Denny McCarthy Facts: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The PGA Tour Player

Discover more about American pro, Denny McCarthy's life and career so far via these facts

Denny McCarthy looks on during the 2024 FedEx St Jude Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Denny McCarthy is one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour who has carved out his place near the top thanks to an outstanding putting stroke. Discover more about his life and career so far via these facts.

Denny McCarthy Facts

1. Denny McCarthy was born on March 4, 1993 in Takoma Park, Maryland.

2. His full name is Denny Francis McCarthy.

3. McCarthy went to Georgetown Prep school outside Washington, D.C and played varsity golf and basketball. He played guard for his high school basketball team for four years.

4. He has one brother and two sisters. His brother is called Ryan while his two sisters are called Cristina and Michaela. Christina, played lacrosse at James Madison while Michaela plays lacrosse at Virginia Tech.

5. McCarthy comes from a golfing family, with his brother Ryan playing golf at Loyola University in Maryland and his uncle, Mike McCarthy, playing golf at James Madison University in Virginia.

6. McCarthy is a cousin of well-known stand-up comedian, actor, and writer, Greg Fitzsimmons.

7. The American played college golf at the University of Virginia where he was a two-time All-American.

8. McCarthy enjoyed a great amateur career, and actually featured in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup team, playing alongside the likes of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Ollie Schniederjans.

9. He is a three-time winner of the Maryland Open (2010, 2013, 2015) - with all his victories arriving as an amateur.

10. McCarthy's hobbies include table tennis, basketball, anything outdoors, the beach and ping-pong.

Denny McCarthy with his 2015 Walker Cup teammates

Denny McCarthy with his 2015 Walker Cup teammates

(Image credit: Getty Images)

11. As well as the Junior Ryder Cup, he featured in the victorious United States team at the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy, playing with the likes of Beau Hossler and Bryson DeChambeau. McCarthy was the only American to shoot in the 60s across all four days.

12. As an amateur, he finished T42nd at the 2015 US Open - which was held at Chambers Bay.

13. After playing in the 2015 Walker Cup, which the US won, McCarthy turned professional, plying his trade on the Korn Ferry Tour.

14. McCarthy gained his PGA Tour card for the 2017-18 season with a 12th-place finish on the 2017 Korn Ferry Tour Money List.

15. The American is married to Samantha (nee Marzke), with the couple owning two dogs, Juno and Dublin.

16. In his debut season on the PGA Tour, McCarthy finished outside the top-125 of the FedEx Cup playoffs. The following year, the American finished number one on the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Money List, earning exempt status on the PGA Tour for the 2018-19 season.

17. At the 2021 Players Championship, McCarthy made a hole-in-one at the par-3 third hole in his second round.

18. He is yet to win on the PGA Tour but came agonizingly close at both the 2023 Memorial and the 2024 Valero Texas Open. McCarthy lost to Viktor Hovland in a playoff at The Memorial while, after making birdie on the final seven holes of the Texas Open, McCarthy once again fell in a playoff against Akshay Bhatia.

19. McCarthy has become known as one of the best putters on the planet. He led the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting, for two consecutive seasons up to 2020, with that season's performance ranking as the second-best putting season of the ShotLink era (since 2004). Between 2022 and 2024, he ranked either second or third for SG: Putting on the PGA Tour (2021-22 - 2nd, 2022-23 - 3rd, 2024 - 2nd).

20. At the end of the 2024 season, McCarthy’s best finish in a Major was a tie for 7th in the 2022 US Open.

Denny McCarthy Bio

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Full NameDenny Francis McCarthy
BornMarch 4, 1993 - Takoma Park, Maryland
Height5ft 9in (1.75 m)
CollegeUniversity of Virginia
Turned Professional2015
Former TourWeb.com Tour (Korn Ferry Tour)
Current TourPGA Tour
Pro Wins4
Highest Major FinishT7th (2022 US Open)
Highest OWGR29th

Denny McCarthy Pro Wins

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TourEventWinning Score
Maryland State Golf Association2010 Maryland Open*-8 (two strokes)
Maryland State Golf Association2013 Maryland Open*-7 (one stroke)
Maryland State Golf Association2015 Maryland Open*-6 (two strokes)
Web.com Tour2018 Web.com Tour Championship-23 (four strokes)

*won as an amateur

Jonny Leighfield
Staff Writer

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.

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