Tom Kite
| Tom Kite | |
|---|---|
| — Golfer — | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. |
| Born |
December 9, 1949 McKinney, Texas |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Nationality |
 United States
|
| Residence | Austin, Texas |
| Career | |
| College | University of Texas |
| Turned professional | 1972 |
| Current tour(s) | Champions Tour |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 38 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 19 |
| European Tour | 2 |
| PGA Tour Champions | 10 |
| Other | 7 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) |
|
| Masters Tournament | 2nd/T2: 1983, 1986, 1997 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 1992 |
| The Open Championship | T2: 1978 |
| PGA Championship | T4: 1981, 1988 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 2004 (member page) |
| PGA Tour leading money winner |
1981, 1989 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 1989 |
| GWAA Male Player of the Year |
1989 |
| Vardon Trophy | 1981, 1982 |
| Byron Nelson Trophy | 1981, 1982 |
| Bob Jones Award | 1979 |
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1994.
Kite was born in McKinney, Texas. He began playing golf at age six, and won his first tournament at age 11. Kite attended the University of Texas on a golf scholarship and was coached by Harvey Penick. He turned professional in 1972 and has been a consistent money winner ever since. Known for his innovation, he was the first to add a third wedge to his bag, one of the first players to use a sports psychologist, and one of the first to emphasize physical fitness for game improvement. He also underwent laser eye surgery, due to his partial blindness, in a bid to improve his game late in his career.
He has 19 PGA Tour victories, including the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He competed on seven Ryder Cup squads (1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993) and served as the 1997 captain. Kite holds a unique record of making the cut for the first four U.S. Opens held at Pebble Beach: 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2000. Kite also shares the distinction (with Gene Littler) of playing in the most Masters Tournaments without a win.
In 1989 he was named PGA of America Player of the Year; in 1981 the Golf Writers Association Player of the Year, the Vardon Trophy winner in 1981 and 1982, Bob Jones Award recipient in 1979 and Golf Digest Rookie of the Year in 1973.
Kite was the first in Tour history to reach $6 million, $7 million, $8 million, and $9 million in career earnings. He was the Tour's leading money-winner in 1981 and 1989. In his prime Kite had few peers with the short irons. In 1993, Johnny Miller referred to Kite as "the greatest short-iron player the game has seen."
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Wikipedia