Jonathan Byrd grew up in Anderson, South Carolina, and played college golf at Clemson University, where he was a standout amateur, the first four-time first-team All-ACC player in school history and a First Team All-America in 1999. He also represented the United States in the Walker Cup.
He turned professional in 2000, initially competing on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour before joining the PGA Tour. In his debut PGA season in 2002, he won the Buick Challenge and earned Rookie of the Year honors, later adding victories such as the B.C. Open, John Deere Classic, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (where he famously made a playoff hole-in-one), and the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
