One of golf's most talented players, Hoch remains among the ranks of "best players without a major." He had one of his best chances to break out of the rut in 1989 when he missed a short putt on the first hole of a playoff with Nick Faldo that would have given him the green jacket. Hoch burst onto the professional scene with a win at the 1980 Quad Cities Open in his rookie year. As an amateur, Hoch finished runner-up to John Cook at the 1978 U.S. Amateur and was a two-time All-America selection for the national champion Wake Forest team.