Stephen Ames
A globe-trotting grinder whose meticulous precision finally paid off with a stunning, career-defining win at golf's so-called 'fifth major.'
Born 1964 (age 62)·Canadian professional golfer·Birthday: April 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Stephen Ames's path to golf's winner's circle was long, international, and marked by a craftsman's patience. Born in Trinidad and Tobago to a Portuguese father and a Venezuelan mother, he turned professional and honed his game on tours across Europe, Asia, and Africa before finally earning his PGA Tour card in his late thirties. He was known for a methodical, technical approach, a stark contrast to the power players dominating the sport. His persistence crystallized in 2006 at The Players Championship, where he delivered a masterclass, beating one of the strongest fields in golf by a commanding six strokes. This victory was less a sudden explosion than the logical culmination of a journeyman's dedication. Ames later found renewed success on the PGA Tour Champions, his consistent ball-striking proving that a well-built game knows no age.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Stephen was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Stephen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Stephen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won The Players Championship in 2006 by a dominant six-stroke margin, the largest victory in the event in over two decades.
- Represented Canada in multiple World Cups of Golf and served as an International Team member in the 1994 Alfred Dunhill Cup.
- Has won multiple times on the PGA Tour Champions, including a major championship at the 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
- Earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2004 Western Open, defeating Steve Lowery in a playoff.
Did You Know?
He holds dual citizenship of Canada and Trinidad and Tobago, where he lived until moving to Canada at age 18.
Ames is a certified airplane pilot and enjoys flying in his spare time.
He is married to a former Canadian national team squash player, Jodi Ames.
His son, Ryan Ames, is a professional golfer who has caddied for him on the Champions Tour.
“The harder you work, the luckier you get. That's the only thing I've ever believed in.”
