TC Chen to KJ Choi: names behind the initials

Kyoung-Ju Choi has had more success on tour than announcers have had attempting his name

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 4 February 15

Golfers occasionally turn up on tour going only by their initials rather than their full names. But just what are the names behind the initials...

For various reasons, golfers occasionally turn up on tour going only by their initials rather than their full names. Sometimes it’s for practical pronunciation reasons with overseas players, other times it’s simply personal preference or childhood legacy. Here we reveal 10 of golf’s names behind the initials

TC Chen

Taiwanese Tze-chung Chen played on the PGA Tour for 10 years, finishing 2^nd twice, most notably in the 1985 US Open when an infamous final-round double hit cost him the chance to become Asia’s first Major champion. Most forget that he also scored the first albatross in US Open history during that same tournament.

DJ Trahan

The 2008 Bob Hope winner’s real names are Donald and Roland, which doesn’t really explain the J…

JB Holmes

The monumental-hitting three-time tour winner’s real names are John Bradley but he prefers JB. Apparently there was a famous porn star in the States called John Holmes…

KJ Choi

One of Korea’s finest ever players turned to initials after first-tee announcers regularly got hopelessly tongue-tied trying to pronounce Kyoung-Ju.

DA Weibring

Donald Albert, who often sported a flat white cap in his heyday, won five PGA Tour titles between 1979 and 1996. Son Matt has played on the Web.com Tour for a number of years.

Donald Albert Weibring sporting his trademark flat white cap in his earlier days

JC Snead

Sam Snead’s nephew and eight-time PGA Tour winner was christened Jesse Carlyle perhaps triggering the initial thing.

SK Ho

Another Korean name simplified for the English tongue. Hur Suk-ho is the real name of the eight-time Japan Tour winner who finished 11^th in the 2006 Open.

SSP Chowrasia

Shiv Shankar Prasad popped up out of nowhere to pinch the first ever tour event in his native country – the 2008 Indian Masters. Second name is perhaps best left to the initial only.

DA Points

Darren Andrew spent many years flitting between the PGA and Web.com Tours before his breakthrough win in the 2011 AT&T at Pebble Beach. Added a second victory in the 2013 Shell Houston Open.

HB Duntz-Macarthur

No, we’d never heard of this lady who made her LPGA Tour debut in 1975 either. But we do know that HB stands for Helen Beth.

Jeremy Ellwood

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly across the whole spectrum from courses and Rules to equipment and even instruction despite his own somewhat iffy swing (he knows how to do it, but just can't do it himself). He also edits The Golf Club Secretary Newsletter, has authored or co-authored three books and written for a number of national papers including The Telegraph and The Independent. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 89 of the Next 100. He has played well over 900 courses worldwide in 35 countries, but put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content. On his first trip to Abu Dhabi a decade ago he foolishly asked Paul Casey what sort of a record he had around the course there. "Well, I've won it twice if that's what you mean!" came the reply...

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf