Azinger spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.

Azinger won eleven tournaments on the PGA Tour in seven seasons from 1987 to 1993, climaxing in his one major title, the 1993 PGA Championship. He was subsequently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He wrote a book called Zinger about his battle with the disease and was the recipient of GWAA Ben Hogan Award in 1995, given to the individual who has continued to be active in golf despite physical handicap or serious illness. 

Azinger is also an avid poker player and competed in the main event at both the 2006 World Series of Poker and the 2008 World Series of Poker.

After being named the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2008 event at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, he led the U.S. team to its first victory over the European squad since 1999. Azinger is a Christian.