff Paul Broadhurst127 Aug 1994BMW International Open−14 (70-71-68-65=274)1 stroke Seve Ballesteros1311 Feb 1996Dimension Data Pro-Am1−6 (69-67-73-73=282)4 strokes Brenden Pappas, Nick Price, Ricky Willison1428 Jul 1996Sun Microsystems Dutch Open−18 (67-65-66-68=266)1 stroke Scott Hoch1527 Oct 1996Volvo Masters−8 (72-69-67-68=276)7 strokes José Cóceres, Sam Torrance, Wayne Westner, Lee Westwood1628 Jan 2001Mercedes-Benz South African Open1−8 (69-71-69-71=280)1 stroke Justin Rose 1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour
European Tour playoff record (2–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11987London Standard Four Stars National Pro-Celebrity Sam TorranceWon with birdie on second extra hole21990Wang Four Stars Mike Clayton, Rodger Davis, Bill MalleyDavis won with birdie on seventh extra holeMalley and McNulty eliminated by par on first hole31991Volvo German Open Paul BroadhurstWon with par on first extra hole41993Air France Cannes Open Rodger DavisLost to par on first extra hole
Asia Golf Circuit wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up123 Mar 1980Malaysian Open−15 (67-64-67-72=270)9 strokes Tsao Chien-teng
Sunshine Tour wins (33) Legend Flagship events (1) Tour Championships (2) Other Sunshine Tour (30) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up19 Feb 1980Holiday Inns Invitational−14 (72-65-70-67=274)1 stroke Tienie Britz210 Jan 1981Sigma Series 1−13 (68-70-70-67=275)2 strokes Nick Price39 Jan 1982SISA Classic−12 (69-69-69-69=276)4 strokes Hugh Baiocchi, Allan Henning, Gavan Levenson423 Jan 1982SAB South African Masters−13 (68-64-69-74=275)2 strokes Denis Watson530 Jan 1982Sharp Electronics Open−6 (69-69-70-66=274)1 stroke Tienie Britz66 Feb 1982Sun City Classic−5 (73-72-70-68=283)1 stroke John Bland728 Jan 1984PAN AM Wild Coast−4 (68-71-68-69=276)1 stroke Harold Henning82 Feb 1985Swazi Sun Pro-Am (2)−18 (70-64-67-69=270)1 stroke Simon Hobday923 Feb 1985Palabora Classic−13 (63-70-67-65=275)Playoff Hugh Baiocchi1014 Dec 1985Safmarine South African Masters (2)−10 (69-71-68-70=278)4 strokes Fulton Allem, Frank Edmonds, David Frost111 Feb 1986Wild Coast Classic (2)−13 (66-66-71-64=267)6 strokes David Frost1223 Feb 1986Barclays Bank Classic−9 (73-66-71-69=279)6 strokes Fulton Allem139 Mar 1986Swazi Sun Pro-Am (3)−25 (64-66-68-65=263)Playoff Fulton Allem1416 Mar 1986Trustbank Tournament of Champions−16 (70-68-68-66=272)6 strokes Jack Ferenz, Tony Johnstone1523 Nov 1986Helix Wild Coast Classic (3)−11 (66-74-75-64=279)2 strokes John Bland1629 Nov 1986Germiston Centenary Tournament−18 (64-69-65-68=266)1 stroke Fulton Allem1713 Dec 1986Safmarine South African Masters (3)−18 (70-65-67-68=270)4 strokes Fulton Allem187 Feb 1987Southern Suns South African Open−10 (74-66-71-67=278)Playoff Fulton Allem1914 Feb 1987AECI Charity Classic−14 (65-70-71-64=270)Playoff Wayne Westner2022 Feb 1987Royal Swazi Sun Pro-Am (4)−29 (68-65-64-62=259)6 strokes Wayne Westner2128 Feb 1987Trustbank Tournament of Champions (2)−17 (68-68-68-67=271)4 strokes Gavan Levenson2217 Jan 1993Lexington PGA Championship−15 (64-69-69-63=265)1 stroke John Bland, David Frost, Nick Price, Wayne Westner2321 Nov 1993FNB Players Championship−15 (69-68-70-66=273)5 strokes Roger Wessels2411 Feb 1996Dimension Data Pro-Am1−6 (69-67-73-73=282)4 strokes Brenden