Justin Lower Facts: 15 Things To Know About The PGA Tour Pro

Justin Lower overcame tragedy to and near-misses to eventually establish himself on the PGA Tour - here are 15 things to know about him

Justin Lower takes a shot at The American Express
Justin Lower has experienced triumph and tragedy
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In recent years, Justin Lower has become established on the PGA Tour, but his route to the big time was not without disappointment, while a family tragedy when he was a teenager remains a big part of his life.

Here are 15 things to know about the Ohio-born star.

Justin Lower Facts

1. Justin Lower was born on 4 April 4 1989 in Akron, Ohio and introduced to the game by his father, Tim.

2. Lower's earliest golf-related memory is watching Tiger Woods play at the 2000 Bridestone Invitational.

3. At the age of 13, he had an encounter with Arnold Palmer in a practice round for the 2002 Senior PGA Championship, where he was volunteering. Palmer pulled a shot into some fans near Lower and asked if anyone wanted to take the shot. Lower stepped up but, as he told PGATour.com, he didn't get to complete the shot.

“I had my hand on his wedge, and this huge hand out of nowhere just comes back … and he’s like, ‘Don’t worry, son. I’ll take it from here.’”

4. He endured tragedy aged 15 when his dad and brother, Chris, were killed in a car accident on the way to pick him up from the golf course. Nowadays, he has two lucky charms in their memory - ball markers that say "Dad, Chris, 3-26-05."

5. He attended Malone University, where he became the 2010 NAIA Champion.

6. During his time at the university, he achieved 16 wins and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2021.

7. In 2018, he missed out on a PGA Tour card by the narrowest of margins. Lower faced an eight-foot putt at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to guarantee his place, but his ball grazed the edge of the cup and stayed out.

8. Lower finally secured his PGA Tour card three years later on the last hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Justin Lower with his PGA Tour card

Justin Lower earned his PGA Tour card in 2021 by one shot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

9. If he hadn't made it as a pro golfer, Lower would have become a college athletic director.

10. He has two professional wins so far, and they both came in his first two appearances ithe Ohio Open, in 2012 and 2015.

11. Lower's one Major appearance to date came in the 2024 US Open after reaching it through final qualifying. He gave an emotional TV interview after securing his place, saying: "The Sunday usually falls on Father’s Day and I lost my dad when I was 15. Just to be able to play on that day in the US would be really cool.”

He managed it, finishing T50 at Pinehurst No.2.

Justin Lower takes a shot at the US Open

Lower finished T50 at the 2024 US Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

12. He's a supporter of Ohio Guidestone-Foster Care and Family Services and hopes to start his own foundation.

13. Lower is also a baseball fan. He excelled as a player growing up before choosing golf, and he threw out the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game last year in 2018.

14. His favorite non-golf athletes are LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

15. His favorite course is Pebble Beach.

Justin Lower Bio

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Born

Akron, Ohio

Height

5 ft 10 in (178 cm)

College

Malone University

Turned Pro

2011

Former Tour

Korn Ferry Tour

Current Tour

PGA Tour

Pro Wins

2

Highest OWGR

82

Justin Lower Professional Wins

  • 2012 Ohio Open
  • 2015 Ohio Open

Justin Lower PGA Tour Earnings

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Year

Money

2021/22

$700,545

2022/23

$1,426,711

2024

$2,418,975

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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