Since hitting the PGA Tour in 1976, Curtis Strange quickly became one of its most consistent and talented mainstays. After an amateur career spent racking up victories around the country and in the NCAA, Strange went on to make an indelible mark on the PGA.

Strange's father owned White Sands Country Club in Virginia Beach, Va., and Strange began golfing at an early age. At age 15, Strange won the Virginia Junior Championship, and later earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship to play golf at Wake Forest University.

At Wake Forest, Strange was part of what some consider the best U.S. collegiate golf team ever. With teammate Jay Haas, among others, Strange led Wake Forest to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1974 and 1975. Strange won the individual collegiate crown in 1974, when he also won the World Amateur Cup.

Strange turned pro in 1976 and won his first Tour event at the 1979 Pensacola Open. He won three times and his first PGA Tour money title in 1985; he repeated in both areas in 1987.

In 1988, Strange won four tournaments, including the U.S. Open, and became the first golfer to crack the $1 million mark for single-season earnings. In 1989, at age 34, he won his second U.S. Open. Strange's first U.S. Open win came via an 18-hole playoff defeat of Nick Faldo. His seven-year tournament victory streak is one of the best in the sport.

By the mid-1990s, Strange was playing less and less on Tour. He eventually left the Tour to become lead analyst on ABC's golf broadcast team; Strange held that position for several years before departing ABC in 2004. In 2005, he began his first season on the Champions Tour.

Strange was known as an intense competitor, someone who could be brusque to fans and media.

Today, Strange shares his insightful commentary on the game as a golf analyst for ABC and ESPN and is a frequent contributor to golf publications. The Williamsburg, Virginia native is an energetic speaker with a remarkable story to share about overcoming daunting obstacles to remain at the top of your game.

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