JOHN MAHAFFEY was once a top golfer in the PGA Tour but has since changed course and become an author.

The American golfer won multiple titles during his career but since leaving the sport behind has published three books.

Mahaffey, 75, knew he was going to become a professional golfer after a won the amateur NCAA individual in 1970.

He turned pro in 1971 and went on to enjoy a successful career on the course.

The American picked up 16 professional wins during his career including the PGA Championship in 1978.

In the PGA Tour, he won nine other times including at the Sahara Invitational in 1973, the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1978, and the Texas Open in 1985.

His last PGA win came in 1989 when he claimed victory at the Federal Express St. Jude Classic by three strokes.

Mahaffey could have seen more wins had he won two playoffs, as he lost at the 1975 U.S. Open Championship and the 1985 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic.

His success on the course saw him earn winnings of at least £3million, according to the PGA Tour website.

After retiring from the sport, Mahaffey spent time working as an announcer on Golf Channel telecasts for the PGA Tour as well as becoming an author.

He has published three books, one being an autobiography titled Hogan’s Boy: A journey in golf.

The second and third are part of a mystery thriller series called the Nemesis Series, which are Shafted and Unfinished Business.

He said on the Getting Off Course podcast: “I travelled pretty much since I was in college and I had written a book called Hogan’s Boy.

“And basically I wanted to tell some of the stories of people that helped me on the way and I wrote it to give a little history of the three eras I played in.

“But it got to the point when I really wanted to do something else and during the time I was travelling even when I used to drive at night I read mystery novels.

“I really got intrigued about doing this and living in a fish bowl your entire life where everybody sees stuff and you are like a travelling circus.

“Everybody knows everybody and all these different scenarios started building in my head, so I thought I am going to write a book and I am going to call it ‘Shafted’.

“I had a ball writing it and after writing the first one and during covid so I wrote three other books and I am now on the fourth of five in the Nemesis series.

“Some of it is based on my life and some of it is escapism.”

The books are mystery thrillers.