Tom Kite
| Tom Kite | |
|---|---|
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| Personnel | |
| Nation: |
 United States
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| Career data | |
| Professional since: | 1972 |
| Current tour: | Champions Tour |
| Tournament wins: | 37 |
| Major wins : | 1 (1992) |
| Awards: |
Bob Jones Award (1979) World Golf Hall of Fame (2004) |
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. (born December 9, 1949 in McKinney , Texas ) is an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour . He belongs to the circle of major winners.
Career
He started playing golf at the age of six and won his first tournament at the age of eleven. After attending the University of Texas , Kite became a professional golfer in 1972.
He won 19 tournaments on the PGA TOUR , including his only major , the 1992 US Open . Kite was the first in the history of this major American tournament series to hit the $ 6, 7, 8, and 9 million dollar marks. He topped the money lists in 1981 and 1989.
Kite took part in seven Ryder Cups as a player and was the 1997 captain ( non-playing captain ) of the US team.
When he reached the age of 50, he began to play on the Champions Tour and has won ten victories there, including a senior major .
Tom Kite was the first golfer with a third wedge in his golf bag and one of the first to enlist the help of a sports psychologist and demonstrate the importance of physical fitness in improving their game.
He is married to his wife Christy. The two have three grown children, a daughter and two sons (twins). Kite is based in Austin, Texas .
Awards
- 1973 Golf Digest Rookie of the Year
- 1979 Bob Jones Award ( USGA's highest honor )
- 1980 Vardon Trophy
- 1981 Golf Writers Association Player of the Year, Vardon Trophy
- 1989 PGA of America Player of the Year
- 2004 World Golf Hall of Fame
PGA Tour victories
- 1976 (1) IVB-Bicentennial Golf Classic
- 1978 (1) BC Open
- 1981 (1) American Motors Inverrary Classic
- 1982 (1) Bay Hill Classic
- 1983 (1) Bing Crosby National Pro-Am
- 1984 (2) Doral-Eastern Open , Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic
- 1985 (1) MONY Tournament of Champions
- 1986 (1) Western Open
- 1987 (1) Kemper Open
- 1989 (3) Nestle Invitational , Players Championship , Tour Championship
- 1990 (1) Federal Express St. Jude Classic
- 1991 (1) Infiniti Tournament of Champions
- 1992 (2) BellSouth Classic , US Open
- 1993 (2) Bob Hope Chrysler Classic , Nissan Los Angeles Open
Major Championship in bold .
Champions Tour victories
- 2000 The Countrywide Tradition , SBC Senior Open
- 2001 Gold Rush Classic
- 2002 MasterCard Championship , SBC Senior Classic , Napa Valley Championship
- 2004 3M Championship
- 2006 AT&T Classic , Boeing Greater Seattle Classic
- 2008 Boeing Classic
Senior Major in bold .
Other tournament victories
- 1974 Air New Zealand Open
- 1980 European Open ( European Tour )
- 1981 JCPenney Classic (with Beth Daniel )
- 1987 Kirin Cup (individual ranking)
- 1989 Alfred Dunhill Cup (in Team USA)
- 1992 Shark Shootout (with Davis Love III )
- 1996 Oki Pro-Am (European Tour), Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with Jay Haas ).
See also
Web links
(all english)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kite, Tom |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kite, Thomas Oliver Jr. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American golfer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 9, 1949 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | McKinney , Texas |