Pappas, Nick Price, Ricky Willison258 Dec 1996Zimbabwe Open−18 (72-61-68-69=270)4 strokes Justin Hobday, Nick Price2619 Jan 1997San Lameer South African Masters (4)−12 (71-68-70-67=276)4 strokes Adilson da Silva2726 Jan 1997Nashua Wild Coast Sun Challenge−10 (66-68-70-66=270)9 strokes Justin Hobday288 Mar 1998Vodacom Players Championship (2)−5 (67-69-68-71=275)3 strokes Warren Abery, Scott Dunlap296 Feb 2000Stenham Swazi Open (5)−13 (64-74-68-61=267)2 strokes Doug McGuigan3026 Nov 2000CABS/Old Mutual Zimbabwe Open (2)−19 (66-64-70-69=269)1 stroke Jean Hugo3114 Jan 2001Nashua Nedtel Cellular Masters (5)−6 (64-67-70-73=274)1 stroke Retief Goosen, Des Terblanche3228 Jan 2001Mercedes-Benz South African Open1 (2)−8 (69-71-69-71=280)1 stroke Justin Rose338 Dec 2002Vodacom Players Championship (3)−16 (70-66-66-70=272)3 strokes Scott Dunlap 1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
Sunshine Tour playoff record (4–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11985Palabora Classic Hugh BaiocchiWon with birdie on fifth extra hole21986Swazi Sun Pro-Am Fulton AllemWon with par on first extra hole31987Southern Suns South African Open Fulton AllemWon with par on second extra hole41987AECI Charity Classic Wayne WestnerWon with birdie on first extra hole51995Telkom South African Masters Scott DunlapLost to birdie on first extra hole
Challenge Tour wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up112 Jan 1992Zimbabwe Open−16 (72-65-67-68=272)9 strokes Tony Johnstone
Other wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up17 Dec 1986Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge−6 (74-70-70-68=282)3 strokes Lanny Wadkins213 Nov 1988Benson & Hedges Trophy(with Marie-Laure Taya)−12 (69-68-67-72=276)1 stroke Tania Abitbol and José María Cañizares
Champions Tour wins (8) LegendChampions Tour major championships (1) Tour Championships (1)Other Champions Tour (6) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up122 Feb 2004Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am−13 (67-65-68=200)1 stroke Larry Nelson217 Oct 2004SBC Championship−18 (67-63-65=195)8 strokes Gary McCord324 Oct 2004Charles Schwab Cup Championship−11 (69-74-68-66=277)1 stroke Tom Kite426 Jun 2005Bank of America Championship−12 (67-69-68=204)Playoff Don Pooley, Tom Purtzer516 Oct 2005Administaff Small Business Classic−16 (66-68-66=200)1 stroke Gil Morgan619 Aug 2007JELD-WEN Tradition−16 (66-68-70-68=272)5 strokes David Edwards731 May 2009Principal Charity Classic−10 (68-69-66=203)Playoff Fred Funk, Nick Price824 Apr 2011Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf(with David Eger)−27 (64-64-61=189)Playoff Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry
Champions Tour playoff record (3–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12005Bank of America Championship Don Pooley, Tom PurtzerWon with birdie on second extra hole22009Principal Charity Classic Fred Funk, Nick PriceWon with birdie on fourth extra holePrice eliminated by birdie on second hole32009The Senior Open Championship Fred Funk, Loren RobertsRoberts won with par on third extra holeFunk eliminated by birdie on first hole42011Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf(with David Eger) Scott Hoch and Kenny PerryWon with par on second extra hole
Results in major championships