Hal Sutton
Hal Sutton (born April 28, 1958) is an American professional golfer from Shreveport, Louisiana, renowned for his 14 PGA Tour victories, including the 1983 PGA Championship and the 2000 Players Championship.[1][2][3] After a stellar amateur career highlighted by winning the 1980 U.S. Amateur, North and South Amateur, Western Amateur, and Northeast Amateur, as well as earning Golf Magazine's 1980 College Player of the Year award at Centenary College, Sutton turned professional in 1981.[2][1] Sutton's professional breakthrough came early with his 1983 PGA Championship win at Riviera Country Club, where he defeated Jack Nicklaus by one stroke to claim his only major title.[3][2] He amassed over $15 million in PGA Tour earnings between 1982 and 2006, with standout seasons including $3.06 million in 2000, bolstered by his victory at The Players Championship—where he held off Tiger Woods for a one-shot win—and runner-up finishes in multiple events.[2] Sutton also captured the 1998 Tour Championship and ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for more than 100 weeks across 1986–1987 and 1999–2001, peaking at No. 4.[2][4] A key figure in team golf, Sutton represented the United States in four Ryder Cups (1985, 1987, 1999, 2002) and served as the 2004 Ryder Cup captain, leading the team at Oakland Hills despite a narrow defeat to Europe.[2][3] He participated in two Presidents Cups (1998, 2000) and transitioned to the PGA Tour Champions in 2008, where he has made 127 of 131 cuts and earned nearly $1.9 million without a victory.[5] Off the course, Sutton has been honored with the 2004 Payne Stewart Award for his character and contributions to golf, co-founded the Christus Schumpert Sutton Children’s Hospital in Shreveport (2006–2013), and raised over $2 million for hurricane relief in 2006, earning the Charlie Bartlett Award.[2] Additionally, he designs golf courses, including Old Oaks in Bossier City, Louisiana, and pursues interests in horses, hunting, and fishing.[3]Early life and amateur career
Early life
Hal Sutton was born on April 28, 1958, in Shreveport, Louisiana.[6] He grew up in the city, where his family owned an oil company.[6] Sutton was raised by his parents, Howard and Mary Sutton; his father worked in the oil industry.[7] He had two sisters, Debbie and Pam.[7] Sutton attended Northwood High School in Shreveport.[7] He developed an early interest in golf, beginning to play the sport at the age of four.[7] His father played a pivotal role in nurturing this passion, providing intense coaching focused on mental toughness and discipline.[7] A family friend's donation of his first set of golf clubs further sparked Sutton's enthusiasm for the game.[8] As a youth, Sutton frequently played on local courses in Shreveport, including a nearby nine-hole layout where he would often complete up to 54 holes in a single day.[8] By his early teens, around age 13 or 14, his father supported his competitive pursuits by securing memberships at the Shreveport Country Club and Shady Oaks Country Club, enabling access to higher-quality facilities.[8] At age 15, Sutton achieved his first major milestone by winning the Louisiana State Amateur championship.[7]Amateur achievements
Sutton attended Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he became a three-time All-American golfer, earning the honor in 1978, 1979, and 1980. During his collegiate career, he secured 14 individual titles, including a remarkable streak of four consecutive victories in his senior year: the Trans-America Conference Championship, the Chris Shenkel Collegiate Invitational, the Southern Intercollegiate, and the North-South Invitational. His stroke average in that final season was 71.35, and he finished second in the 1980 NCAA Championships, losing in a sudden-death playoff on the fourth extra hole. For his outstanding performance, Sutton was named the 1980 Collegiate Golfer of the Year by Golf Magazine and received the James J. Corbett Memorial Award as Louisiana's top amateur athlete.[9][10] In 1979, as a junior, Sutton won the Western Amateur Championship, defeating strong fields at the Chicago Golf Club. He repeated as Western Amateur champion in 1980 at the Sunset Ridge Country Club, showcasing consistent excellence in match play. That same year, he claimed the Northeast Amateur title at The Agawam Hunt Club, Rhode Island, solidifying his reputation as one of the top amateurs in the country.[11][12] Sutton's 1980 season peaked with a dominant victory in the U.S. Amateur Championship at the Country Club of North Carolina, where he defeated Bob Lewis 9-and-8 in the 36-hole final, the most lopsided margin in the event's history at that time. Earlier that summer, he also won the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. These triumphs capped a "storybook summer" that propelled him toward professional golf. Additionally, Sutton represented the United States in the 1980 World Amateur Team Championship (Eisenhower Trophy) at Pinehurst, leading the team to victory with an individual score of 12-under-par 276—the lowest in the event's history at that point, surpassing Jack Nicklaus's previous record. He was selected for the Walker Cup team in both 1979 and 1981, contributing to U.S. successes in those matches against Great Britain and Ireland.[13][12][14][10]Professional career
PGA Tour years
Sutton turned professional in 1981 after winning the 1980 U.S. Amateur Championship, immediately gaining attention for his ball-striking prowess and competitive drive. He earned his PGA Tour card for the 1982 season and made an immediate impact, posting solid results throughout the year and securing his maiden victory at the Walt Disney World Golf Classic in October. This performance earned him the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award, marking the start of a promising professional tenure.[10] The 1983 season represented the pinnacle of Sutton's early career, as he captured multiple victories, including triumphs in prestigious events that showcased his ability to perform under pressure. Leading the PGA Tour money list with $426,668 in earnings, he was honored as the PGA Player of the Year, reflecting his dominance and consistency across a demanding schedule. This breakout year established Sutton as one of the tour's rising stars, with his precise iron play and mental resilience becoming hallmarks of his game.[15] Throughout the mid-1980s, Sutton built on his success with additional wins and frequent contention in top events, finishing inside the top 10 on the money list multiple times. His career featured periods of steady performance, highlighted by victories such as the 1986 Memorial Tournament, where his strategic approach to course management shone. By the end of the decade, he had accumulated several PGA Tour titles, solidifying his reputation as a reliable contender.