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Marc Leishman is one of many Australian players playing on top-level tours who returned home this weekend to play in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. On Thursday, November 20, Leishman finished the first round tied for 16th, with a score of 68.
Leishman, 41, hails from Warrnambool city, in the state of Victoria. He learned to play golf there, following his father's teachings. He excelled in the sport from an early age, winning the Warrnambool club championship at the age of 13, defeating among others, his father.
His junior and amateur career was spent mainly in Australia, but with excellent results. In 2001, he won the Victorian Junior Masters, the South Australian Junior Masters and the Victorian Boys Championship.
Marc Leishman turned professional in 2005, at the age of 18. In 2006, he was already playing on the Von Nida Tour (current Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia). He won two tournaments at that level and topped the tour's Order of Merit, making him ready to take the next step in his career.
His 2006 results opened the door to the Nationwide Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) for 2007. At this level also, Marc Leishman excelled quickly. In 2008, he won a tournament and earned his PGA Tour card the following season.
Marc Leishman and his leap to the top level of world golf
Marc Leishman made his debut as a full member of the PGA Tour in 2009 and did it in style. In that season, he finished in three Top 10s, qualified for all four FedEx Cup playoff tournaments and won the Rookie of the Year award.
Not only did he become a steady player on the PGA Tour, but he consistently improved his results. Three seasons and 96 starts after joining the tour, he earned his first victory (2012 Travelers Championship).
Marc Leishman won five more PGA Tour tournaments (2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, 2017 BMW Championship, 2018 CIMB Classic, 2020 Farmers Insurance Open and 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans).
In terms of Majors, Marc Leishman has participated in 45 editions with a runner-up finish at The Open Championship in 2015. In addition, he has five other Top 10 finishes.
Leishman moved on to LIV Golf from the inaugural edition of the circuit. In the 2023 season, he played in all 13 individual tournaments plus the Team Championship.
Individually, his performance included six Top 20s and three Top 10s, including a second-place finish at LIV Golf Chicago, which was his best result of the year. He finished ranked 18th, with 78 points. His team, Rippers GC, finished the season in seventh place.
Leishman has also had performances on the DP World Tour, although to a lesser extent. Between 2007 and 2021, he played 77 tournaments there, with 59 cuts made. He has one victory (2015 Nedbank Golf Challenge) and 15 Top 10s as best results in the European circuit.
