Who Is Michael Thorbjornsen? 15 Facts About The PGA Tour Pro

Michael Thorbjornsen looks on during the 2025 Rocket Classic

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 29 June 2025

A former US Junior Amateur champion, Michael Thorbjornsen attended the same college as Tiger Woods and is now plying his trade on the PGA Tour. Get to know him with some more facts about the American golfer...

Michael Thorbjornsen Facts

1. Michael Thorbjornsen was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 15, 2001.

2. His father, Thorbjorn Thorbjornsen hails from Norway while his mother, Sandra Chiang is from Zimbabwe. He has three sisters called Victoria, Michelle and Teresa.

3. Thorbjornsen first played golf at the age of two.

4. Thorbjornsen attended college at Stanford University - the same as the likes of Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Rose Zhang.

5. He won the 2018 US Junior Amateur at Baltusrol which got him into the 2019 US Open.

6. He became the first US Junior Amateur champion to make the cut at the US Open when he finished 79th at Pebble Beach in 2019.

7. In team golf, he's played in the Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Presidents Cup - winning both times.

8. Overall, he won seven amateur titles including the 2023 Pac-12 Men's Golf Championships, the Western Amateur and the Massachusetts Amateur - both in 2021.

9. His best finish on the PGA Tour as an amateur came at the 2022 Travelers Championship when he came fourth, but as an amateur could not collect the $406,700 prize money.

10. Thorbjornsen finished top of the PGA Tour University rankings in 2024 - which earned him a PGA Tour card for the rest of 2024 and all of 2025.

Michael Thorbjornsen with his PGA Tour card after graduating from PGA Tour University

11. He turned pro in June 2024.

12. His first tournament was a pro as back at the Travelers Championship, where he finished T39th.

13. A first big finish as a pro came at the 2024 John Deere Classic where he finished runner-up behind Davis Thompson in what was his third pro start. The following season, he ended T2nd once more at the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship.

14. In his first full season on the PGA Tour, 2025, Thorbjornsen was in the top-5 for driving distance through June.

15. His best finish at a Major championship is T41st at the 2025 PGA Championship.

Michael Thorbjornsen Bio

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Born	September 16, 2001 - Cleveland, Ohio
Resides	Wellesley, Massachusetts
College	Stanford University
Turned Pro	June 2024
Current Tour	PGA Tour
Highest OWGR	132nd
Best Major Finish	T41st (2025 PGA Championship)

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.

With contributions from

Jonny LeighfieldStaff Writer

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