Sean Pappas

Sean Critton Pappas (19 February 1966 – 7 June 2015) was a professional golfer from South Africa.

Sean Pappas
Personal information
Full nameSean Critton Pappas
Born(1966-02-19)19 February 1966
Phalaborwa, South Africa
Died7 June 2015(2015-06-07) (aged 49)
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Nationality South Africa
Career
CollegeUniversity of Arkansas
Turned professional1990
Former tour(s)Sunshine Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
Sunshine Tour4
Other3

Early life

Pappas was born in Phalaborwa, South Africa. He is the second oldest of four brothers Craigen (born 1959), Deane (born 1967), and Brenden (born 1970). He attended the University of Arkansas form 1984 to 1987, with Deane and Brenden following him there.[1] Deane and Brenden are both professional golfers who have won on the Nationwide Tour and played on the PGA Tour. Sean turned professional in 1990 and stayed in South Africa playing on the Sunshine Tour and teaching.

As a result of the sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era, the Pappas brothers represented Greece in the European Amateur Team Championship and the Eisenhower Trophy in the 1980s.[2]

Professional career

Pappas turned professional in January 1990 and played a few events on the Nationwide Tour in 1991 and 1992. He also shot a 59 in the first round of the Hartland Classic a T. C. Jordan Professional Golf Tour event in Bowling Green, Kentucky.[3] He did not find much success in his early professional years and moved back to South Africa for the 1993 season. He first joined the Sunshine Tour in the 1993 season. He would win five times on the Sunshine Tour between 1993, when he won his first title, and the 2000 season.

Pappas has earned over R768,000 in his career between 1993 and his most recent season 2002. He has played over 230 events in South Africa and finished in the top-10 over 30 times winning 1/3 of his playoffs.

Pappas had a double-eagle in December 1999 at the Vodacom Players Championship on the 3rd hole at the Royal Cape Golf Club during the 3rd round.[4] He played briefly again in the United States from 1994-95 finding limited success, with two mini-tour wins on the NGA Hooters Tour in 1994. He then moved back to his residence in Phalaborwa. His most recent full season on the Sunshine Tour was in 2002.

In 2010, Sean Pappas became the resident Club Professional at The Ranch Resort Executive Golf Course and Academy[5] – officially opened on 22 May by the Premier of Limpopo Province, Cassel Mathale.[6] 24.5 km south of Polokwane.

Pappas died in June 2015 of a heart attack.[7]

Professional wins (7)

Sunshine Tour wins (4)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 21 Feb 1993 Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic −16 (71-64-69-68=272) Playoff Ernie Els
2 15 Nov 1996 Lombard Tyres Classic −12 (68-68-68=204) 2 strokes James Kingston, Ashley Roestoff,
Roger Wessels
3 12 Apr 1997 Kalahari Classic −7 (67-73-69=209) 1 stroke Justin Hobday, Andrew McLardy,
Tjaart van der Walt
4 1 Oct 2000 Bearing Man Highveld Classic −16 (68-67-65=200) 1 stroke Bobby Lincoln

NGA Hooters Tour wins (2)
  • 1994 2 wins

Other wins (1)

Team appearances

Amateur

References
  1. "Arkansas Razorbacks Men's Golf Record Book" (PDF). p. 3.
  2. "Two UA golfers qualify for amateur". The Baxter Bulletin. Mountain Home, Arkansas. Associated Press. 15 August 1985. p. 1B – via newspapers.com. Loy also cited the success of two other UA [University of Arkansas] golfers during the summer ... junior Sean Pappas of Kimberly, South Africa earned an exemption to the British Amateur while representing Greece in the European Games ...
  3. "Results Plus". The New York Times. 20 July 1991.
  4. "Double Eagle: PGA of South Africa - Sunshine Tour".
  5. MyPolokwane.com Sean Pappas
  6. Premier Cassel Mathale Speech delivered at The Ranch Resort on 22 May 2010 Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 1 July 2010
  7. "Sean Pappas: 1966–2015". Sunshine Tour. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
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