[3] The 1990s presented challenges for Sutton, including stretches of inconsistency due to swing adjustments and personal factors, but he demonstrated resilience with a notable resurgence in 1994, earning the PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year award after strong finishes and renewed form. Later in the decade, he reclaimed the spotlight with a win at the 1998 Tour Championship, defeating Vijay Singh in a playoff and ending the year fifth on the money list. These achievements underscored his adaptability in a field increasingly dominated by younger talent.[16] Sutton's final years on the PGA Tour extended into the early 2000s, where he remained competitive into his early 40s, highlighted by a memorable 2000 victory that reinforced his legacy. Over 25 seasons from 1982 to 2006, he competed in 646 events, making 436 cuts, recording 69 top-5 finishes and 124 top-10s, and earning $15,267,685 in official prize money. With a total of 14 PGA Tour wins and six top-10 money list finishes, Sutton retired from the PGA Tour after the 2006 season and joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2008, leaving behind a career defined by perseverance and high-level play.[17][11]PGA Tour Champions era
Sutton became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions upon turning 50 in April 2008 and made his debut that October at the Administaff Small Business Classic in The Woodlands, Texas, where he expressed comfort with the senior circuit's atmosphere.[18] In his first full season of 2009, he posted a career-best finish of tied for third at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, earning $120,000 and ranking 42nd on the money list with $197,313 by mid-year.[19] He also contended at events like the Toshiba Classic, leading on the weekend but fading due to early-round struggles, demonstrating his competitive edge despite adapting to senior play.[20] Following a strong start, Sutton took an extended hiatus from competitive golf following a mild heart attack in early 2014, citing health reasons.[21] He returned to the tour in February 2019 at the Oasis Championship in Florida, aiming for up to 20 starts that year with renewed focus at age 60, emphasizing a desire to "quit the game correctly" after stepping away.[22] His comeback included consistent performances, contributing to 11 top-10 finishes overall on the circuit.[11] Through 2025, Sutton has competed in 131 events on the PGA Tour Champions without securing a victory, yet he has made the cut in 127 of them, achieving six top-5 finishes and 11 top-10 results while amassing $1,894,440 in official earnings.[5] His steady play has kept him active into his late 60s, blending experience from 14 PGA Tour wins with the senior tour's demands.[10]Tournament accomplishments
PGA Tour wins
Hal Sutton amassed 14 victories on the PGA Tour during his professional career, which spanned from 1982 to 2006, with his last win occurring in 2001. These triumphs highlighted his consistency and ability to perform under pressure, including his only major championship, the 1983 PGA Championship, and two wins at The Players Championship in 1983 and 2000, a tournament often called the 'fifth major'. His victories were concentrated in the early to mid-1980s, reflecting a strong start to his professional tenure, followed by a resurgence in the late 1990s and early 2000s that demonstrated his enduring competitiveness.[17] Sutton's breakthrough season came in 1983, when he captured two high-profile events, earning him the PGA Player of the Year award and leading the money list with $426,668 in earnings. The Tournament Players Championship victory at TPC Sawgrass marked his first win in a signature event, where he came from four shots back with a final-round 69 to defeat Bob Eastwood by one stroke. Later that year, at the PGA Championship held at Riviera Country Club, Sutton defeated Nicklaus again by a single shot, carding a final-round 71 to secure his only traditional major title. These back-to-back successes solidified his reputation as one of the tour's rising stars.[17][15] In 1985 and 1986, Sutton enjoyed multiple wins each year, showcasing his peak form. He claimed the Southwest Golf Classic and the St. Jude Memphis Classic in 1985, both in Texas and Tennessee respectively, demonstrating his prowess on southern courses. The following year brought victories at the Phoenix Open, where he set a tournament record with a 21-under-par total, and the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, another invitational event hosted by Jack Nicklaus. These successes contributed to six top-10 finishes on the money list over his career.[17] After a quieter period in the early 1990s, Sutton revitalized his career with a series of late triumphs. In 1995, he won the B.C. Open in New York, his first victory in a decade. The year 1998 proved particularly rewarding, with wins at the Westin Texas Open in San Antonio and the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where he defeated Vijay Singh in a playoff to claim the $720,000 first prize. In 1999, he took the Bell Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Ontario. Sutton capped his PGA Tour win streak in 2000 with the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic in North Carolina and a second Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, holding off Tiger Woods for a one-shot victory with a strong approach on the 18th hole. His final victory came in 2001 at the Shell Houston Open, held at The Woodlands Country Club, where he shot a 10-under-par total.[17][23] The following table summarizes Sutton's PGA Tour wins chronologically:| Year | Tournament | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Walt Disney World Golf Classic | Orlando, FL |
| 1983 | Tournament Players Championship | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
| 1983 | PGA Championship | Pacific Palisades, CA |
| 1985 | Southwest Golf Classic | Abilene, TX |
| 1985 | St. Jude Memphis Classic | Memphis, TN |
| 1986 | Phoenix Open | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 1986 | Memorial Tournament | Dublin, OH |
| 1995 | B.C. Open | Endicott, NY |
| 1998 | Westin Texas Open | San Antonio, TX |
| 1998 | The Tour Championship | Atlanta, GA |
| 1999 | Bell Canadian Open | Oakville, ON |
| 2000 | Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic | Greensboro, NC |
| 2000 | The Players Championship | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
| 2001 | Shell Houston Open | The Woodlands, TX |