{{Short description|American golfer (born 1959)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Brian Claar | image = | imagesize = <!-- e.g. 250px (default is 200px) --> | caption = | fullname = Brian J. Claar | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|7|29}} | birth_place = [[Santa Monica, California]] | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|1959|7|29}} --> | death_place = | height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}} | weight = {{convert|150|lb|kg st|abbr=on}} | nationality = {{USA}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = [[University of Tampa]] | yearpro = 1981 | tour = <!-- Current tours which a member of --> | extour = [[PGA Tour]]<br>[[Asia Golf Circuit]] | prowins = 3 | asiawins = <!-- Number of Asian Tour wins --> | champwins = <!-- Number of Champions Tour wins --> | seneurowins = <!-- Number of European Seniors Tour wins --> | otherwins = <!-- Number of Other wins --> | majorwins = <!-- Number of Major Championship wins --> | masters = CUT: 1990 | usopen = 5th: [[1989 U.S. Open (golf)|1989]] | open = T49: 1995 | pga = T9: [[1992 PGA Championship|1992]] | wghofid = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame member ID --> | wghofyear = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame year inducted --> | award1 = [[PGA Tour Rookie of the Year|PGA Tour<br>Rookie of the Year]] | year1 = [[1986 PGA Tour|1986]] | award2 = [[Asia Golf Circuit#Order of Merit winners|Asia Golf Circuit<br>Order of Merit winner]] | year2 = [[1989 Asia Golf Circuit|1989]] | awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section --> }} '''Brian J. Claar''' (born July 29, 1959) is an American [[professional golfer]].
== Early life == Claar was born in [[Santa Monica, California]]. He played college golf at the [[University of Tampa]] where he was a two-time [[All-American]].<ref name=guide>{{cite book |title=Official 1991 PGA TOUR Media Guide |year=1990 |publisher=PGA Tour |page=58 }}</ref> He was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.<ref>[http://www.tampaspartans.com/page.asp?articleID=5 University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527100710/http://www.tampaspartans.com/page.asp?articleID=5 |date=2010-05-27 }}</ref>
== Professional career == Claar turned professional in 1981.<ref name=guide/> He played on the [[PGA Tour]] from 1986 to 1998. He was selected as the PGA Rookie of the Year in 1986.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100203120911/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065763/2/index.htm The Power of Love]</ref> His best finish was a T-2 at the 1991 [[AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am]]. He then played primarily on the [[Nationwide Tour]] from 1999 to 2002. His best finishes on this tour were a pair of T-2s in 2002, a playoff loss at the [[Hershey Open]] and T-2 at the [[Utah Classic]].
Outside of the United States, Claar had success on the [[Asia Golf Circuit]]. In 1989 he claimed the Order of Merit title having won twice during the season, at the [[Hong Kong Open (golf)|Hong Kong]] and [[Thailand Open (golf)|Thailand]] opens.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/92e6a57e54b926c9258823d78851d712 |title=Sport Shorts |website=The Associated Press |date=April 23, 1989}}</ref>
Claar twice finished in the top-10 at a [[Men's major golf championships|major]]. At the [[1989 U.S. Open (golf)|1989 U.S. Open]], he finished fifth, two shots behind [[Curtis Strange]]. At the [[1992 PGA Championship]], he finished tied for ninth, six shots behind [[Nick Price]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Golf Major Championships|url=http://golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=997}}</ref>
Claar has also worked as [[Champions Tour]] official.<ref>[http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/SPORTS05/708110370/1013/SPORTS&nav_category=SPORTS Preparing for Champions: Crosswater gets a 'major' new look from Tour officials] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223137/http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070811%2FSPORTS05%2F708110370%2F1013%2FSPORTS&nav_category=SPORTS |date=July 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnycentral.com/sports/story.aspx?id=415923 |title=Champions Tour event suspended due to high winds |access-date=2011-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708171530/http://www.cnycentral.com/sports/story.aspx?id=415923 |archive-date=2011-07-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Professional wins (3)== ===Asia Golf Circuit wins (2)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!! Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner(s)-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|Feb 19, [[1989 Asia Golf Circuit|1989]] |[[Johnnie Walker Hong Kong Open]] |−6 (70-68-69-67=274) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Mats Lanner]], {{flagicon|USA}} [[Gary Rusnak]] |- |align=center|2 |align=right|Feb 26, 1989 |[[Thai International Thailand Open]] |−16 (66-67-68-71=272) |3 strokes |{{flagicon|USA}} [[E. J. Pfister]] |}
===Other wins (1)=== *1983 [[Rhode Island Open]]
==Playoff record== '''Buy.com Tour playoff record (0–1)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponents!!Result |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|1 |[[2002 Buy.com Tour|2002]] |[[Hershey Open (Buy.com Tour)|Hershey Open]] |{{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Ford (golfer)|Steve Ford]], {{flagicon|USA}} [[Cliff Kresge]],<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Joel Kribel]] |Kresge won with birdie on third extra hole |}
==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1989 !1990 !1991 !1992 !1993 !1994 !1995 |- |align=left|[[Masters Tournament]] |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |- |align=left|[[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] |style="background:yellow;"|5 |T29 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |T46 |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |- |align=left|[[The Open Championship]] |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T49 |- |align=left|[[PGA Championship]] |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |style="background:yellow;"|T9 |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T49 |} {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut<br> "T" = tied
==See also== *[[1985 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates]] *[[1989 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{PGATour player|01196}} *{{OWGR|541}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Claar, Brian}} [[Category:American male golfers]] [[Category:PGA Tour golfers]] [[Category:Golfers from Santa Monica, California]] [[Category:University of Tampa alumni]] [[Category:1959 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]