John Cook is an American professional golfer on the
Champions Tour, currently residing in Windermere,
Florida.
Cook, the son of PGA Tour official Jim Cook, was
born in Toledo, Ohio, but grew up in southern
California. He attended Miraleste High School in
Rancho Palos Verdes, graduating in 1975. In addition
to golf, Cook was a promising, but undersized
quarterback in football through his sophomore year.
He was advised by his high school golf coach (who
also coached football) to concentrate on golf, which
would give him his best opportunity for a collegiate
scholarship. (The coach, Wilbur Lucas, later said it
was the only time he suggested an athlete drop a
sport.)
Cook was offered a scholarship to the Ohio State
University, and was personally advised to accept by
Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. He was a member of
the Buckeyes' 1979 NCAA Championship team, which
also included Joey Sindelar. He won the U.S. Amateur
in 1978 at age 20, and nearly won it again in 1979,
losing to Mark O'Meara in the finals. He also won
the Sunnehanna Amateur in 1977 and 1979.
Following the 1979 U.S. Amateur, Cook turned
professional. He won 11 times on the PGA Tour and
was a member of the 1993 U.S. Ryder Cup team. He was
ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf
Rankings for 45 weeks in 1992 and 1993.
Cook was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall
of Fame in 1986. He recently helped design a golf
course in Sunbury, Ohio, with help from his sister
Cathy Cook, also a former standout player at nearby
Ohio State. His son, Jason, plays golf for
Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.
Cook became eligible to play on the Champions Tour
in October 2007. In his second start he won the AT&T
Championship in San Antonio, 19 days after his 50th
birthday. He finished two strokes ahead of Mark
O'Meara and earned $240,000 for the victory, his
first in six years. A year later, at the same event,
he captured his second Champions Tour win, coming
from behind with a 65 in the final round to win by
three strokes over Keith Fergus.
