Here's what to know about Alex Noren, who is in the final PGA twosome with Scottie Scheffler
Garry Smits- Alex Noren, a 42-year-old Swedish golfer, is three shots behind Scottie Scheffler at the PGA Championship.
- Noren is a 10-time winner on the DP World Tour and a former world No. 8.
- He has had several near-misses on the PGA Tour, including playoff losses and close finishes in other tournaments.
Alex Noren is in the final twosome in the PGA Championship with Scottie Scheffler on May 18, after posting a third-round 66 at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.
Noren is three shots behind Scheffler and is in the best position he's been to win one of golf's top championships. They will tee off at 2:40 p.m. (CBS).
A 42-year-old native of Sweden and a resident of Jupiter, Noren isn't widely known outside of the DP World Tour. But he is proven champion on the European circuit and a near-legend for his work ethic.
Here's what to know about Alex Noren:
Alex Noren is a winner
Noren was one of the top junior players in Sweden, then became one of a long list of future pros from Oklahoma State from 2002-2005 when he played with Hunter Mahan and Casey Wittenberg.
Noren has won 10 times on the DP World Tour, highlighted by his 2017 victory in the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour equivalent of the PGA Tour's Players Championship.
Noren peaked at No. 8 in the world in 2017.
Noren has had tough luck on the PGA Tour
Noren qualified for the 2017-18 PGA Tour season and took Jason Day to six playoff holes and a Monday finish before Day prevailed in the Farmers Insurance Open.
Noren then made the semifinals of the WGC Match Play and has a putt on the 18th hole to beat Kevin Kisner. He missed and Kisner won on the 19th hole. Noren then beat Justin Thomas 5 and 3 in the consolation match.
Noren tied for third in the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn., three shots behind winner Michael Thompson.
He was one shot out of a playoff int he 2021 Rocket Mortage Classic in Detroit.
Noren finished solo second in the 2022 Barracuda Championship. He finished one point behind Chez Reavie under the Stableford points format.
Alex Noren took down Bryson DeChambeau
Noren went 2-1 to help Europe win the 2018 Ryder Cup and beat Bryson DeChambeau in singles with a birdie putt on the 18th hole.
What is Alex Noren's major championship record?
- PGA: 13 starts, eight cuts made. His best finish was a tie for 12th last year at Valhalla.
- Masters: Four starts, one cut made. He tied for 62nd in 2019.
- U.S. Open: 11 starts, three cuts made. His best finish was a tie for 17th in 2020 at Winged Foot.
- Open Championship: 13 starts, eight cuts made. Noren's best finish was a tie for sixth in 2017 at Royal Birkdale.
Alex Noren is a grinder
The DP World Tour posted a photo of Noren's hands, with thick calluses, as an example of how long he grinds on the practice range.
“I don’t think anyone works harder than him,” Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark said of Noren. “He’s always full of energy. He’s like one of those rabbits with a battery.”
It sometimes been to his detriment. Noren had tendinitis in both wrists in 2014, limiiting him to two starts, and before playing at last week's Truist Championship, he was out since before The Sentry with a severe right hamstring injury.
What's Alex Noren been up to?
Among other things, coaching his daughter's softball team in Jupiter.